Trauma Code: Heroes on Call

"Trauma Code:  Heroes on Call" (2025) has been a big hit for Netflix.  By ten days on the streamer it had topped the charts in 17 countries and top ten in 63 countries including New Zealand, France, Italy, Mexico, Brazil, India, Japan, Egypt, Peru and Chile.   Does that mean it is any good?  Some might disagree, but I think most (if you can handle some surgical blood) would find the series well worth your while

Baek Kang-hyeok comes across as very arrogant, but talented a trauma surgeon.  He encounters stiff resistance from hospital staff.  Over time he commands team cohesion as he really is focused on helping save lives.. 

His first surgery requires a helicopter rescue  rappeling to reach the victim.   At one stage he takes over the helicopter, the first clue that his medical experience came under combat conditions

In a later episode he expresses a concern over organ donations as he has an urgent need.  A few times an organ donation is necessary for survival on the surgery table.  Baek feels families should be pleased to be able to save another human being.  He blesses those who contribute.

There is an ongoing power struggle between Baek and hospital directors that are more concerned about budgets.  Heroic and innovative measures increase Beak's credibility, but the administration is looking for any sort of malfeasance.  An ongoing battle we can see in our own backyard.

It takes a lot of people to keep your attention.  Here are a few.

Lee Do-yun was the director.  He has 2 director credits, 1 for writing and 1 for special effects.

Tae-Kang Choi was the writer with 2 writing credits.

Karim Debbagh was a producer for the Morocco segment.  He has 80 producer credit, 15 for production manager and 2 for directing including "A Hologram for the King"  (2016) and "Beirut" (2018).

Ju Ji-hoon played Baek Kang-hyeok, the lead.  He was an award winning model before getting into films.  He has 29 acting credits including "Along with the Gods:  The Two Worlds" (2017) and "Hyena" (2020).  Hyena has one of my favorite laugh inducing scenes.  Check  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2020/04/an-addiction-to-korean-tv-mini-series.html  Buried, but with a photo are two paragraphs on "Hyena" that mention one of my biggest laughs.  Ji-hoon has a few interesting quotes on IMDB and here is one:  "In times of borderless content sharing, it's gotten easier to observe and compare audience reactions. I find it both amusing and enriching to see how a single piece of content can set off such varied reactions depending on the cultural context of the audience."

Choo Young-woo played a protege for Baek.  He has 10 acting credits.

Shin Ha Young played a senior nurse.  She studied western painting at university and went on to study at the School of Visual Arts in New York.  She has 9 acting credits.

Yoon Kyung-ho played a staff doctor who initially did whatever he could to block Baek.  He has 85 acting credits including:  "Okja" (2017), "Itawan Class" (2020), "Vincenzo" (2021) and "Escape from Mogadishu" (2021).  see http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/04/escape-from-mogadishu-we-can-learn-to.html

Jeong Jae-kwang played a staff doctor.  He has 18 acting credits including "It's Okay not to be Okay" (2020) and "The Roundup" (2022).   See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2021/03/its-okay-not-to-be-okay.html

Kim Sun-young played the Minister of Health and Welfare.  She has 49 acting credits including "When the Camellia Blooms" (2019), "Crash Landing on You" (2019-2020), "Broker" (2022) and "Our Unwritten Seoul" (2025).    See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2020/02/crash-landing-on-you-very-addicting.html and  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2025/06/our-unwritten-seoul.html

Kim Jae-won played a military doctor.  He has 10 acting credits including "Our Blues" (2022) and "King the Land" (2023).

In some accounts "Trauma Code:  Heroes on Call" is considered a comedy and it certainly has a lot of humor, but there is life and death moments.  There is no romance.

Available subtitled and dubbed on Netflix.

As usual I have bolded the first mention of films I have seen.  The ones with links are among my favorite Korean films and a big part of my Korean obsession.  If you follow the links you should be able to determine if any film is worth following up. The bolded films were mostly above average.

