Essentially a sequel, or a companion one could say to the excellent “A Thousand Cuts”, “And So It Begins” follows the 2022 Philippine Presidential elections, with Ferdinand (Bongbong) Marcos, Jr and former Vice President Leni Lobredo being opponents. At the same time, it also reserves space for the “protagonist” of the previous movie, Maria Ressa.
And So It Begins is screening at Thessaloniki Documentary Festival
In that fashion, the documentary begins with Leni Lobredo's term as Vice-President to Rodrigo Duterte (President and vice-president elections are separate in the Philippines) and the bullying she essentially received from him, with the public speaking scene where both are present, being highly indicative. Nevertheless, and one could say because of this attitude, Lobredo decides to run for President in 2022, and is actually considered one of the favorites for some time, particularly due to her promises to do things rather differently than the autocratic, intensely populist practices of Duterte.
And So It Begins is screening at Thessaloniki Documentary Festival
In that fashion, the documentary begins with Leni Lobredo's term as Vice-President to Rodrigo Duterte (President and vice-president elections are separate in the Philippines) and the bullying she essentially received from him, with the public speaking scene where both are present, being highly indicative. Nevertheless, and one could say because of this attitude, Lobredo decides to run for President in 2022, and is actually considered one of the favorites for some time, particularly due to her promises to do things rather differently than the autocratic, intensely populist practices of Duterte.
- 3/15/2024
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Full Circle Lab Philippines, the Southeast Asian project and talent development programme, has revealed the line-up for its upcoming sixth edition, including a drama set against the backdrop of The Beatles infamous visit to Manila in 1966.
The labs will comprise eight projects in development, three films in post-production, eight emerging producers and three story editors. A total of 35 participants and 10 mentors are set to participate in the in-person workshop, held in the Central Luzon region in the north of Manila from March 19-24, followed by online sessions, which run until September.
Scroll down for full list of projects and participants...
The labs will comprise eight projects in development, three films in post-production, eight emerging producers and three story editors. A total of 35 participants and 10 mentors are set to participate in the in-person workshop, held in the Central Luzon region in the north of Manila from March 19-24, followed by online sessions, which run until September.
Scroll down for full list of projects and participants...
- 3/7/2024
- ScreenDaily
Ramona S Diaz’s pacey, engaging doc And So It Begins builds on 2020’s A Thousand Cuts to essay the 2022 Philippine Presidential election, and the nefarious machinations behind it. Often feeling more sturdy political drama than insightful exposé, the film centres the socially liberal candidate Leni Robredo and journalist and activist Maria Ressa (the focus of A Thousand Cuts) as they try to resist the electoral favourite and all-round awful fella Bongbong Marcos, son of the despotic Ferdinand Marcos who ruled from 1965 to 1986 with nine years of particularly brutal martial law towards the end of his term. The stakes are very high indeed.
Robredo and Ressa are compelling, charismatic figures. The latter especially, as she conveys the frustration and bears the weight of a lifetime fighting the corruption and human rights abuses perpetrated in her country without ever losing her grace and charm. The scene where she is informed...
Robredo and Ressa are compelling, charismatic figures. The latter especially, as she conveys the frustration and bears the weight of a lifetime fighting the corruption and human rights abuses perpetrated in her country without ever losing her grace and charm. The scene where she is informed...
- 1/31/2024
- by Chris Fyvie
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
A companion piece to her documentary “A Thousand Cuts,” Ramona S. Diaz’s “And So It Begins” follows the 2022 Philippine election, and Vice President Leni Robredo’s run for office. The film lays out the broad strokes of the country’s contemporary politics in the wake of strongman President Rodrigo Duterte, while capturing the groundswell of support for Robredo. However, it features neither the narrative and aesthetic intensity needed for an up-to-the-minute chronicle, nor the political depth required of such vital subject matter, which Diaz’s previous work has in spades.
After a contentious vice presidency — she was elected on a separate ticket from Duterte, as is common in the Philippines — Robredo’s campaign kicks off with grassroots activism awash in pink apparel, often on a scale so large that overhead shots of her rallies barely fit within the frame. With political experience and a moving personal narrative at her back,...
After a contentious vice presidency — she was elected on a separate ticket from Duterte, as is common in the Philippines — Robredo’s campaign kicks off with grassroots activism awash in pink apparel, often on a scale so large that overhead shots of her rallies barely fit within the frame. With political experience and a moving personal narrative at her back,...
- 1/23/2024
- by Siddhant Adlakha
- Variety Film + TV
‘Here Lies Love’ Teams With Gold House, The Asian American Foundation for Broadway Ticket Initiative
Broadway’s Here Lies Love, the disco-pop musical from David Byrne and Fatboy Slim about the infamous former First Lady of the Philippines Imelda Marcos, is launching a new ticket initiative tied to Filipino American Heritage Month.
In an effort to increase access to the historic musical, which features Broadway’s first all-Filipino cast, Here Lies Love‘s producers have partnered with Gold House and The Asian American Foundation (Taaf) on “Democracy in Action.” The initiative aims to raise $1 million in tax-deductible donations, which will go to subsidizing 33 percent of tickets to the show in October, a cultural heritage month for Filipino Americans.
“We are extremely proud of this initiative and grateful to our colleagues at Gold House and Taaf for recognizing the unique opportunity Here Lies Love creates to broaden the demographics of Broadway audiences,” said the show’s producers Jose Antonio Vargas, Patrick Catullo, Diana Dimenna, Clint Ramos,...
In an effort to increase access to the historic musical, which features Broadway’s first all-Filipino cast, Here Lies Love‘s producers have partnered with Gold House and The Asian American Foundation (Taaf) on “Democracy in Action.” The initiative aims to raise $1 million in tax-deductible donations, which will go to subsidizing 33 percent of tickets to the show in October, a cultural heritage month for Filipino Americans.
“We are extremely proud of this initiative and grateful to our colleagues at Gold House and Taaf for recognizing the unique opportunity Here Lies Love creates to broaden the demographics of Broadway audiences,” said the show’s producers Jose Antonio Vargas, Patrick Catullo, Diana Dimenna, Clint Ramos,...
- 10/4/2023
- by Abbey White
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Filipino filmmaker Jun Robles Lana is making his second appearance at Toronto International Film Festival with Your Mother’s Son, which is receiving its world premiere in the Centrepiece section.
Co-scripted by Lana and Elmer Gatchalian, the film tells the story of a hard-working mother and her delinquent son whose relationship is challenged when she invites one of her students to move into their home, so he can escape his violent father. Initially, it seems the son is suffering from a severe case of Oedipus complex, but as the film progresses, a more shocking tale of abuse of power and sexual dynamics begins to unfold.
