Chinese Consulate Pressures NZ Festival to Drop Filipino Documentary

Filipino director Baby Ruth Villarama and her team at Voyage Studios arrived in Auckland for the world premiere of their documentary, The Food Deliverer: Fresh from the West Philippine Sea, at the Doc Edge Festival. The film's first screening took place at the Capitol Cinema on June 30.

The documentary focuses on the lives of ordinary Filipinos caught in the crossfire of maritime tensions in the South China Sea. It centres on the Philippines’ 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ), as defined by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which the Filipinos called - West Philippine Sea.

The film opens with Filipino soldiers traversing seas for their Rotation and Reprovision (RORE) missions. These are new soldiers being stationed on islands in the West Philippine Sea, facing challenges like no internet, no cellphone signal, limited food, and being far away from their families. One soldier shares how he quietly left home before his child awoke to avoid the pain of saying goodbye. These soldiers are stationed on Philippine-claimed islands to uphold national sovereignty.

Equally central to the film are the stories of Filipino fisherfolk, long at the forefront of confrontations with Chinese militia and coast guard vessels—particularly around the contested Scarborough Shoal.

“We just want to go personal and deep — to offer this loud but silent heroism that everyone has. If a fisherfolk can show that strong sense of pride, that strong sense of self in what he does, then an ordinary viewer in New Zealand, or anywhere in the world, can realise they too carry this silent heroism within them,” said Director Villarama to the Asia Media Centre.

The Contested Shoal

Scarborough Shoal, also known in the Philippines as Panatag Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc and in Chinese as Huangyan Dao (黄岩岛), has been a point of contention between the nations, as both Chinese and Filipino fishermen have historically fished in the area. However, the dispute gained more prominence in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. In 1997, the Philippines arrested Chinese fishermen near the shoal, and there were periodic reports of Chinese vessels harassing Filipino fishermen in the area.

The most significant escalation occurred in April 2012. A Philippine Navy surveillance plane spotted several Chinese fishing vessels in the shoal's lagoon. When the Philippine Navy attempted to apprehend the Chinese fishermen for illegal fishing, two Chinese maritime surveillance ships intervened, positioning themselves between the Philippine warship and the fishing vessels. This led to a prolonged standoff, with both countries maintaining a presence in the area.

While there were attempts at de-escalation and negotiations, including US mediation efforts, the standoff ultimately resulted in China establishing de facto control over Scarborough Shoal. Chinese vessels remained in the area, preventing Philippine access to the lagoon.

In January 2013, the Philippines initiated an arbitration case against China under UNCLOS regarding its maritime claims in the South China Sea, including Scarborough Shoal. China refused to participate in the arbitration, but the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague delivered a landmark ruling in July 2016. The tribunal largely sided with the Philippines, concluding that China's "nine-dash line" claim had no legal basis and that Scarborough Shoal is a traditional fishing ground, and thus China's actions unlawfully interfered with traditional Filipino fishing rights.

Despite the 2016 ruling, China has consistently rejected its validity and continued to maintain its presence and control over Scarborough Shoal. This has led to ongoing confrontations, with the Philippines regularly protesting Chinese actions, including the use of water cannons and dangerous manoeuvres by Chinese coast guard vessels against Philippine patrol and supply boats. Filipino fishermen continue to report being harassed or denied access to the shoal by Chinese vessels.

Scarborough Shoal lies approximately 124 nautical miles from the Philippine coast, well within its 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ). In contrast, it is around 472 nautical miles from China’s nearest coastline — placing it far outside the bounds of any legitimate claim under UNCLOS.

Filipino Fishermen Harassment

In Villarama’s documentary, Filipino fisherman Arnel Satam is seen being chased and harassed by a Chinese Coast Guard vessel while fishing in contested waters — a scene he says reflects the daily reality for many Filipino fishermen. These encounters not only threaten their livelihoods but also their safety.

In one moment, Satam’s wife expresses her fear in Tagalog: "I worry about Scarborough. One day, Chinese ships will line our coast." She points to a row of local fishing boats along the shore, imagining a future where foreign vessels dominate even the country’s coastal waters.

Satam replies, calmly but firmly: "Poor Filipinos, but we need to fight."

Despite the risks, many Filipino fisherfolk continue to sail out to sea, fully aware they may face further harassment. Some say confronting China’s naval presence feels impossible — but others remain defiant.

That quiet resistance is echoed in the words of another fisherman:
"We can’t go up against China… Nothing ever changes in the Philippines — that’s why they bully us. What’s happening is awful… but what else do we have? With their fleet of jet planes, they look down on us and bully us. But we should fight, right?"

He continues, "We should have a discussion. The boats here should go to Scarborough. We must not be afraid. If we’re going to starve to death, then I’m fighting."