A Different Kind of Power

Jacinda Ardenne is in so many ways a uniquely positive leader. She was born in Hamilton, New Zealand but her father became a sergeant and gained a position in charge of a small town police station.  She has been raised as a Mormon. 

 Her mother complaining about flyer delivery got Jacinda her first job, something my mother did for me.  

She was studying at Arizona State University at the time of 9-11.  While many were condemning all Arabs as terrorists, Jacinda asked  "Why?"  

New Zealand has an electoral system different from America or Canada.  Voting districts are decided by whoever gets the most votes.  Each voter also a chance to vote for a party.  Most often there is a disparity between the parties of winning candidates and the party preferences of the other pooled vote.  To reflect that differences other Parliamentarians are selected to better represent the will of the voters.   Their system is more democratic than ours.  A politician can be elected by winning in a district or off a party list if their party gets enough votes.  The parties negotiate to decide how decisions are to be made.

Jacinda at an early age proved to be talented and conscientious and found herself being ranked high on her Labour party list.  In her first two elections she was successful  at getting elected to Parliament on the opposition side.  After negotiations with two other parties she was able to be the Prime Minister.

Just another personal note.  During the inaugural celebrations one of the performing bands was Fat Freddy's Drop that I discovered while visiting New Zealand and still listen to them.

Notably she was the first Prime Minister to give birth while in office.  As an unwed mother it was assumed it must have resulted from an accident.  Not so,  She had become conscious that time was running out and with her supportive boyfriend Clarke Gayford she made attempts to become pregnant and consulted with infertility experts.  She had given up hope, but the day she was declared Prime Minister she learned she was pregnant. 

A crisis occurred when a terrorist killed 50 Muslims and injuring many others in Christchurch.  She visited to give comfort to the survivors and their families.  She was expecting anger and grief from an Iman, but was told he thanked the people of New Zealand for supporting his community.  

New Zealand did not have as much gun violence as many other countries, but she felt something had to be done to curb guns.  She called together the first responders who were familiar with pump action guns and asked how many were hunters and then asked them to differentiate between five and ten round guns.  They admitted for hunting ten rounds were unnecessary so the government banned the ten round version and set up a recovery program to encourage citizens turning in their 10 round pump action guns.  Jacinda also campaigned to restrict violent messages on social media with some success.

Another strategy was to not mention the name of the killer and give more emphasis to the victims.  Donald Trump called and asked why she was calling the killer a terrorist.  She pointed out that the killer was trying to spur more violence.  When Trump asked if there was anything he could do, she responded "You can show sympathy and love for all Muslim communities."  Not recorded his response, but I imagine it was silence.

Another personal note.  My cousin Linda and her husband Derek happened to be in New Zealand at the time with a pet care program that allowed them to get free room and board in return for looking after pet needs.  They had been in Christchurch about two weeks before the killing, went to a nearby community and returned about two weeks after the killing.   

The Covid pandemic caught everyone off guard, but Jessica had been monitoring developments and when it hit New Zealand had to make some difficult choices.  Lockdowns and other restrictions were part of the defense.  When vaccines became available the government did what they could to expedite distribution.  Jacinda noted the "Freedom Convoy" in Ottawa, Canada that marked resistance to vaccines.  New Zealand achieved a high rate of inoculations and were relatively safe, but with long lasting effects.  On the positive side they managed to increase life expectancy.

On the brighter side her government declared a new national holiday, Matariki , the Maori New Year.  The government had made the teaching of New Zealand history compulsory in schools.  She felt all New Zealanders had to appreciate how the country was founded and be conscious of mistakes that had been made.  Quite a contrast to Trump who wants to downgrade the horrors of slavery.

There were many ups and downs during her administration but her popularity started to decline and she became sensitive to criticism and started to think someone else could better represent the Labour Party.

A couple of instances triggered the decision to resign. During a medical exam in preparation for a trip to the Antarctic a small lump was discovered and she started to think if it was cancerous she would have to leave.  It turned out to be insignificant.  During Parliament an exchange with an opposition member led to a remark that was captured on mike where she called him "an arrogant prick."