Sue Prado (Barber’s Tales) plays the mother, with Kokoy de Santos (Gameboys) playing the son, and Elora Españo and Miggy Jimenez rounding out the cast. Lana, Perci Intalan and Ferdinand Lapuz produced the film through The IdeaFirst Company, Octobertrain Films, Quantum Films and Cineko Productions.
Co-scripted by Lana and Elmer Gatchalian, the film tells the story of a hard-working mother and her delinquent son whose relationship is challenged when she invites one of her students to move into their home, so he can escape his violent father. Initially, it seems the son is suffering from a severe case of Oedipus complex, but as the film progresses, a more shocking tale of abuse of power and sexual dynamics begins to unfold.
Sue Prado (Barber’s Tales) plays the mother, with Kokoy de Santos (Gameboys) playing the son, and Elora Españo and Miggy Jimenez rounding out the cast. Lana, Perci Intalan and Ferdinand Lapuz produced the film through The IdeaFirst Company, Octobertrain Films, Quantum Films and Cineko Productions.
- 9/9/2023
- by Liz Shackleton
- Deadline Film + TV
The Singapore International Film Festival (Sgiff) reveals its list of eight selected documentaries and short films from Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, and Singapore to receive grants from the Sgiff Film Fund in recognition of their potential to contribute to the development of Southeast Asian cinema through their distinctive narratives and perspectives. The Sgiff Film Fund comprises the Tan Ean Kiam Foundation-sgiff Southeast Asian Documentary Grant (Sea-doc) and Sgiff Southeast Asian Short Film Grant (Sea-shorts) that aim to champion Southeast Asian works, supporting independent cinema and serve as a Kickstarter to propel independent filmmakers forward.
The Tan Ean Kiam Foundation-sgiff Southeast Asian Documentary Grant (Sea-doc)
Sea-Doc is part of the Sgiff Film Fund, which grants four mid-length or feature documentaries in various stages of production and post-production annually. This year, the selection committee has chosen three production projects that will each receive S$30,000 in cash. One post-production project will...
The Tan Ean Kiam Foundation-sgiff Southeast Asian Documentary Grant (Sea-doc)
Sea-Doc is part of the Sgiff Film Fund, which grants four mid-length or feature documentaries in various stages of production and post-production annually. This year, the selection committee has chosen three production projects that will each receive S$30,000 in cash. One post-production project will...
- 7/27/2023
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
Twelve musicians will be included in the upcoming Broadway production of the David Byrne-Fatboy Slim musical Here Lies Love, an agreement reached today in a labor dispute over the use of pre-recorded music tracks.
“After negotiation, we have reached an agreement that will bring live music to Here Lies Love with the inclusion of 12 musicians to the show,” said Tino Gagliardi, president and executive director of Local 802 NYC Musicians Union. “Broadway is a very special place with the best musicians and performances in the world, and we are glad this agreement honors that tradition.”
The musical’s producers said in their own statement, “On behalf of our entire cast, company and creative team, we have reached an agreement with Musicians Union Local 802, per the collective bargaining agreement. We look forward to welcoming audiences to experience the revolutionary musical experience that is Here Lies Love at the Broadway Theatre beginning on Saturday,...
“After negotiation, we have reached an agreement that will bring live music to Here Lies Love with the inclusion of 12 musicians to the show,” said Tino Gagliardi, president and executive director of Local 802 NYC Musicians Union. “Broadway is a very special place with the best musicians and performances in the world, and we are glad this agreement honors that tradition.”
The musical’s producers said in their own statement, “On behalf of our entire cast, company and creative team, we have reached an agreement with Musicians Union Local 802, per the collective bargaining agreement. We look forward to welcoming audiences to experience the revolutionary musical experience that is Here Lies Love at the Broadway Theatre beginning on Saturday,...
- 6/9/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
The use of pre-recorded tracks in the David Byrne-Fatboy Slim musical Here Lies Love is pitting New York City’s musicians’ union against the show’s producers, with the union calling the concept an “existential threat to Broadway” and producers saying the tracks are “part of the karaoke genre inherent to the musical.”
The musical, which received considerable critical acclaim during previous stagings Off Broadway and in London, re-tells the story of former Filipina First Lady Imelda Marcos by setting the tale within a dance club environment. The immersive production will place a segment of the audience seated in a reconstructed section of the Broadway Theatre within the dance club.
Developed and directed by Alex Timbers, Here Lies Love features music by Byrne and Fatboy Slim, with additional music by Tom Gandey and J Pardo. The Broadway production begins previews at the Broadway Theatre on Saturday, June 17, with opening night set for Thursday,...
The musical, which received considerable critical acclaim during previous stagings Off Broadway and in London, re-tells the story of former Filipina First Lady Imelda Marcos by setting the tale within a dance club environment. The immersive production will place a segment of the audience seated in a reconstructed section of the Broadway Theatre within the dance club.
Developed and directed by Alex Timbers, Here Lies Love features music by Byrne and Fatboy Slim, with additional music by Tom Gandey and J Pardo. The Broadway production begins previews at the Broadway Theatre on Saturday, June 17, with opening night set for Thursday,...
- 5/30/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
King Charles III’s coronation promises to be a star-studded affair. With approximately 2,000 people set to attend, the ceremony will feature politicians, officials, and beloved public figures from around the world.
But some of Charles’ guests are causing quite a stir ahead of the event. Although Prince Harry’s presence has generated a lot of buzz, he’s not the only controversial guest attending the coronation.
Prince Harry | Karwai Tang/WireImage Prince Harry may be the most controversial guest at King Charles III’s coronation
Harry is making headlines once again as he prepares to attend his father’s coronation. The ceremony will be Harry’s first royal event since his controversial Netflix series aired last year.
The coronation will also mark the first time Prince Harry will appear alongside the royals since the release of his explosive memoir, Spare. While Charles has waited all of his life to be crowned,...
But some of Charles’ guests are causing quite a stir ahead of the event. Although Prince Harry’s presence has generated a lot of buzz, he’s not the only controversial guest attending the coronation.
Prince Harry | Karwai Tang/WireImage Prince Harry may be the most controversial guest at King Charles III’s coronation
Harry is making headlines once again as he prepares to attend his father’s coronation. The ceremony will be Harry’s first royal event since his controversial Netflix series aired last year.
The coronation will also mark the first time Prince Harry will appear alongside the royals since the release of his explosive memoir, Spare. While Charles has waited all of his life to be crowned,...
