Vapor Trail (Clark)
- USA, THE PHILIPPINES / 2010 / English, Tagalog / Color / Video / 264 min
Director: John Gianvito
www.centralproductions.org/vapor/
At the sites of former U.S. military bases in the Philippines that were once vital staging areas for wars in Korea, Vietnam, and the Persian Gulf, local residents are suffering from serious health problems due to soil contamination by chemical agents. This film not only listens carefully to the voices of the struggling victims and their families, but also turns the camera on the battles and turbulent personal history of an activist who supports them, shining a light on the patterns of social inequality that have repeatedly emerged in the modern history of the Philippines, and the dignity of the oppressed. Furthermore, it mixes in photos depicting the nation’s historical relations with America in the late 19th century, and analyzes the lingering influence of its subjugation. A homage to Tsuchimoto Noriaki.