On the other side she was feeling guilty about being a too often neglectful mother.  She decided to resign.

Her administration did many good things for New Zealand that resulted in social benefits.  One goal had been to create a capital gains tax, but was unsuccessful.  Asked many times what she hoped to accomplish as Prime Minister, one striking response was "I want people to feel {this government} that it is open, that it's listening and that it's going to bring kindness back."  She chose the word "kind" for her title.  Being Prime Minister in the best of time you have to make difficult choices.

She and Clarke did get married.

Jacinda was able to move to Boston and work on fellowships with Harvard University allowing her to interact with students on case studies.  She also is very involved with a Climate Change project led by Prince Andrew.  She endorsed Kamala Harris for U.S. President.

We need more politicians like Jacinda who are not afraid to ask "WHY?"

Another blog on Jacinda Ardern  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2019/03/a-better-way-to-deal-with-sick-shooters.html

A book I read awhile back helps explain a difference between America and New Zealand.  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2012/06/fairness-and-freedom-book-review.html

Graveyard

"Graveyard" (2025) merely refers to the location of the office of Special Crimes that is in the basement, a dismal place.  The Special Crimes division was set up to solve cases where women were murdered in Turkey (femicide).  Onen was selected to lead.  She is tough and persistent.

 As a team the Special Crimes encounters lots of bureaucratic obstacles and some apathy.  There is a segment of women who wear submissive/traditional hijabs and of men who are dominant.  At the same time Turkey is more modern than other Muslim countries 

Police brutality is sometimes used to get information.  There is some opposition and ultimately success comes with a mix.  Onen is a good thinker striving to find root causes. 

Istanbul is one of the larger cities in the world and is unique in that it divides between Asia and Europe, strategically located at the outlet for the Black Sea that encompasses the Russian invasion of Ukraine. 

Abdullah Ogoz was the director.  He has 22 directing credits, 55 for producing and 5 for writing including "Bliss" 2007).   http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2011/05/turkish-delight-in-book-and-movie-form.html

Onur Bober was a writer with 5 writing credits.

Cem Oget was a composer.  He has 44 composing credits, 21 for the music department and 7 for soundtrack. 

Ferhat Uzundag was the cinematographer.  He has 30 cinematography credits, 3 for the camera and clectrical department plus2 for directing.

Hamdi Deniz was an editor.  With 43 editor credits and 2 for the editorial department.

Birce Akalay plays, the lead Onen, in charge of the special forces.  She finished 3rd for Miss Turkey and went on to the Miss Europe contest.  Birce has been involved with sports programing and hosting.  She also teaching theatre and acting courses.  She has 22 acting credits and 1 for soundtrack.

Olgon Tokar played an aggressive police officer. He has 29 acting credits. 

 It has strong plots, very good acting and a few brutal scenes. "Graveyard" (2022) is available subtitled and dubbed on Neflix. 

 Some political context:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2025/08/how-to-lose-country.html  in which Turkey is described as a fascist country.  The series suggests there is corruption, but this Special division is trying to the right thing.  

Catalog

 We live in a society that is promoting sex role equality.  Of course not all of us have completely adopted the new life style.  "Catalog" illustrates that some men have taken their wives for granted.  

In the first few minutes we meet Amina the wife who shortly dies.  Youssef and the two children, Karima and Mansour are grieving.  The father, a workaholic, also grieving was pretty clueless about his children's needs, but learns and eventually finds a list of videos that Amina left regarding parenting.

Youssef's brother Hanify is also a very supportive soccer coach for his talented nephew, Mansour.

Amina's brother Osama, also grieving comes to live with Youssef's family.

A comical character is their landlord who suffers agoraphobia and regularly provides advice and we realize he has secrets.

