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Director Baby Ruth Villarama and the documentary team embark on a variety of boats and ships to chronicle the continuing conflict and its effects between the Philippines and China over control of the recently named West Philippine Sea. These waters, considered by nearly everyone outside of China as part of the Philippines' EEZ, has seen a growing presence by boats from China. Among them are fishing boats, most notably Chinese coast guard ships that have been accused of harassing, collided with, and tried to seize Filipino boats as part of the broader sovereignty dispute.

Some footage are highly charged, yet mostly the conflict unfolds as a diplomatic dance of maritime bluster. Personnel on each side's boats deliver impassioned declarations, laden with diplomatic language, engaging in a kind of radio diplomacy.

The Mission Behind the Title

The film's title references the vital operation by the Armed Forces of the Philippines to deliver provisions to tiny outposts in the West Philippine Sea where soldiers hold the line for long, solitary stretches. These "islands" are often little more than patches of sand in shallow waters, no larger than a football pitch, reachable solely via high-speed inflatable boats.

The journeys are undoubtedly scary for the young animals on board, which are shipped with canned goods and additional provisions. Viewers see the creatures seeking for secure footing as the craft race across the open water.

Voices from the Shoal

In another segment fishers living around the inhabited Scarborough Shoal, who lament over decreasing fish hauls caused by the persistent presence of trawlers from China in their ancestral fishing areas.

Fascinating Topic, Flawed Presentation

From a technical standpoint, the documentary suffers a bit from a somewhat scattered narrative approach and a soundtrack that can feel overly tacky, overemphasizing the dramatic moments. Nevertheless, it remains a important look of a maritime conflict that receives little discussion in Western media.