Bwaya (Crocodile) (Francis Xavier Pasion) ***1/2 - A mother who just celebrated the 13th birthday of daughter and is preparing for her grade school graduation finds out that her daughter had been attacked and killed by a crocodile. Set in a village located in the marsh lands of Agusan, this drama with an exotic milieu (even for a Filipino in the Philippines) is still a compelling, potent drama about dealing with loss as well as living in a harsh environment with barely enough to get by. This is actually based on a true story (there's even interview footage of the real people involved intercut into the film). Angeli Bayani gives, as usual, a great performance as the mother coping with the loss of a child. This is a unique take on the "killer animal" genre, going for a stripped-down drama on grief and the human loss of life instead of the thriller/horror aspect of it.