1898, Our Last Men in the Philippines

‘Epic’ is one word that springs to mind in describing this grand-scale, big-budget historical adventure, which champions the Spanish Empire’s last stand in the Philippines in 1898 by 50 patriots in a remote jungle village.

The feature film directing debut of Salvador Calvo, produced by Enrique Cerezo (Witching & Bitching SFF14 and My Big Night SFF16), this is a valiant tale of bravery and utter fortitude as these Spanish ‘soldiers’ barricade themselves in a church for close to a year while suffering all manner of misery and illness, as well as the continual onslaught of the country’s native Tagalogs.

1898, Our Last Men in The Philippines does not shy away from the depiction of horrors in war, and is as strong visually as its captivating and rarely told true story. Unashamedly nationalistic and confronting, this may be Spain’s answer to Braveheart, The Pianist or even Apocalypse Now, but it is definitely unforgettable unlike these men, abandoned then forgotten by both God and Country.