Joy, the mother of a six-year-old girl named Angel, is fatigued and frightened of her alcoholic husband Dante’s abuse. One day, Dante starts an argument for something trivial. He lashes out, inflicting physical violence on Joy. When Angel gets hurt in the process, Joy decides not to hold back and slashes Dante with a nice in self-defense. With Angel in her arms, Joy rushes to the police station. Thus begins Joy’s lawsuit against Dante for domestic abuse. But in a society where domestic violence is deemed a private family matter and an irrational system where the verdict depends on an expensive lawyer, Joy’s battle is not one that can be won easily.
Verdict is a feature debut by Raymund RIBAY GUITERREZ, whose film Judgment, which addresses the same issue, was invited to compete in the Short Film Competition at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival. Filmed with the same actors as in the short, Verdict keenly exposes the patriarchal Philippine society rampant with violence and prejudice against women, and the legal system where money can change the meaning of justice. It is an excellent film that shows the director’s persistence in dealing with social issues, with camera work that does not display or intervene in its portrayal of violence. Christopher King makes an impressive posthumous appearance as Dante. Verdict received a Special Mention at the Orizzonti section of the Venice Film Festival. (PARK Sun Young)