You will be aware the story takes place in a Muslim country.  Ramadan is celebrated, their polite greeting are stereotypical Islamic and the occasional hijab,  Egypt is more modern than many other Muslim countries.  There seems in films at least a move towards sex role equality.

 The grieving feels compelled to smoke, but the first video talks about how unhealthy smoking is for the children and he right away throws all his cigarettes out and no other smoking scenes occur,

A period seems to be a part of any story with a growing girl, but is handled a little differently.  Youssef is pretty clueless, but concerned.  Karima is a little irritable and uses having her first period as an excuse.  Locks herself behind her bedroom door as father wants to know what is happening.  Not sure how to explain it, but Karima calmly explains that her mother had already explained it to her--all she needs is a pad.  He says he will go to the pharmacy to get one and she follows up--you don't need to do that--just get one from mom's bottom drawer."

 It looks like at least part of it was filmed in Alexandria, Egypt.  Historical, but also modern and very beautiful on the Mediterranean. 

Although I have seen a number of Egyptian films there aren't a lot of connections.  I note some names as they are likely to show up in the future.

Khaled El Halafawy was the director with 17 directing credits.

Ayman Wattar was the writer with 13 writing credits and 7 for acting and 1 for composing.

Mohamed Farrag played Youssef.  He has 5 acting credits including  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/02/newtons-cradle.html

 Khaled Kamal played the brother and a soccer coach for his nephew Mansour.  He has 44 acting credits.

Tara Emad played a sort of romance element as a teacher for Karima.  She has 34 acting credits including  least one in Bollywood. 

Riham Abdel Ghafourat played Amina, the dead wife, but is seen in her parenting videos and a few flashbacks.  She has 58 acting credits.

Retal Abdelaziz plays the daughter Karima.  This is her film debut and she had sessions with Mohamed Farrag to get the father daughter relationship comfortable.  She is very charming.

Ali El Beialy played the son Mansour and was required to display some soccer skills.  This was his second film feature.

Although there is a lot of grieving it is full of humor, but not childish.  Another series from Egypt similar in family content is "Finding Ola" (2022)  see http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2024/04/finding-ola-first-series.html

Available with dubbing and subtitles on Netflix.

The Cowboy and the Queen

"The Cowboy and the Queen" (2023) showed up at the Hamilton Public Library in DVD format bringing back a lot of memories.  Most of my life has been in cities (with one big important exception) and I really had no connection with horses.  A combination of working with newspapers and working with a cleaning product I got a chance to sell ads for a horse publication, "The Rider."

I was given an opportunity to watch a Monty Roberts demonstration near Newmarket.  I was barely conscious that most horse owners used traditional methods of "breaking" horses that did seem rough.  In my efforts to sell ads I realized that most of my horse prospects did in fact rely on traditional methods.

In "The Cowboy and the Queen" we get brief histories of both Monty Roberts and the Queen.  She lived a privileged and public life but when World War II came she was involved in the war effort.  One of the joys in her life was horses which she loved riding and later got involved with race horses.  Monty grew up with a father who was a traditional horse trainer and was also abusive. At about age 9 he substituted for Elizabeth Taylor for some horse jumping scenes in "National Velvet" (1944).  

He had been very successful at rodeo and other riding contests.  It was thought he could be groomed for movies, but he hated the idea.  He learned that horses were too often killed to create an exciting effect in a movie battle scene. 

While young he got a chance to observe wild Mustangs and it modified his thinking as he felt he understood they had their own language.  Over time he developed his own unique method of gentling horses.  Despite success he attracted strong criticism.  His father maintained that a horse has to know who is boss.  Then out of the blue he was contacted by the Queen of England.  She had read some articles about him and felt that he was likely right.  He got invited to England to demonstrate his methods.  He actually got a tough test with two big, unruly horses, but he was able to get a saddle on these horses in 22 minutes and 19 minutes.  