- 5/6/2023
- by Perry Carpenter
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
“Kisapmata” is another notorious as much as significant movie in the history of Filipino cinema, for a number of reasons. For starters, the plot was inspired by the crime reportage “The House on Zapote Street” written by Nick Joaquin, with the piece chronicling the events leading up to the highly publicized familicide committed by Pablo Cabading, a retired policeman. The film included the first major treatment of incest in the history of the country's cinema, while its message was perceived to be against both patriarchy and the regime of then President Ferdinand Marcos, which expectedly led to issues with the Censorship Board. Despite all its issues, the film premiered at the 7th Metro Manila Film Festival, where it won 10 awards, including Best Film, while it was also screened at the 1982 Cannes Film Festival during the Directors' Fortnight. Furthermore, the Filipino Film Critics included it in their list of Ten Best Films of the Decade,...
- 4/7/2023
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Jose Llana and Conrad Ricamora will reprise their acclaimed Off Broadway performances on Broadway when the David Byrne-Fatboy Slim musical Here Lies Love opens this summer, producers announced today.
In the immersive musical about former Filipina First Lady Imelda Marcos, Llana will portray Ferdinand Marcos, 10th president of the Philippines and husband of Imelda.
Ricamora will play Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, a Philippine senator, opposition leader and Marcoses’ primary critic whose assassination in 1983 ignited the People Power Revolution.
Both actors received Lucille Lortel Award nominations for their performances at the Public Theater’s Off Broadway production of Here Lies Love. Ricamora previously reprised his role in the show’s Seattle Rep production.
With concept, music and lyrics by Byrne and music by Fatboy Slim, Here Lies Love begins performances Saturday,...
In the immersive musical about former Filipina First Lady Imelda Marcos, Llana will portray Ferdinand Marcos, 10th president of the Philippines and husband of Imelda.
Ricamora will play Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, a Philippine senator, opposition leader and Marcoses’ primary critic whose assassination in 1983 ignited the People Power Revolution.
Both actors received Lucille Lortel Award nominations for their performances at the Public Theater’s Off Broadway production of Here Lies Love. Ricamora previously reprised his role in the show’s Seattle Rep production.
With concept, music and lyrics by Byrne and music by Fatboy Slim, Here Lies Love begins performances Saturday,...
- 2/15/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
When the Waves Are Gone (2022).Over the span of almost two decades, Lav Diaz has established himself not only as one of the most prolific filmmakers working in the realm of arthouse cinema—being perhaps the most acclaimed adherent of the slow expression—but also as a consistent observer of the political landscape of the Philippines. His method of work abounds in slowness, as well as the poetics of excess: long formats, politically-driven allegories, maximized genre capacity. The excessiveness appears in his preference for the independence of the film economy, too. Diaz not only directs and writes his films but oftentimes also designs, shoots and edits them, maintaining control over the final outcome—a whole universe of dark morality tales that encapsulate a gloomy here-and-now and down-to-earth scrutiny of the Philippine milieu. This rigidity in approach to medium translates to the choice of aesthetics. Diaz has embraced his favorite canvas: a grainy,...
- 1/26/2023
- MUBI
Director, actress, writer, producer, and editor Isabel Sandoval is a trans Filipina filmmaking Auteur who made history with her third feature film Lingua Franca at the 2019 Venice International Film Festival’s Giornate degli Autori section. It is the first film directed by and starring a trans woman of color to screen in competition. Lingua Franca was nominated for the 2021 Film Independent John Cassavetes Spirit Award.
Sandoval made her directorial debut with the noir-styled Señorita, which world-premiered in competition at the Locarno Film Festival and earned her the Emerging Director Award at the Asian American International Film Festival. Her second feature as director was the Ferdinand Marcos-era nun drama Apparition, which won the Lotus Audience Award at the Deauville Asian Film Festival.
Now, her most recent endeavor is television. Sandoval recently directed the penultimate episode of the critically acclaimed FX limited series, Under the Banner of Heaven, based on Jon Krakauer...
Sandoval made her directorial debut with the noir-styled Señorita, which world-premiered in competition at the Locarno Film Festival and earned her the Emerging Director Award at the Asian American International Film Festival. Her second feature as director was the Ferdinand Marcos-era nun drama Apparition, which won the Lotus Audience Award at the Deauville Asian Film Festival.
Now, her most recent endeavor is television. Sandoval recently directed the penultimate episode of the critically acclaimed FX limited series, Under the Banner of Heaven, based on Jon Krakauer...
- 6/21/2022
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
One of the most troubled productions ever, and one of the most acclaimed. Although he considered shooting in Australia, Francis Coppola decided on the Philippines because production coordinator Fred Roos had contacts there from shooting two back-to-back Monte Hellman films. Some of the eventually $30 million budget went into the pockets of Ferdinand Marcos’s local officials. Shooting began in 1976 but after nearly two years in post production it finally met the public in 1979. Reissued in 2001 as Apocalypse Now Redux with 49 minutes of extended material.
The post Apocalypse Now appeared first on Trailers From Hell.
The post Apocalypse Now appeared first on Trailers From Hell.
- 8/11/2021
- by TFH Team
- Trailers from Hell
And the names and faces of the tyrants changeBut poverty, pain and murder remainsAnd the voices of truth are locked up in chainsDarkness remains, freedom in flames—The Jerks, RageIn Lino Brocka's big-city melodrama Manila in the Claws of Light (1975), set at the height of Ferdinand Marcos's 1972-1986 military-backed dictatorship, construction worker Julio and his colleagues are subjected to a form of labor abuse nicknamed "taiwan": if at the end of the working day they want to receive their salary, they have to buy it from their employer by waiving 10% of the money they are owed. Moreover, on a nominal daily salary of 4 Php per employee, the foreman takes 1,50 Php for himself as a commission. Finally, if Julio and the other construction workers have no place to live in Manila and wish to sleep in the construction site, they can do so in exchange for yet another deduction from their salary.
- 9/12/2020
- MUBI
Since 2016, Maria Ressa and her team of journalists at the Philippines-based news site Rappler — which she co-founded and serves as executive editor — have been squarely in the cross-hairs of the country’s president Rodrigo Duterte. It’s part of an ongoing battle between the president and Pinoy journalists, Ressa included, who have covered his violent “drug war,” a campaign that has resulted in thousands of deaths, many suspected as unlawful — and called into question the viability of the fourth estate in the Philippines.
