The film centers on Kidlat Tahimik, an engaging Filipino jeepney driver captivated by Wernher Von Braun, the former Nazi who assisted NASA in their efforts to reach Mars. The stark contrast is evident between his humble surroundings—a town where nearly everything was constructed from bamboo except for the church and a ten-meter bridge over a small river—and the technological advancements he admires. Kidlat’s background includes hardship: his father died at the hands of an American soldier, and his progressive mother struggles financially, but these challenges don't diminish his aspirations. He gets a lucky break when his boss, who owns a chewing gum vending machine business, decides to send him to Paris for a year, with New York appearing as a future possibility. The question becomes whether he’ll arrive before humans reach the red planet. From a technical standpoint, the production is quite rudimentary; much of it resembles amateur film footage presented with varying degrees of skill. However, the collisions between differing approaches to life—not simply cultures—are effective. Kidlat is mesmerized by what he encounters in magazines and radio broadcasts, and his sense of wonder grows when he experiences a Paris that surpasses his imagination. Soon, this amiable man begins to appreciate his home more, and a trip to Germany to visit the birthplace of his hero leads to increasing disappointment. The massive structures, wide highways, and numerous bridges across the Seine overshadow his own community, highlighting a fundamental contradiction: it feels impersonal, sterile, and he doesn't feel like he fits in. A cherished item is a wooden horse carved from the stock of the rifle that killed his father—a testament to a man who finds joy in simple things and perhaps realizes that his dreams were best left as just that. An occasionally unsettling narration also contributes to the film’s ambition, and while it runs a bit long, it provides an entertaining look at the disparities between Western and Eastern societies through the perspective of someone easy to root for.

Source on TMDB