INSURRECTO

Listeners may not have heard of the 1901 Balangiga massacre in the Philippines. That's all the more reason we need Justine Eyre's strong performance in this reimagining of the conflict between the townspeople and American soldiers. Eyre creates smooth transitions between the perspectives of American filmmaker Chiara and Filipino translator Magsalin. Each of the women writes a screenplay about this bloody historical moment, one focused on soldiers, the other about townspeople. Eyre captures both high-minded Chiara, whose ethnocentric screenplay tells only one side of the story, and tentative Magsalin, whose confidence develops over time. Listeners can be very sure whose part of the story they are in throughout. Together, the narrators bring us the full picture of this dark episode in history. M.R. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2018]