Ressa, Rappler and the increasingly tenuous state of free press and democracy in the Southeast Asian nation are the subjects of the documentary “A Thousand Cuts,” directed by Ramona S. Diaz, with Ressa’s plight taking center stage. Currently, she faces two cyber libel cases, one for which she was convicted in June and carries a sentence of up to six years in jail. In July, she...
Ressa, Rappler and the increasingly tenuous state of free press and democracy in the Southeast Asian nation are the subjects of the documentary “A Thousand Cuts,” directed by Ramona S. Diaz, with Ressa’s plight taking center stage. Currently, she faces two cyber libel cases, one for which she was convicted in June and carries a sentence of up to six years in jail. In July, she...
- 8/7/2020
- by Audrey Cleo Yap
- Variety Film + TV
In The Queen of Versailles and Generation Wealth, writer and director Lauren Greenfield opened up an elitist world largely off-limits to the public. The Kingmaker, her latest documentary, looks into the life and complex legacy of Imelda Marcos, widow of the former leader of the Philippines Ferdinand Marcos. It is currently in theaters prior to its exhibition on Showtime. Five years in the making, The Kingmaker evolved from what was originally a piece about exotic animals transported by the Marcoses to Calauit Island into a full-fledged investigation of Philippine politics. Greenfield and her team wound up covering the election of […]...
- 11/14/2019
- by Daniel Eagan
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
In The Queen of Versailles and Generation Wealth, writer and director Lauren Greenfield opened up an elitist world largely off-limits to the public. The Kingmaker, her latest documentary, looks into the life and complex legacy of Imelda Marcos, widow of the former leader of the Philippines Ferdinand Marcos. It is currently in theaters prior to its exhibition on Showtime. Five years in the making, The Kingmaker evolved from what was originally a piece about exotic animals transported by the Marcoses to Calauit Island into a full-fledged investigation of Philippine politics. Greenfield and her team wound up covering the election of […]...
- 11/14/2019
- by Daniel Eagan
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
It always began and ended with the shoes. Specifically, the 1,220 pairs of pumps that were found in the closet of Imelda Marcos, when she and her husband Ferdinand Marcos were forced to flee the country in 1986. It made the Philippines’ former First Lady the punchline of late-night talk show monologues and reduced her to a kitschy bit of ’80s pop nostalgia, nestled between Dr. Ruth and Hands Across America. The now–90-year-old could recall the agony of losing her mother when she was eight and the ecstasy of being crowned...
- 11/8/2019
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
In Lauren Greenfield’s new documentary The Kingmaker, former Philippines first lady Imelda Marcos demonstrates her largesse, reaching through the window of her limousine to hand banknotes to kids on the street. Later she performs a similar service at a hospital, bestowing cash on families of sick children. She keeps a stack of bills at the ready for such occasions.
This might be considered a noble gesture and left at that were it not for the troubling question of where her money comes from. Imelda and her husband, President Ferdinand Marcos, were suspected of looting the Philippines treasury before he was ousted in 1986 in the People Power Revolution.
“In the beginning of the film, I think you don’t know quite how to take it, because she is generous and kind and caring and wants to help people…You can see her instinct to give,” Greenfield tells Deadline. “But as...
This might be considered a noble gesture and left at that were it not for the troubling question of where her money comes from. Imelda and her husband, President Ferdinand Marcos, were suspected of looting the Philippines treasury before he was ousted in 1986 in the People Power Revolution.
“In the beginning of the film, I think you don’t know quite how to take it, because she is generous and kind and caring and wants to help people…You can see her instinct to give,” Greenfield tells Deadline. “But as...
- 11/4/2019
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
If you didn’t quite meet your Halloween quota, Lauren Greenfield has just released one of the scariest movies of the year. There are no creepy clowns or shambling zombies in “The Kingmaker,” her mesmerizing documentary about the modern political history of the Philippines. But who needs fantasies when reality is so ominous?
Greenfield’s villain appears, in classic form, as an apparent savior. Beautifully dressed and beatifically calm, an octogenarian Imelda Marcos travels the streets of Manila looking for people she can help. She rolls down the windows of her limo to give begging children money. She tours a crumbling pediatric hospital and shakes her head dolefully. When her husband was in charge, she reminds the camera, people never suffered as they do now.
Just when we’re wondering if this sympathetic and benevolent figure might have been a victim of fake news, Greenfield revisits her history to find the facts behind the legend.
Greenfield’s villain appears, in classic form, as an apparent savior. Beautifully dressed and beatifically calm, an octogenarian Imelda Marcos travels the streets of Manila looking for people she can help. She rolls down the windows of her limo to give begging children money. She tours a crumbling pediatric hospital and shakes her head dolefully. When her husband was in charge, she reminds the camera, people never suffered as they do now.
Just when we’re wondering if this sympathetic and benevolent figure might have been a victim of fake news, Greenfield revisits her history to find the facts behind the legend.
- 10/30/2019
- by Elizabeth Weitzman
- The Wrap
When “The Kingmaker” director Lauren Greenfield began making what would become her latest film, she intended to investigate what had become of the island in the Philippines, Calauit, that had become a reserve for endangered African animals in the mid-1970s.
She thought that the country’s former first lady, Imelda Marcos, would be just one interview of many in her investigation of the island. But Greenfield, the filmmaker behind “Generation Wealth” and “The Queen of Versailles,” found an eager and compelling subject ready to share her life story — or at least her version of it.
“I guess the surprise for me is I thought there might be a redemption element in it, because I filmed her between 85 and 90 and thought maybe she would change her story. But she stuck to her story,” Greenfield told the crowd in a Q&a following an International Documentary Association screening of the film.
She thought that the country’s former first lady, Imelda Marcos, would be just one interview of many in her investigation of the island. But Greenfield, the filmmaker behind “Generation Wealth” and “The Queen of Versailles,” found an eager and compelling subject ready to share her life story — or at least her version of it.
“I guess the surprise for me is I thought there might be a redemption element in it, because I filmed her between 85 and 90 and thought maybe she would change her story. But she stuck to her story,” Greenfield told the crowd in a Q&a following an International Documentary Association screening of the film.
- 10/14/2019
- by Jean Bentley
- Indiewire
Lauren Greenfield’s latest documentary, “The Kingmaker.” offers a portrait of the former first lady of the Philippines, a look into the crimes of Imelda Marcos’ family’s fascist rule, and their present-day comeback. The film’s official trailer, released Monday, shows how the family’s story is applicable in across the globe today — as Marcos says, “perception is real and the truth is not.” The trailer also shows off scenes of Marcos in opulent surroundings — against a backdrop of thousands of pairs of shoes and Picasso and Michelangelo paintings — intercut with scenes of her handing out cash and news clips about the Philippines’ 1986 People Power Revolution, which unseated her kleptocrat husband, Ferdinand Marcos, and forced the family into exile (smuggling diamonds in diapers along the way).
