Fight for Us premiered out of competition at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival.[1] For its French release, the original title of Orapronobis was changed due to its religious overtones.[2] In the Philippines, the film was heavily denounced by government officials for its subversive message that criticized the Aquinoadministration;[3] it was never given a theatrical run in the country due to local censors.[4]
Plot
In 1985, in the obscure town of Santa Filomena, the Orapronobis, a cult under the leadership of Kumander Kontra (Roco), murders a foreign priest who gave the last rites to an alleged rebel, who was also executed by the same group. At the success of the 1986 EDSA revolution, political detainees, led by Jimmy Cordero (Salvador), celebrate the fall of the Marcosdictatorship. All political prisoners are released, including Jimmy, an ex-priest-turned-underground revolutionary. Not long, after, Jimmy marries a human rights activist, Trixie (Bonnevie). Jimmy becomes an advocate of human rights. Despite Trixie's protests, her brother, Roland (Lorenzo), and Jimmy go on a fact-finding mission to Santa Filomena to investigate the latest crime committed by the Orapronobis. Jimmy meets Esper (Alajar), his ex-girlfriend. He finds out that he has a son with her, Camilo (Herrera). They agree to keep Jimmy's true identity a secret from the boy. Conniving with the army, the Orapronobis step up their acts of terror. Jimmy's group helps evacuate the townspeople to the town church, then later to Manila. Back in Manila, Jimmy turns down a friend's invitation to rejoin the underground movement. Later, he and Roland are ambushed. Jimmy survives, but Roland does not. He recovers and shortly after that, Trixie gives birth to their child. Soldiers raid the refugee center with a masked man who identifies several of the barrio folk as rebels. The refugees and the human rights activists complain to the government. Esper and her son are abducted by the Orapronobis who accuse Esper of helping the rebels. She is raped and beaten up by Kumander Kontra in front of Camilo. Fighting back, she shoots at Kontra. In a hysterical rage, Kontra goes on a shooting rampage, killing Esper, Camilo and the captured barrio men. Later, the military bring the casualties to the town where Jimmy weeps over the bodies of Esper and his son. The film ends with Jimmy contacting his old colleague from the underground.[5]
^Libo-on, Eddie (July 31, 1989). "William Lao now happy". Manila Standard. Kagitingan Publications, Inc. p. 27. Retrieved July 13, 2023. It was retitled 'FIght for Us' by the French producer because it sounds too religious for him.
