DaangDokyu 2020: Imelda (2003)

Martial Law, Never Again
September 19-21, 2020

At first glance, this lineup of films is about Martial Law, its continuing legacy of violence, plunder, and divisiveness. Looking further, it is also about the schemes of those in power whose victim, ultimately, is the ordinary Filipino. A much closer inspection reveals that this program is about the Filipino’s elusive freedom — our unfinished struggles to break free from our oppressors and be treated with dignity — rooted in our colonial past and continuing through our attempts at nationhood.

There is no moving on because we are still in the thick of it. We are not simply dealing with memory but with a rolling and raging history. That is why through decades of restlessness, we are constantly being asked to rise and take a side.

Imelda (2003)
Ramona Diaz

For the first time, Imelda Marcos tells her own story on film, from being a young beauty queen in the 1950s to becoming the First Lady of the Philippines in the 1960s, until the ouster of Ferdinand Marcos in 1986 with the People Power Revolution. Foregrounding the narrative is not just Imelda and her obsession with power but also the lasting influence of her family on Philippine society even to this day.

Awards: Excellence in Cinematography Award Documentary, Sundance Film Festival

Thanks to user “tecchanhouse” for sharing this dokyu.
Thanks to user “tecchanhouse” for sharing this dokyu.
Thanks to user “tecchanhouse” for sharing this dokyu.