The family returned to prominence after their son, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, then a senator, ran a strong campaign for vice president. He didn’t win,...
The family returned to prominence after their son, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, then a senator, ran a strong campaign for vice president. He didn’t win,...
- 9/30/2019
- by Chris Lindahl
- Indiewire
’I liked her. That’s why I wanted to make a film about her,” said the director.
Us director Lauren Greenfield is in Venice for the world premiere of her feature documentary, The Kingmaker, about the corruption and nepotism of the Marcos dynasty of the Philippines. The film was picked up by Dogwoof for international sales earlier this month. Showtime Networks will release it theatrically in the Us in October.
Greenfield admits her “astonishment” her 90-year-old subject, former first lady Imelda Marcos, was able to re-enter mainstream Philippine politics following countless corruption scandals and in spite of having had to...
Us director Lauren Greenfield is in Venice for the world premiere of her feature documentary, The Kingmaker, about the corruption and nepotism of the Marcos dynasty of the Philippines. The film was picked up by Dogwoof for international sales earlier this month. Showtime Networks will release it theatrically in the Us in October.
Greenfield admits her “astonishment” her 90-year-old subject, former first lady Imelda Marcos, was able to re-enter mainstream Philippine politics following countless corruption scandals and in spite of having had to...
- 8/31/2019
- by Geoffrey Macnab
- ScreenDaily
“Perception is real, and the truth is not,” announces Imelda Marcos in “The Kingmaker,” a jaw-dropping documentary in which director Lauren Greenfield exposes just how effective the wounded peacock has been in reshaping her status. Once world-famous for her shoe collection, Imelda benefited enormously from husband Ferdinand’s two-decade dictatorship over the of the Philippines, until being forced to flee to Hawaii in 1986. Now, back from exile, the disgraced former first lady is fully invested in reclaiming her family’s position atop a country whose coffers they once pillaged, attempting to bend democracy and boost her son, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., to power.
Marcos’ print-the-legend philosophy has particular resonance in a post-truth world, although such sinister undertones sneak up on audiences in a movie that begins, innocently enough, as the latest of Greenfield’s astonishing portraits of wealth run amok. Even as far away as the Philippines, the photographer can...
Marcos’ print-the-legend philosophy has particular resonance in a post-truth world, although such sinister undertones sneak up on audiences in a movie that begins, innocently enough, as the latest of Greenfield’s astonishing portraits of wealth run amok. Even as far away as the Philippines, the photographer can...
- 8/30/2019
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
Dogwoof has boarded Lauren Greenfield’s “The Kingmaker,” about Imelda Marcos, the former first lady of the Philippines. The hotly anticipated feature doc delves into the disturbing legacy of the Marcos regime and Imelda’s attempts to aid her son’s political career. It will have its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival and then screen at Toronto.
London-based Dogwoof will sell “The Kingmaker” internationally. In the U.S. it is with premium cabler Showtme, which plans a theatrical release this fall.
The film is an intimate study of Imelda Marcos. As the wife of Ferdinand Marcos, who ruled the Philippines for more than 20 years, some of it under martial law, the first lady was noted for her ostentatious displays of wealth, including her vast collection of expensive designer shoes. The Marcos regime was roundly criticized for abuse of power, crony capitalism, and corruption.
Greenfield follows Imelda Marcos as...
London-based Dogwoof will sell “The Kingmaker” internationally. In the U.S. it is with premium cabler Showtme, which plans a theatrical release this fall.
The film is an intimate study of Imelda Marcos. As the wife of Ferdinand Marcos, who ruled the Philippines for more than 20 years, some of it under martial law, the first lady was noted for her ostentatious displays of wealth, including her vast collection of expensive designer shoes. The Marcos regime was roundly criticized for abuse of power, crony capitalism, and corruption.
Greenfield follows Imelda Marcos as...
- 8/20/2019
- by Stewart Clarke
- Variety Film + TV
With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options–not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves–each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit platforms. Check out this week’s selections below and an archive of past round-ups here.
Goodbye First Love (Mia Hansen-Løve)
One of the best coming-of-age films of the decade, what begins as a fairly standard, but intimately captured story of young passion quickly blossoms to one of the most mature takes on such an event thanks to Mia Hansen-Løve’s remarkably natural style and a script that’s conscious of time and its effects on love. Praise must also go to Lola Creton and Sebastian Urzendowsky for seemingly organic chemistry from such material. – Jordan R.
Where to Stream: Mubi (free for 30 days)
The Man From London (Béla Tarr and Ágnes Hranitzky)
Upon the release of The Man from London, one might...
Goodbye First Love (Mia Hansen-Løve)
One of the best coming-of-age films of the decade, what begins as a fairly standard, but intimately captured story of young passion quickly blossoms to one of the most mature takes on such an event thanks to Mia Hansen-Løve’s remarkably natural style and a script that’s conscious of time and its effects on love. Praise must also go to Lola Creton and Sebastian Urzendowsky for seemingly organic chemistry from such material. – Jordan R.
Where to Stream: Mubi (free for 30 days)
The Man From London (Béla Tarr and Ágnes Hranitzky)
Upon the release of The Man from London, one might...
- 8/2/2019
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
With the year coming to its halfway mark, we recently rounded up the 21 most essential films to seek out thus far, and now it’s time to look towards the second half. July brings some festival favorites, some oddities, a few studio release highlights, and a floral fever dream. Check out our 15 picks to see below, followed by honorable mentions.
15. A Faithful Man (Louis Garrel; July 19)
Fluffier than the finest French pastries, Garrel’s latest film is a brisk romantic dramedy to the point of near-satire, which is more of a recommendation than a jab. Ethan Vestby was a fan at Tiff, saying in his review, “Beginning on a shot of the Paris cityscape–yes, the Eiffel Tower plainly in view and everything that surrounds it–Louis Garrel’s A Faithful Man self-awarely announces itself in the tradition of decades of French cinema; say the kind that the average movie-goer...
15. A Faithful Man (Louis Garrel; July 19)
Fluffier than the finest French pastries, Garrel’s latest film is a brisk romantic dramedy to the point of near-satire, which is more of a recommendation than a jab. Ethan Vestby was a fan at Tiff, saying in his review, “Beginning on a shot of the Paris cityscape–yes, the Eiffel Tower plainly in view and everything that surrounds it–Louis Garrel’s A Faithful Man self-awarely announces itself in the tradition of decades of French cinema; say the kind that the average movie-goer...
