Set in the ten days leading up to mayoral elections in Danao, Philippines, Paltik Families follows the Arcillas, a family engaged in an illegal network of counterfeit American gun manufacturers, an especially popular industry during election season. This portrait sorts through imperial debris, both tangible and elusive, that extends from the United States' earliest presence in the region over a century ago, paying particular attention to its ongoing effects upon democracy, health, and migrant labor.