She was able to get him involved in a documentary.  In this case he was challenged by wild Mustangs in the wild.  This took three days to master a join-up and interestingly enough the chosen horse lived over 30 years which is well beyond normal.  He wrote a book about his experiences, "The Man Who Listens to Horses" (1996).  Talking with the Queen, Monty declared he thought his methods could be adapted for humans.  He was already helping victims of PTSD.

Near the beginning of the film Monty was shown criticizing how humans abused one another focusing on Vladimir Putin.  He found horses more amenable.

They carried on a relationship that involved Monty visiting at least once most years.  She named one of her corgi dogs, Monty that turned out to more unruly than the others.  Monty attended the Queen's funeral in 2022.

He is shown feeding some wild deer who lived near him.  Monty commented that they were more "flighty" than wild horses and you had to earn their trust which he obviously enjoyed doing.

This documentary captures how he changed training horses and how the Queen helped his efforts.  Here are some of the contributors to the film.

Andrea Blaugrund Nevins, was the director, writer and producer.  She had graduated from Harvard and went on to become a sports reporter.  She has 8 credits as a producer, 7 as a director and 5 for writing.  This was her last film before dying at age 63 in April 2025.

Graham Clark was a writer, editor and producer.  He has 4 credits for the additional crew, 3 for editor and 2 for the editorial department.  This was his first effort for producing.

Craig Richey was the composer.  He graduated from the Juilliard School of Music.  Craig has 50 composing credits,and 7 for the music department.

Watching Monty Roberts live demonstration was one of the highlights of my work.  I came to respect horses.  Unlike a dog, it would have been easy for a horse just to run away instead of being mankind's most effective transportation for centuries.  

There are a lot of little things in the documentary that helped develop the more famous things.  Very inspiring and worth watching.

Keep Sharp--Advice from Dr. Sanjay Gupta

 Sanjay Gupta is a familiar face on television.  He is friendly and articulate.  And as we learn more he is truly dedicated to improving health. He was a respected medical expert and worked at the White House as a consultant.  Sanjay was given a job at CNN just before 9-11 where he was almost alone as a medical expert for a major television network that in turn led to jobs in war zones.

It has been pointed out that people dread dementia as much if not more than cancer.  Perhaps that reflects our aging population.  Sanjay offers advice on how to reduce dementia risks and to help prolong a useful life.  All of us have been urged to lead a healthy life style from our youth, but somehow most have let things slide.  Perhaps with a fear of dementia more of us will take his advice seriously.

One patient, Sandy Halperin spells it out, "All we really are is our thoughts and our brain."

Sanjay's goal is to explain a bit about dementia, how to prevent it or at least diminish it and how to cope with it.  Five pillars are identified :  Move, Discover, Relax, Nourish and Connect. 

Move is exercise that can be as simple as walking, but ideally for many running, cycling, calisthenics, etc.  It is important to build muscle strength.  Stretching is also critical.  For Sanjay this is perhaps the most critical step to avoid dementia.

Discover something new and find a purpose.  A goal is to develop a cognitive reserve referring to what your brain can develop through education, work and other endeavors.  You should put off retirement until you find something worthy to replace that effort.  Ideal activities aim for the concept of "flow". 

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi devoted most of his science career studying what he termed "flow."  That is activities that are absorbing because they are enjoyable and meaningful.  These could be any effort, either physical or mental.  One example that has greatly diminished is reading.  Actually reading a book as opposed to reading online lends itself better to flow.  Reading fiction helps develop empathy.  It is said "...when you widen human empathy, you open the universe a little more."

Relaxing helps to release tension.   Sleep is critical allowing the brain to recycle.  Stretching was mentioned as an exercise, but is also important for relaxing and sleeping.  Forest bathing was mentioned.  Meditation is much touted.  Sanjay had met the Dalai Lama who  steered him towards what he calls Analytical Mediation that instead of focusing on a single object, focus on a problem, a topic or philosophical concern.

Another thought is to spend time thinking about the many things you should have gratitude for.  Much better than obsessing on things that upset you.