- 7/1/2019
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
“These are my friends. And this is a tribute and a memoriam to them.”
The cinema of Filipino director Lav Diaz has always been about time, its essence as well as its way to define people and their surroundings. Considering the average length of one of his films varying between four to ten hours, Diaz has repeatedly abandoned what is commonly known as mainstream cinema and popular conceptions of what cinema is. For authors such as Sascha Westphal, for example, Diaz is a director in the same tradition as Andrei Tarkovsky or Béla Tarr, but then again, even the attempt of categorizing films like “Norte – The End of History” (2013) or “The Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery” (2016) with the label “slow cinema” does not really fit with the kind of work Diaz has delivered throughout his career.
“Season of the Devil ” is screening at the 27th Art Film Fest Kosice
In a nutshell,...
The cinema of Filipino director Lav Diaz has always been about time, its essence as well as its way to define people and their surroundings. Considering the average length of one of his films varying between four to ten hours, Diaz has repeatedly abandoned what is commonly known as mainstream cinema and popular conceptions of what cinema is. For authors such as Sascha Westphal, for example, Diaz is a director in the same tradition as Andrei Tarkovsky or Béla Tarr, but then again, even the attempt of categorizing films like “Norte – The End of History” (2013) or “The Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery” (2016) with the label “slow cinema” does not really fit with the kind of work Diaz has delivered throughout his career.
“Season of the Devil ” is screening at the 27th Art Film Fest Kosice
In a nutshell,...
- 6/16/2019
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
“These are my friends. And this is a tribute and a memoriam to them.”
The cinema of Filipino director Lav Diaz has always been about time, its essence as well as its way to define people and their surroundings. Considering the average length of one of his films varying between four to ten hours, Diaz has repeatedly abandoned what is commonly known as mainstream cinema and popular conceptions of what cinema is. For authors such as Sascha Westphal, for example, Diaz is a director in the same tradition as Andrei Tarkovsky or Béla Tarr, but then again, even the attempt of categorizing films like “Norte – The End of History” (2013) or “The Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery” (2016) with the label “slow cinema” does not really fit with the kind of work Diaz has delivered throughout his career.
In a nutshell, “slow cinema” is most likely associated with a film’s running time,...
The cinema of Filipino director Lav Diaz has always been about time, its essence as well as its way to define people and their surroundings. Considering the average length of one of his films varying between four to ten hours, Diaz has repeatedly abandoned what is commonly known as mainstream cinema and popular conceptions of what cinema is. For authors such as Sascha Westphal, for example, Diaz is a director in the same tradition as Andrei Tarkovsky or Béla Tarr, but then again, even the attempt of categorizing films like “Norte – The End of History” (2013) or “The Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery” (2016) with the label “slow cinema” does not really fit with the kind of work Diaz has delivered throughout his career.
In a nutshell, “slow cinema” is most likely associated with a film’s running time,...
- 11/25/2018
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
Alexandria, Virginia — This was his life now. Paul J. Manafort Jr. took his seat in Room 900 of the U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Virginia, just before 9 a.m. Tuesday. The disgraced political influence-peddler and former chairman of Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign wore a dark suit and said little. He looked older. Grayer. He appeared to have aged considerably from even a mere two years ago, the summer his life began to implode.
Manafort’s team of lawyers — all men, all white — joined him at the defense’s table.
Manafort’s team of lawyers — all men, all white — joined him at the defense’s table.
- 7/31/2018
- by Andy Kroll
- Rollingstone.com
High heels were first worn by men. They were considered riding shoes during the 10th century since the high heels enabled a better grip on the stirrups. The Persian cavalry wore inch-high heels while the Persian monarch Shah Abbas started the trend in Europe during his visit in the 1500s.
Since they were worn by men who rode and owned horses, high heels became associated with the upper class. In 1533, a 14-year-old bride named Catherine de Medici wore towering heels to look more like an adult when he married the Duke of Orleans. She became the first woman to wear high heels in public and soon after, upper-class women also started wearing heels which became part of their outfit throughout the 17th century.
Christian Dior introduced the first stiletto heel in 1954. The name comes from the Italian word for a “thin dagger.” Imelda Marcos, the wife of the late Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos,...
Since they were worn by men who rode and owned horses, high heels became associated with the upper class. In 1533, a 14-year-old bride named Catherine de Medici wore towering heels to look more like an adult when he married the Duke of Orleans. She became the first woman to wear high heels in public and soon after, upper-class women also started wearing heels which became part of their outfit throughout the 17th century.
Christian Dior introduced the first stiletto heel in 1954. The name comes from the Italian word for a “thin dagger.” Imelda Marcos, the wife of the late Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos,...
- 7/17/2018
- by Art
- SoundOnSight
“These are my friends. And this is a tribute and a memoriam to them.”
The cinema of Filipino director Lav Diaz has always been about time, its essence as well as its way to define people and their surroundings. Considering the average length of one of his films varying between four to ten hours, Diaz has repeatedly abandoned what is commonly known as mainstream cinema and popular conceptions of what cinema is. For authors such as Sascha Westphal, for example, Diaz is a director in the same tradition as Andrei Tarkovsky or Béla Tarr, but then again, even the attempt of categorizing films like “Norte – The End of History” (2013) or “The Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery” (2016) with the label “slow cinema” does not really fit with the kind of work Diaz has delivered throughout his career.
In a nutshell, “slow cinema” is most likely associated with a film’s running time,...
The cinema of Filipino director Lav Diaz has always been about time, its essence as well as its way to define people and their surroundings. Considering the average length of one of his films varying between four to ten hours, Diaz has repeatedly abandoned what is commonly known as mainstream cinema and popular conceptions of what cinema is. For authors such as Sascha Westphal, for example, Diaz is a director in the same tradition as Andrei Tarkovsky or Béla Tarr, but then again, even the attempt of categorizing films like “Norte – The End of History” (2013) or “The Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery” (2016) with the label “slow cinema” does not really fit with the kind of work Diaz has delivered throughout his career.
In a nutshell, “slow cinema” is most likely associated with a film’s running time,...
- 5/24/2018
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
Following up his Golden Lion-winning drama The Woman Who Left, Lav Diaz is returning to Berlinale 2018 with his latest film, Ang Panahon ng Halimaw aka Season of the Devil. Described as an “anti-musical musical, a rock opera, that delves into mythology,” the first trailer has now arrived ahead of the premiere in competition later this month.