For these fishermen, the issue is not political. All they want is the right to fish in their own waters. Satam and others say they would welcome Chinese fisherfolk — if only they could share the sea fairly. But under current conditions, they are unable to earn a living in Philippine waters, as China continues to control Scarborough Shoal and the surrounding seas.

Director Baby Ruth Villarama says her aim was never to politicise the issue, but to amplify the voices of everyday people.

"It became a deep curiosity about the people living and working along the West Philippine Sea, and I wanted to tell a story about the often overlooked lives of Filipino fishermen who play such a vital role in our country’s food security," she said.

"I was personally struck by the resilience of these people and the complex dynamics they have to navigate every day — between their livelihood, national security, and their own survival. This story needed to be told because it shines a light on the human aspect of what’s often discussed only in terms of national interest and geopolitical struggle. At its heart, it’s a human story," she added.

Censorship and Pushback

In the Philippines, the film was pulled just two days before its scheduled screening at the CinePanalo Film Festival. Organisers cited "external pressure"—reportedly from Chinese investors linked to the private company behind the event. While initially prepared to fight back, Villarama ultimately withdrew the film to protect other filmmakers participating in the festival. Her team now owns the full rights to the documentary, yet no local cinemas have agreed to screen it, again due to fears of upsetting Chinese-linked stakeholders.

"Who's really running the Philippines now?" Villarama asked, highlighting how economic influence can threaten artistic and national expression.

However, in New Zealand, the film found a stage. The Doc Edge Festival, one of the Pacific’s most prominent documentary events, welcomed the film. It screened in Auckland to critical acclaim and went on to win the Tides of Change Award for its powerful storytelling and cinematography.

Yet, this success was not without its own pressures.

Unlike in the Philippines, the attempt to suppress the film in New Zealand was more overt. According to a report by 1News, the Chinese Consulate in Auckland contacted festival organisers, requesting they cancel all remaining screenings. They suggested this action would be in the "interest of public and China–New Zealand relations," citing the "fruitful" recent visit of Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to China as context.

Festival organisers confirmed receiving phone calls to board members and staff, followed by a formal email that branded the documentary "disinformation" and "false propaganda." The email further stated: "This documentary disregards history and facts… distorts and hypes up the maritime situation to serve the Philippines’ illegitimate claims."

Doc Edge general manager Rachael Penman stood firm. "We are a voice for independent filmmakers," she said. "We screened this film because we believe in the importance of dialogue. We invite people to watch and judge for themselves."

1News also reached out to the Chinese Embassy and Consulate. While the Embassy declined to answer specific questions, it reiterated that it hopes "publicly promoted content would reflect realities" and urged all parties to support peaceful resolution and constructive engagement.

Since its release, Villarama’s film has drawn sharp criticism from Chinese state media, which labelled it “fresh from Western media” and a “scripted documentary.” In an opinion piece for CGTN, commentator Ding Duo described the film as orchestrated propaganda that “dodges the gritty geopolitics” and portrays Filipino characters as scripted heroes. He further accused the Philippines of engaging in “cognitive warfare,” using emotional storytelling to mask its own provocations in the South China Sea.

During the Q&A at the film’s premiere, Villarama was asked by the Asia Media Centre whether they planned to promote the documentary to international partners for educational use while in New Zealand. She said they had been in touch with the Philippine Embassy in New Zealand as well as a Canadian institution. But, she emphasised that they are storytellers, not policymakers, and made it clear that the film carries no political agenda — it simply aims to spotlight a human story often overlooked in geopolitical discourse.

According to 1News, New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded on behalf of government officials, affirming the country’s strong support for freedom of expression. While New Zealand is not directly involved in the South China Sea dispute, it advocates for a peaceful resolution, adherence to international law under UNCLOS, and the protection of all nations’ freedom of navigation.

A significant portion of New Zealand’s trade — over half — travels through the South China Sea. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has stressed that New Zealand can no longer afford to be a bystander amid rising geopolitical tensions, signalling a shift toward deeper regional engagement.

In April 2025, New Zealand and the Philippines signed a Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA), regulating troop deployments for joint exercises. This builds on a 2024 Mutual Logistics Supporting Arrangement. While approved by New Zealand, the SOVFA still awaits ratification by the Philippine Senate. The Philippines also has similar agreements with the United States and Australia, and is pursuing one with Canada, while having recently signed agreements with Japan and being in the process of finalising one with France.

On the other hand, China remains New Zealand’s largest trading partner, with bilateral trade surpassing NZ$38 billion in 2024. New Zealand’s exports to China, including dairy, meat, wood, and services, totalled NZ$20.85 billion (NZ$17.75 b goods, NZ$3.1 b services), while imports reached NZ$17.41 billion.

-Asia Media Centre

The film will continue its run in New Zealand, with upcoming screenings at Roxy Cinema in Wellington and Lumiere Cinema in Christchurch on July 27.