Nourish your body with healthy foods but if you stray once in awhile that could be okay.  Should cut down sugar and processed foods.  Foods he prefers for your health include fresh vegetables (especially leafy greens), whole berries (not juice), fish and seafood, nus and seeds and what he calls healthy fat (extra virgin olive oil and avocados.  A secondary list includes beans, other legumes, whole fruits, low sugar/low fat dairy, poultry and whole grains.    

Weight loss can be important.  Fat waists have been co-related to dementia.  For some who have trouble sleeping a weight loss can make it much easier.

Connections are very important.  Loneliness seems associated with dementia and of course makes life less bearable.  Keep relations with different ages, younger, older and the same as you.  Volunteering is one way of expanding your connections.  Any pet can make you feel less lonely, but such as with dog walkers become a great conversation starter.

Most of the book advises the reader how to minimize the risks of getting dementia and coping with it on yourself, bu a critical part is reserved for the caregiver.  Caregivers have a greater risk of developing dementia than the general population.  They have to deal with their own feelings of denial and guilt.  Just as important they may deal with anger, hallucinations, apathy, incontinence, wandering, etc.  A common problem is repetition of what is said by the patient.  Sanjay advises moving on to some other activity and if that doesn't work seek advice from others who have dealt with the same problem.

From a practical view finances need to be organized and legal concerns dealt with.  Someone will have to be appointed for financial decisions, but others delegated to make legal and health decisions.  Most important the principle caregiver has to give their own health and peace of mind priority.

I have tried to take much of his advice seriously.  One of my bad habits is multi tasking which I do even as I write a blog. I used to think I could pay full attention to two or more activities, but the brain was not designed that way.  Probably some of you are multi tasking as you try to figure out how much to pay attention to my words.  Some people are more adept at switching interests back and forth and retaining some value, but science has proved that the mere act of switching guarantees you lose something.  This problem is exacerbated with the multitude of electronic devices.  Distracted driving is an increasing cause of death.  A couple of times a week I ignore distractions to watch someone I respect such as Fareed Zakaria, Steve Paikin or Sanjay Guptatalk on tv.  I can no longer read a book and watch tv.  From earlier examples I still love to listen to music while eating, but recognize it is not the best way to enjoy either thing.

One of the things I agree with is that having a Purpose makes life more meaningful.  I enjoy blogging which allows me  to spreading my opinion.   One unique effort is promoting foreign films with the idea of getting more people aware of different people in the world.  The way I blog is to read, watch and listen.  Afterwards I re-read my posts to reinforce my memories--some things to be grateful for.  Some further thoughts on blogging:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2020/09/what-keeps-me-blogging-and-what-i-have.html

Many books have been read to boost my health, but this is the first to focus on the brain.  I am grateful for Sanjay Gupta's advice.  This blog has really skimmed his ideas and you would likely find something of personal value reading his whole book.

Trump Illustrates the Unfairness of their electoral system

 Most Canadians would agree Donald Trump is a very poor president, but he is very conscious about their electoral system and how he can abuse it. to help carry on his treacherous regime.  There are lessons for Canadians and others.

 Based on population each of the 50 states is allotted a number of voting members for the House of Representatives.  Based on the number each state is allowed they divide the population into boundaries for each representative.  With sophisticated computer information the party in power is able to design electoral districts to optimize their party's chances of winning the next election.  In Canada these decisions are made by an independent government department.

Trump realizing his popularity is declining has decided to as much as possible to change boundaries to give him theoretically another 5 representatives in Texas. in time for the midterms in 2026.  Republicans are approaching Indiana with a similar request.  This means despite significant minorities (possibly a majority) the party in power can gain even more power.  

What can we learn?  In a winner take all situation it means many votes will not count.  If the party in power is able to spread their votes where they will do the most good or where the less harm can be done by an opposition party they will gain power.  For instance stack opposition voters so they win overwhelmingly in one riding, but don't win elsewhere.  Or spread likely voters around to make a difference in a wider number of districts.

