"Panata" is a pledge to God and man

"It's a way of expressing your faith through acts of scourging, flagellation, carrying the cross and crucifying yourself in a manner that imitates the sufferings of Jesus Christ. To some, it's about being true to your values by pledging the act for a loved one or by risking your life to better the community"

Tap "Philippines" and "Crucifixion" into your computer and you will have no difficulty finding gruesome and disturbing images of men nailed to crosses, surrounding by rubber-necking tourists and locals determined to party. Passion Plays and pageants are common throughout the Christian world in the week before Easter. In the Philippines, these bloody re-enactments of the passion of Jesus Christ have become notorious because they are so literal. During Holy Week, hooded penitents walk the barrios, scourging themselves with whips until their blood runs into the dust.

On Holy Friday, dozens carry heavy wooden crosses through the streets. A chosen few are part of well-rehearsed pageants, which follow the 14 Stations of the Cross to a makeshift Calvary where three crosses are erected. The "nailings" then begin. For Westerners, sneering at a ritual they see as a mixture of religious kitsch, Big-Brother voyeurism and medieval mortification rites, conducted by the poor and ignorant, is the easy option.

Scott Wurth's revealing documentary "Panata - The pledge" resolutely goes behind the clichés. Over five years, the Australian film-maker visited Pampanga province during Holy Week. By filming widely and speaking to everyone, from bishops and priests to the inmates of a local prison, a more complex and thought-provoking view of the practises emerges.

A key interview in the film is with Catholic priest Eddie Panlilio, who became Governor of Pampanga in 2007 as part of an anti-corruption campaign; this is his "PANATA". Bishop Pablo David explains the rituals and traditions of Holy Week and outlines his view that the poor have a need to give meaning to their lives by partaking in the suffering of Christ.  Fr Lyndon Valenton is the voice of reason, attempting to convince penitents that a true "panata" would be to give up their vices, such as smoking, drinking and gambling.

For the people of Pampanga, Holy Week is above all a time or hope and renewal, just as Easter is for Christians all over the world. This is the central message of Wurth’s thought-provoking film.