Watch List

Under current President Rodrigo Duterte, many in the Philippines have suffered the ramifications of his most draconian campaign promise: to put those involved in the drug trade behind bars, or worse... six feet under. Maria and Arturo, two reformed addicts living hand-to-mouth in one of the country's most dangerous barangays ("barrios"), are rounded up as part of a nationwide campaign to discourage drug use by offering a rehabilitation program to those who voluntarily surrender. Fearing the ramifications if they don't, the married couple complies and adds their names to the watch list of suspected users in exchange for promised government assistance. Days later, Arturo is found dead in the street, alongside a cardboard sign that reads "I'm a pusher; don't be like me." The cops have no leads as to the culprit, leaving a despondent Maria to fend for their three children as their savings rapidly dwindle. Unable to find a job and realizing she may be targeted next, Mariaoffers to work as a police informant in the streets she once knew so well in exchange for the protection of her family. But the lead investigator has other plans for her, forcing Maria to confront just how far she is willing to go to secure the safety of her own family... (Seattle International Film Festival)