In each of our existing voting districts there are differing viewpoints.  Currently with the first past the post electoral system it is likely that most can be ignored, even without monkeying with the boundaries.

Prince Edward Island when becoming part of Canada negotiated that they are guaranteed 4 members of Parliament despite their relatively small population.  I believe Quebec has been granted the right to maintain their seat count after a decennial redistribution.  Political realities amount to a need for negotiation.

Proportional Representation has many variations.  One favored method is to have a vote for a local representative in a larger area and the rest to be allocated proportional over a bigger area, possibly the whole country or a province/state or a designated district..

There could be proportional representation for each province (or state) to ensure each province has its fair share of power.  To make sure every voter's choice is respected all the provincial or state are determined by proportionate representation.

Boundaries still matter, but provincial and state borders are well established.  

Texans would be better served by letting every citizen make a choice (not necessary confined to two parties) and aligning the percentages voted by their citizens to the number of members for the House of Representatives allowed by the federal government.

In Canada with a widespread geography, one concern would be to ensure local representation it makes sense to divide the country to logical districts.  At the moment most voters are not really being counted.  We can do better. 

Check out Fair Vote Canada www.fairvote.ca  Learn more and find out how you can lend your support.

From the Philippines to Calgary

Hello, Love, Again" (2024) is an interesting romantic film that hit a few nerves for  me (in a nice way).  

 Several years ago a friend of ours had a very positive experience when she hired a Filipino woman to look after her newborn.  She was so impressed she wanted to go into business setting up more of them in Canada.  I have since learned Filipinos are honest workers that often go beyond job requirements 

One interesting conversation I had with a store manager in a north of Toronto suburb regarding an unusual item I was trying to sell--a tooth brush for dogs.  The manager explained that some enthusiastic champions for the brush were Filipino maids.  So many of them had taken on the responsibilities of taking care of the family dog and had decided brushing teeth with my version was good for the dog's health. 

The migration of Filipinos for work is at the heart of this movie so here is a bit of an explanation:   http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2020/07/a-good-provider-is-one-who-leaves.html

There was a prequel that I did not see, that explains  how a young  Filipino couple got together in Hong Kong and through Covid restrictions (plus misunderstandings) they broke up. The lead male, Alden Richards had discussed with director Cathy Garcia (who subsequently remarried after her first husband died in an auto accident)that he would be interested in a sequel and was later joined by the female lead, Kathryn Bernardo.  In flashbacks we learn Ethan had proposed to Marie-Joy, but had been prevented from actually marrying by the Covid pandemic and later during a one night stand had been caught.

A few years later pursuing a job she ends up in Calgary, Alberta working in a nursing home while his job prospects are not quite as good also ends up in Calgary.  She harbors bad feelings after their breakup.  He seems to feel guilty, but open to getting back together and willing to bend.  You know their mis-understandings will be explained and circumstances will provide opportunities to cross each other's paths.  In many ways a typical romance, but with the concept of where is "home" and how important is it.

What makes it enjoyable (definitely not just laughs) is the cast and crew.  Here are a few contributors:

Cathy Garcia-Sampana was the director.  She directed the prequel, "Hello, Love, Goodbye" (2019) in Hong Kong.  She has been key in the highest grossing Filipino films 9 times with 6 being the highest grossing ones of all time including this one.  She has 43 directing credits, 23 for assistant directing and 14 for acting including "Four Sisters and a Wedding" (2013).

 Carmi Raymundo was a key writer and supervising producer.  She has 68 credits for the script and continuity department, 55 for producing and 24 for writing including "Starting Over Again" (2014),
"Barcelona:  A Love Untold" (2016) and "Rewind" (2023).  You can learn more about two of them at: http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2019/10/four-filipino-movies.html

Kookai Labayen was the producer.  He has 9 writing credits, 11 for producing and 12 for additional crew including one of my favorites,  "Isa Pa with Feelings" (2019).  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2021/12/isa-pa-with-feelings-really-helps.html

Jesse Lasaten was the composer.  She has 189 composing credits, 26 for the music department and 5 for the sound department including "Seven Sundays" (2017) and "Hello, Love, Goodbye" (2019).

