The Kingmaker (2019)
In The Kingmaker, Lauren Greenfield delves deep into the themes of excess and its consequences by documenting Imedla Marcos: the First Lady to former Philippine President Fedinand Marcos.
Imelda, alongside her husband Ferdinand, also called the Marcos Regime, has been notorious for corrupting millions of dollars in favor of an extravagant lifestyle, rather than deal with the grave realities facing the Philippine people. The Kingmaker film documents the first family throughout their meteoric rise and downfall.
If you are aware of the historical overview of the Marcoses, The Kingmaker is not much of a contribution to the discussion. It was only able to touch bases with the fundamental, almost Wikipedia-esque, details of their cunning wrongdoings and altered facts. However, the documentary proves that regardless of our continuous fight for the truth and justice, history will find a way to repeat itself. With the current regime of President Rodrigo Duterte, the Marcos family is slowly gaining their momentum back towards the upper chairs.
Eye-opening and provocative, The Kingmaker is a worthy follow-up to Greenfield’s The Queen of Versailles and Generation Wealth, two films that have likewise explored the dangers of overindulgence. Here, she shows how the Marcos family can be the epitome of overindulgence, fueled by their continued fight for greater triumphs.
Early on the documentary, Imelda Marcos stressed that “perception is real, the truth is not.” This is a dangerous sentiment, one that’s becoming increasingly prevalent in modern society.
With The Kingmaker Laureen Greenfield produced an excellent observation of how best to approach our own truths. It is a powerful protest that is extremely essential in our current times. A must-watch.
