Fight for Us (titled Orapronobis in the Philippines) is a 1989 Philippine political thriller film directed by Lino Brocka and written by Jose F. Lacaba. Starring Phillip Salvador, Dina Bonnevie, Gina Alajar, and Bembol Roco, the story follows a former priest-turned-rebel and, after being freed in February 1986, becomes eventually disillusioned as the Aquino administration authorizes military-backed paramilitary cults to propagate terror and violence.
Fight for Us premiered out of competition at the 42nd Cannes Film Festival on May 11, 1989. For its French release, the original title of Orapronobis was changed due to its religious overtones. In the Philippines, the film was heavily denounced by government officials for its subversive message that criticized the Aquino administration; it was never given a theatrical run in the country due to local censors.
Plot
In 1985, in the remote town of Santa Filomena, a violent cult known as the Orapronobis, led by Kumander Kontra, murders a foreign priest after administering last rites to a suspected rebel, who is also executed.
Following the victory of the People Power Revolution in February 1986, political prisoners celebrated the demise of the Marcos regime. Among those released is Jimmy Cordero, a former priest who became involved in the underground revolutionary movement. Soon after, Jimmy marries Trixie, a human rights advocate, and starts working as a civil liberties defender.
Despite Trixie's objections, Jimmy and her brother Roland visit Santa Filomena to investigate another Orapronobis-related atrocity. During the trip, Jimmy reconnects with his former lover, Esper, and learns that they have a son, Camilo. The former lovers decide to conceal Jimmy's revolutionary past from their son.
The Orapronobis, aided by members of the military, escalate their terror operations in the community. Jimmy and his companions assist the terrified residents in fleeing first to the local church and then to Manila. When Jimmy returns to the capital, he rejects an old associate's offer to rejoin the underground resistance. Shortly after, Jimmy and Roland are ambushed; Jimmy survives, but Roland is killed. Trixie gives birth to their son while Jimmy is still recovering. At the same time, soldiers raid a refugee camp with the help of a masked informant, accusing several villagers of being rebels. Displaced residents and human rights activists speak out against the abuses in front of the authorities.
The violence escalates after Esper and Camilo are kidnapped by the Orapronobis. Kumander Kontra brutally beats Esper in front of her son after suspecting her of aiding the rebels. Esper, desperate to defend herself, fires at Kontra. Furious, he fires indiscriminately, killing Esper, Camilo, and several detained villagers. Later, the military returns the bodies to the town, and Jimmy mourns the deaths of Esper and Camilo. The story concludes with Jimmy contacting his former colleagues in the underground movement.