Noel Ttthankee was the cinematographer.  He has 46 cinematography credits, 38 for the camera and electrical department and 2 as director including "Four Sisters and a Wedding" (2013) and "Hello, Love, Goodbye" (2019).

Marye Ignacio was the editor.  She has 202 credits as editor, 37 for the editorial department and  41 for additional crew including "Four Sisters and a Wedding: (2013),  Starting Over Again" (2014), "Everything About Her" (2016),  "Barcelona:  A Love Untold" (2016), "Seven Sundays" (2017), "Love you to the Stars and Back" (2017) and "Rewind" (2024),  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2024/08/two-filipino-movies-with-message.html     

Kathryn Bernardo played Joy-Marie, the leading lady.  She started her film career playing the younger version of a leading lady.  Kathryn has also had a successful singing career.  She has a history of being in the highest grossing films.  She has 40 acting credits, 2 for Soundtrack including "Barcelona:  An Untold Love Story" (2016), "Three Words to Forever" (2018) and of course "Hello, Love, Goodbye" (2019).

Alden Richards played Ethan, the leading man.  He owns a restaurant chain.  Alden has been a successfull recording artist.  He has 55 acting credits, 2 for producing and 1 for additional crew including "Family of Two" (2023) and the prequel "Hello, Love, Goodbye" (2019).

Joross Gamboa played a mutual friend, Jhim.  He has 103 acting credits including "Hello, Love, Goodbye" (2019) and "Rewind" (2023).

Kevin Kreider played Joy Marie's boss at a nursing home.  He is a Korean American.  Kevin is known as a skateboarder.  He has 13 acting credits and 2 for producing.

Mostly filmed in Calgary with a slight segment in Banff.  Available subtitled (with lots of English dialogue) on Netflix.

An enjoyable romance and a little feel for the migrant life. 

As usual I have bolded the first mention of films I have seen.  Some of them are among my favorite Filipino films and a big part of my Filipino obsession.  If you follow the links you should be able to determine if any film is worth following up.

How to Lose a Country

There was a debate over the subtitle that I received as "The 7 Steps from Democracy to Dictatorship"  The preferred last word was "Fascism", but it was too apt at the time.  An e book version has changed to use Fascism.

What does the author Ece mean by Fascism?  In a 2024 interview she explains that it is more than "authoritarianism".  When journalists and politicians are severely restricted.   She had been fired herself in 2012 for writing articles critical of the government.  Recep Tayyip Erdogan has used religion as a weapon to enforce his views.

Written in 2019 after Trump had been in power over two years she was critical of his efforts and we notice parallels of similar roads since Trump has been re-elected. 

The government changed slowly.  Erdogan had created a movement that promised to end Turkish corruption.  His strength came from small villages. He was able to identify enemies of the people and have them thrown in prison.

 Ece explains "People's desire for a cause is the authoritarian's confidently told story."  The masses are looking for a strong leader.  Over time he was able to consolidate his power and gain control over media. Protesters and journalists found themselves legally restricted.  Ece found herself unable to visit dissidents in prison.

She noted that Fascist governments stick together using fear and hate. Too many nations are headed to Fascism that Ece wrote this book as a warning. Progressive countries need to work together.  A quote from a 2024 interview;  "...that what we imagine for the world require love and acceptance and humility most of all."

Another perspective on Fascism:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2018/10/fascism-warning-form-madeleine-albright.html

As I read the book I am also watching a television serial, "Graveyard" set in Turkey and released this past year.  Remarkably the main character is a woman and her main goal is to deal with femicide that is a serious problem in Turkey where ideally women are homemakers.  It has the usual violence and mystery expected of such shows, but also depicts women as subordinates.  The main female character is very capable often undercutting superiors, but often has an uphill battle.  To me it represents some rebellion against social and political reality while being entertainment.