Adam (Ian Gamazon) is an American citizen who works as a security guard in San Diego, California. His spirits are dampened when he receives a call from his girlfriend who wants to have an abortion. Adam, a Muslim, is quite offended and hurt. He breaks down on an airplane flight to the Philippines where he is going to attend his father's funeral. Upon his arrival, he finds that no one is there to meet him. Instead, he discovers a cell phone in his backpack along with some pictures of his mother and sister. A Muslim terrorist has kidnapped them and says they will be killed unless Adam follows his instructions.
Adam is led down the streets of Cavite and introduced to the underside of this society where poverty is rampant, children sell their bodies for prostitution, and the odor of a polluted swamp forces him to cover his nose. At one point, he witnesses a person being brutally murdered in an alley. The man behind all these sinister moves is associated with the infamous Abu Sayyaf group that is fighting the government. He has a reputation for violence and shows it; Adam is sent his sister's finger in a cigarette package.
Cavite is a riveting drama about the viciousness of terrorism and the extremes to which individuals will go to advance their cause. This Filipino film is written and directed by Ian Gamazon and Neill Dela Llana has won several awards at film festivals around the world. The pressure on the protagonist is incredible since the terrorist knows his every move and toys with him, happy to make an American squirm and quake in his boots. The ethical choice that Adam is given in the end is one that no human should ever have to make.
Special DVD features include a commentary by directors Neill Dela Llana and Ian Gamazon; outtakes and deleted scenes with commentary; and additional deleted scenes.