According to The National, the film features 33 songs composed by the Filipino director himself and the story, which takes place during former president Ferdinand Marcos’s military dictatorship, follows “a man whose wife has been abducted in their remote village.”
Starring Piolo Pascual, Shaina Magdayao, Pinky Amador, Bituin Escalante, Hazel Orencio, Joel Saracho, Bart Guingona, Angel Aquino, Lilit Reyes, and Don Melvin Boongaling, see the trailer below via CineMaldito.
Season of the Devil will premiere at Berlinale 2018.
According to The National, the film features 33 songs composed by the Filipino director himself and the story, which takes place during former president Ferdinand Marcos’s military dictatorship, follows “a man whose wife has been abducted in their remote village.”
Starring Piolo Pascual, Shaina Magdayao, Pinky Amador, Bituin Escalante, Hazel Orencio, Joel Saracho, Bart Guingona, Angel Aquino, Lilit Reyes, and Don Melvin Boongaling, see the trailer below via CineMaldito.
Season of the Devil will premiere at Berlinale 2018.
- 2/3/2018
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Sundance Film Festival
PARK CITY -- Like Cher and Madonna, Imelda Marcos is one of those public figures who is so distinctive that she has become known only by her first name. Imelda is probably most famous for owning hundreds of pairs of shoes, but Ramona S. Diaz's documentary about the former Philippine first lady goes beyond that and captures a complex and contradictory world figure. "Imelda" is by turns humorous, insightful and infuriating and should be a hit on the international festival circuit and possibly break out to a modest theatrical run, before reaching its major audience on PBS, which partially financed the film.
Diaz first met Imelda in 1993 when she was working on a film about the fall of the Marcos regime in her native Philippines. The interview was scheduled to last fifteen minutes and went on for five hours. It was then that Diaz proposed a documentary to Imelda, who immediately agreed, her instinct for self-promotion stronger than her modesty.
When filming finally started five years later, Imelda honored her commitment and granted the filmmakers unprecedented access. Diaz and her crew shot in Imelda's trailer, her seaside home and in public, where she is greeted by a still adoring public.
Imelda proves to be a wonderful subject. Her charm, poise and beauty make it difficult to hate her despite the suffering and human rights violations perpetrated by the dictatorship of her husband Ferdinand Marcos in his reign of terror from 1966-1986. At one time, the government had an estimated 17,000 political prisoners locked up.
Imelda chooses not to see the dire poverty of her country and admittedly turns her head to ugliness. Instead she lives a kind of fairly tale life. Born into a politically powerful family, and the toast of Manila society, the young and beautiful Imelda was on the fast track to movie stardom before she met and married Ferdinand Marcos after an eleven day courtship. The young handsome couple were like the Kennedys and were embraced by U.S. presidents from Johnson to Reagan. Terrific newsreel footage shows her dancing with Henry Kissenger and being serenaded by George Hamilton who croons, "We can't give you anything but love, Imelda."
Although Cosmopolitan named her one of the ten richest women in the world in 1975, and when the Marcoses fled the Philippines, they reportedly had deposits of $659 million in Swiss banks and extensive real estate holdings, Imelda is either blissfully ignorant of any wrongdoing or lives in total denial. "I'm very simple", she says, "I don't know why they make a problem of me."
Exile in Hawaii and numerous lawsuits do not seem to have slowed her down a bit. She is still immaculately and expensively dressed and lives lavishly, certainly not on the $90 a month pension she receives for her husband's war service. Wonderfully shot in 16 millimeter by Ferne Pearlstein (who won the documentary cinematography award at Sundance), film shows the beauty of the Philippines and the struggle of its people to just get by. Diaz obviously has a love/hate relationship with her subject, and clearly takes to heart the Manola Blahnik slogan. As she sees it, there is indeed "a little bit of Imelda in all of us."
IMELDA
A Cinediaz Production.
Credits:
Director, producer, Ramona S. Diaz
Director of photography, Ferne Pearlstein
Music: Grace Nono, Bob Aves, TAO music
Editor, Leah Marino
Running Time -- 101 minutes
No MPAA Rating...
PARK CITY -- Like Cher and Madonna, Imelda Marcos is one of those public figures who is so distinctive that she has become known only by her first name. Imelda is probably most famous for owning hundreds of pairs of shoes, but Ramona S. Diaz's documentary about the former Philippine first lady goes beyond that and captures a complex and contradictory world figure. "Imelda" is by turns humorous, insightful and infuriating and should be a hit on the international festival circuit and possibly break out to a modest theatrical run, before reaching its major audience on PBS, which partially financed the film.
Diaz first met Imelda in 1993 when she was working on a film about the fall of the Marcos regime in her native Philippines. The interview was scheduled to last fifteen minutes and went on for five hours. It was then that Diaz proposed a documentary to Imelda, who immediately agreed, her instinct for self-promotion stronger than her modesty.
When filming finally started five years later, Imelda honored her commitment and granted the filmmakers unprecedented access. Diaz and her crew shot in Imelda's trailer, her seaside home and in public, where she is greeted by a still adoring public.
Imelda proves to be a wonderful subject. Her charm, poise and beauty make it difficult to hate her despite the suffering and human rights violations perpetrated by the dictatorship of her husband Ferdinand Marcos in his reign of terror from 1966-1986. At one time, the government had an estimated 17,000 political prisoners locked up.
Imelda chooses not to see the dire poverty of her country and admittedly turns her head to ugliness. Instead she lives a kind of fairly tale life. Born into a politically powerful family, and the toast of Manila society, the young and beautiful Imelda was on the fast track to movie stardom before she met and married Ferdinand Marcos after an eleven day courtship. The young handsome couple were like the Kennedys and were embraced by U.S. presidents from Johnson to Reagan. Terrific newsreel footage shows her dancing with Henry Kissenger and being serenaded by George Hamilton who croons, "We can't give you anything but love, Imelda."
Although Cosmopolitan named her one of the ten richest women in the world in 1975, and when the Marcoses fled the Philippines, they reportedly had deposits of $659 million in Swiss banks and extensive real estate holdings, Imelda is either blissfully ignorant of any wrongdoing or lives in total denial. "I'm very simple", she says, "I don't know why they make a problem of me."
Exile in Hawaii and numerous lawsuits do not seem to have slowed her down a bit. She is still immaculately and expensively dressed and lives lavishly, certainly not on the $90 a month pension she receives for her husband's war service. Wonderfully shot in 16 millimeter by Ferne Pearlstein (who won the documentary cinematography award at Sundance), film shows the beauty of the Philippines and the struggle of its people to just get by. Diaz obviously has a love/hate relationship with her subject, and clearly takes to heart the Manola Blahnik slogan. As she sees it, there is indeed "a little bit of Imelda in all of us."
