The conflict that Noni Abao’s documentary, “Bloom Where You Are Planted,” faces lies outside the bounds of its runtime. It is quite somber in tone for a film that is just a little over 80 minutes. But every minute of it packs a lot of punch that hits where it is directed, where stories of struggle, despair, and hope overlap with the serene scenes of the lush greenery of Cagayan Valley through the lives of three activists.

Abao presents his subject consistently through contrasts. “Bloom” initially follows Agnes Mesina, regional coordinator of the Makabayan People’s Coalition in Cagayan Valley. In archival footage from 2022, Mesina is seen arguing sternly with a soldier who is stopping their group from talking to locals during an outreach and fact-finding mission. In another scene in the present day, we see Agnes fool around with workmates and family.

The camera then shifts to Amanda Echanis, currently imprisoned under trumped-up charges of illegal possession of firearms and explosives. Curiously, and for many excuses, her trial seems to always get rescheduled for a later time. Prior to her detainment, she organized as a peasant advocate in Cagayan Valley and had been taking care of her child, who was just a month old when she was arrested in 2020. While the documentary recounts the details of her case, the highlight of Echanis’ section is the measures she takes to rise above her current predicament and continue activist work through her continued education and art practice.

Journalist Raymund Villanueva recounts stories about “Bloom”’s last key subject, Randy Malayao. Malayao’s exposure to activist work began with his practice as a journalist during his college days. Villanueva recalls his encounter as a campus journalist with Malayao and the surprise he experienced when they continued working with each other even after college. Randy’s generosity is fondly remembered; for instance, when he was detained on politically motivated charges during the Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo administration, he offered paralegal advice to other inmates.

Taken on its own, “Bloom Where You’re Planted” seems to appeal to a certain affection or to express inspiration, but taken from the context where the documentary emerges, it looks as though it is taking a small step against giant quicksand. As a whole, “Bloom” attempts to address how activists are depicted in the popular mind, to reinforce and remind the audience of their humanity. While it might seem like common sense to some, taking this on is already a herculean task.

In 2024 alone, the Philippine government spent 8.4 billion pesos (roughly 0.15% of the national budget) on the operation of the NTF-ELCAC (National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict). On paper, it presents alternative livelihoods in the countryside, supposedly to entice them out of alleged “communist organizing.” In reality, most of its activities boast of scare and bloody campaigns through both propaganda and military interventions directed against activists. In “Bloom,” this was seen in action earlier in Agnes Mesina’s section, where tarpaulins of her face, branded as a “communist terrorist,” are plastered in areas where she organizes. It is within a similar context that the arrest of Amanda Echanis is prefaced, and the motivation behind the assassination of Randy Malayao.

“Bloom” admittedly reflects upon a great deal of historical fear and trauma. The struggle to humanize activists and activist work was never harder than it is now, even with the film standing against several deaths that its subjects have faced. A glimpse of hope is seen in the lives of Agnes and Amanda trying to emerge in the midst of state persecution, but throughout the documentary, this is expressed between bouts of despair and sadness.

In a final display of contrast, Abao punctuates with a quick crescendo of footage bricolage, contrasting protesters and the vastness of Cagayan Valley, cutting from Amanda’s poem to Ruby Ibarra’s hip hop track. But this contrast is one that gives the pen to the activists and their people, no longer adhering to the signifiers of the state. While the challenge of facing an even greater giant of a propaganda machine remains, “Bloom Where You’re Planted” aims at further cultivation, noting that its success cannot be done by the film alone, as suggested by its final montage.