on VARIETY:

The deportation of children born to foreign workers in Israel comes under the spotlight in the affecting human drama “Transit.” Centered on desperate measures taken by Filipino parents to prevent the forced removal of their Israeli-born, Hebrew-speaking children, this gracefully directed and inventively edited pic reps an impressive debut for helmer and co-scripter Hannah Espia. Winner of the top film prize in the New Breed section at Cinemalaya, “Transit” is the Philippines’ foreign-language Oscar submission, indicating a strong festival run and possible sales to specialty broadcasters.

Though dealing specifically with laws affecting some of the 40,000 Filipinos currently living and working in Israel, “Transit” also speaks to the broader global picture of displaced people — whether refugees, asylum seekers or foreign guest workers — who have left their homeland in search of a better life. Wisely resisting the temptation to tubthump on political themes, Espia and co-scripter Giancarlo Abrahan stay firmly focused on how such laws impact on human relationships.

from Busan Film Review: Transit
Richard Kuipers