IMELDA
A Cinediaz Production.
Credits:
Director, producer, Ramona S. Diaz
Director of photography, Ferne Pearlstein
Music: Grace Nono, Bob Aves, TAO music
Editor, Leah Marino
Running Time -- 101 minutes
No MPAA Rating...
Sundance Film Festival
PARK CITY -- Like Cher and Madonna, Imelda Marcos is one of those public figures who is so distinctive that she has become known only by her first name. Imelda is probably most famous for owning hundreds of pairs of shoes, but Ramona S. Diaz's documentary about the former Philippine first lady goes beyond that and captures a complex and contradictory world figure. "Imelda" is by turns humorous, insightful and infuriating and should be a hit on the international festival circuit and possibly break out to a modest theatrical run, before reaching its major audience on PBS, which partially financed the film.
Diaz first met Imelda in 1993 when she was working on a film about the fall of the Marcos regime in her native Philippines. The interview was scheduled to last fifteen minutes and went on for five hours. It was then that Diaz proposed a documentary to Imelda, who immediately agreed, her instinct for self-promotion stronger than her modesty.
When filming finally started five years later, Imelda honored her commitment and granted the filmmakers unprecedented access. Diaz and her crew shot in Imelda's trailer, her seaside home and in public, where she is greeted by a still adoring public.
Imelda proves to be a wonderful subject. Her charm, poise and beauty make it difficult to hate her despite the suffering and human rights violations perpetrated by the dictatorship of her husband Ferdinand Marcos in his reign of terror from 1966-1986. At one time, the government had an estimated 17,000 political prisoners locked up.
Imelda chooses not to see the dire poverty of her country and admittedly turns her head to ugliness. Instead she lives a kind of fairly tale life. Born into a politically powerful family, and the toast of Manila society, the young and beautiful Imelda was on the fast track to movie stardom before she met and married Ferdinand Marcos after an eleven day courtship. The young handsome couple were like the Kennedys and were embraced by U.S. presidents from Johnson to Reagan. Terrific newsreel footage shows her dancing with Henry Kissenger and being serenaded by George Hamilton who croons, "We can't give you anything but love, Imelda."
Although Cosmopolitan named her one of the ten richest women in the world in 1975, and when the Marcoses fled the Philippines, they reportedly had deposits of $659 million in Swiss banks and extensive real estate holdings, Imelda is either blissfully ignorant of any wrongdoing or lives in total denial. "I'm very simple", she says, "I don't know why they make a problem of me."
Exile in Hawaii and numerous lawsuits do not seem to have slowed her down a bit. She is still immaculately and expensively dressed and lives lavishly, certainly not on the $90 a month pension she receives for her husband's war service. Wonderfully shot in 16 millimeter by Ferne Pearlstein (who won the documentary cinematography award at Sundance), film shows the beauty of the Philippines and the struggle of its people to just get by. Diaz obviously has a love/hate relationship with her subject, and clearly takes to heart the Manola Blahnik slogan. As she sees it, there is indeed "a little bit of Imelda in all of us."
IMELDA
A Cinediaz Production.
Credits:
Director, producer, Ramona S. Diaz
Director of photography, Ferne Pearlstein
Music: Grace Nono, Bob Aves, TAO music
Editor, Leah Marino
Running Time -- 101 minutes
No MPAA Rating...
PARK CITY -- Like Cher and Madonna, Imelda Marcos is one of those public figures who is so distinctive that she has become known only by her first name. Imelda is probably most famous for owning hundreds of pairs of shoes, but Ramona S. Diaz's documentary about the former Philippine first lady goes beyond that and captures a complex and contradictory world figure. "Imelda" is by turns humorous, insightful and infuriating and should be a hit on the international festival circuit and possibly break out to a modest theatrical run, before reaching its major audience on PBS, which partially financed the film.
Diaz first met Imelda in 1993 when she was working on a film about the fall of the Marcos regime in her native Philippines. The interview was scheduled to last fifteen minutes and went on for five hours. It was then that Diaz proposed a documentary to Imelda, who immediately agreed, her instinct for self-promotion stronger than her modesty.
When filming finally started five years later, Imelda honored her commitment and granted the filmmakers unprecedented access. Diaz and her crew shot in Imelda's trailer, her seaside home and in public, where she is greeted by a still adoring public.
Imelda proves to be a wonderful subject. Her charm, poise and beauty make it difficult to hate her despite the suffering and human rights violations perpetrated by the dictatorship of her husband Ferdinand Marcos in his reign of terror from 1966-1986. At one time, the government had an estimated 17,000 political prisoners locked up.
Imelda chooses not to see the dire poverty of her country and admittedly turns her head to ugliness. Instead she lives a kind of fairly tale life. Born into a politically powerful family, and the toast of Manila society, the young and beautiful Imelda was on the fast track to movie stardom before she met and married Ferdinand Marcos after an eleven day courtship. The young handsome couple were like the Kennedys and were embraced by U.S. presidents from Johnson to Reagan. Terrific newsreel footage shows her dancing with Henry Kissenger and being serenaded by George Hamilton who croons, "We can't give you anything but love, Imelda."
Although Cosmopolitan named her one of the ten richest women in the world in 1975, and when the Marcoses fled the Philippines, they reportedly had deposits of $659 million in Swiss banks and extensive real estate holdings, Imelda is either blissfully ignorant of any wrongdoing or lives in total denial. "I'm very simple", she says, "I don't know why they make a problem of me."
Exile in Hawaii and numerous lawsuits do not seem to have slowed her down a bit. She is still immaculately and expensively dressed and lives lavishly, certainly not on the $90 a month pension she receives for her husband's war service. Wonderfully shot in 16 millimeter by Ferne Pearlstein (who won the documentary cinematography award at Sundance), film shows the beauty of the Philippines and the struggle of its people to just get by. Diaz obviously has a love/hate relationship with her subject, and clearly takes to heart the Manola Blahnik slogan. As she sees it, there is indeed "a little bit of Imelda in all of us."
IMELDA
A Cinediaz Production.
Credits:
Director, producer, Ramona S. Diaz
Director of photography, Ferne Pearlstein
Music: Grace Nono, Bob Aves, TAO music
Editor, Leah Marino
Running Time -- 101 minutes
No MPAA Rating...
- 1/28/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.