Overview

The Kingmaker is a 2019 documentary film written and directed by Lauren Greenfield. The film provides an in-depth examination of the political career of Imelda Marcos, a central figure in Philippine history and the former First Lady of the Philippines. The documentary focuses specifically on the strategic efforts undertaken by the Marcos family to rehabilitate their public image and to re-establish their dominance in Philippine political power structures. It documents the family's long-term political maneuvering, highlighting the complex dynamics that have allowed them to remain influential decades after their initial rise and fall.

A primary focus of the film is Imelda Marcos's personal ambition and her plans to see her son, Bongbong Marcos, ascend to the presidency of the Philippines. The narrative explores the familial bonds and political strategies employed to position Bongbong as a viable candidate for the highest office in the land. The film does not merely recount historical events but analyzes the deliberate construction of a political legacy, showing how the Marcos family leveraged nostalgia, media presence, and strategic alliances to reshape public perception.

The documentary also details the significant political alliance established between Bongbong Marcos and his sister, Imee Marcos, with then-Duterte administration leader Rodrigo Duterte. This alliance was a critical component in Duterte's successful bid to win the 2016 Philippine presidential election. The film examines how this partnership was formed and how it served the mutual interests of both political dynasties. It highlights the tactical decisions made by Imelda Marcos to support Duterte, thereby securing the political capital necessary for her son's eventual presidential run. Through these events, The Kingmaker illustrates the intricate web of relationships and calculations that define modern Philippine politics.

Narrative Structure and Dialectic Approach

The Kingmaker employs a distinct dialectic narrative structure, dividing its examination of Philippine political history into two contrasting yet interconnected parts. The film, written and directed by Lauren Greenfield, does not present a linear biography but rather a thematic exploration of power, memory, and rehabilitation. The first part of the narrative focuses on Imelda Marcos’s tenure as First Lady of the Philippines, providing context for the family’s historical dominance and the complexities of their legacy. This section establishes the foundation of the Marcos family’s political capital, rooted in the era when Imelda played a central role in shaping the national and international image of the dynasty.

The second part of the film shifts focus to the political comeback of the Marcos family, detailing their strategic efforts to rehabilitate their public image and return to the highest echelons of power. This section highlights the alliance between Bongbong Marcos and Imee Marcos with Rodrigo Duterte, a critical factor in the 2016 Philippine presidential election. The documentary examines how this partnership was instrumental in securing Duterte’s victory and advancing the Marcos family’s political ambitions. The film specifically addresses Imelda’s plans to see her son, Bongbong, become President of the Philippines, illustrating the long-term strategic vision behind the family’s political maneuvers.

By juxtaposing the historical prominence of Imelda as First Lady with the modern political strategies of her children, the film creates a dialectic approach that questions the nature of political memory in the Philippines. The narrative structure allows viewers to draw connections between past and present, exploring how the Marcos family has managed to maintain and reclaim power across different political landscapes. The documentary’s focus on the rehabilitation of the family’s image underscores the broader themes of political resilience and the enduring influence of the Marcos dynasty in Philippine politics.

Portrayal of Imelda Marcos as an Unreliable Narrator

Lauren Greenfield’s 2019 documentary constructs Imelda Marcos not merely as a political actor, but as a carefully curated image, positioning her as an unreliable narrator whose self-presentation is constantly at odds with the surrounding political reality. The film employs cinéma vérité techniques to capture Marcos in unguarded moments, contrasting her polished public persona with the strategic calculations required to rehabilitate the family’s image and secure the presidency for her son, Bongbong. By focusing on the alliance between the Marcos and Duterte families during the 2016 Philippine presidential election, the documentary reveals how Marcos leveraged personal charm and historical revisionism to navigate the shifting tides of Luzon’s political landscape.

Strategic Self-Presentation

The narrative structure emphasizes the gap between Marcos’s stated intentions and her political maneuvers. Greenfield’s camera work captures the meticulous staging of events, from intimate family gatherings to grand public appearances, highlighting the performative nature of the Marcos brand. The film does not rely solely on archival footage but integrates contemporary interviews and observational scenes that expose the calculated efforts to return to political power. This approach underscores the theme of image management, showing how Marcos uses her status as a cultural icon to influence public perception and consolidate support for the family’s political ambitions.

Cinéma Vérité and Political Reality

Through the use of handheld cameras and natural lighting, the documentary creates an intimate yet critical distance from its subject. This technique allows viewers to witness the raw interactions between Imelda Marcos and key political allies, including Rodrigo Duterte, during the crucial 2016 election cycle. The film avoids overt narration, letting the visual evidence of strategic alliances and personal dynamics speak for themselves. By documenting the efforts to rehabilitate the Marcos family’s image, Greenfield highlights the complexity of Philippine politics, where historical memory and contemporary power struggles intersect. The portrayal remains grounded in the specific context of Manila and the broader Luzon region, reflecting the localized yet national impact of these political maneuvers.

Key Subjects and Political Context

The documentary centers on the political trajectory of Imelda Marcos, examining the strategic efforts of the Marcos family to rehabilitate their public image and reclaim political influence in the Philippines. The film details the alliance formed between Bongbong Marcos and Imee Marcos with Rodrigo Duterte, a partnership that proved instrumental in Duterte’s successful bid for the Philippine presidency in the 2016 election. This political maneuvering is presented as a key component of the family’s broader strategy to return to power.

Bongbong Marcos is featured prominently as a central figure in these political calculations. The narrative explores his plans and the family’s ambitions for him to become President of the Philippines, highlighting the continuity of the Marcos political dynasty. The film investigates how the alliance with Duterte served as a stepping stone for these presidential aspirations, reflecting the complex dynamics of Philippine electoral politics.

Alongside the Marcos family, the documentary includes perspectives from other significant political figures. Benigno Aquino III is featured, providing context to the political landscape during his presidency and the challenges faced by the administration. Leni Robredo is also included, offering insights into the opposition’s viewpoint and the broader political contestation of the era. These figures help frame the political environment in which the Marcos family sought to re-establish their dominance.

The film also gives voice to martial law survivors, whose experiences provide a historical counterpoint to the political rehabilitation efforts of the Marcos family. These survivors offer personal testimonies that contrast with the family’s narrative, highlighting the lasting impact of the martial law period on Philippine society. Their presence in the documentary underscores the enduring political and social divisions related to the Marcos legacy.

What is the significance of the film's dialectic structure?

The documentary The Kingmaker, directed by Lauren Greenfield, employs a dialectic narrative structure to critically examine the political rehabilitation of the Marcos family. This structural choice is central to the film’s thesis, which focuses on the efforts of Imelda Marcos to restore her family’s image and secure the presidency for her son, Bongbong. By interspersing Imelda Marcos’s personal interviews with opposing viewpoints, the film allows viewers to assess the reliability of her narrative. This method prevents the subject from presenting a monolithic account of history, instead exposing the gaps between her recollections and the broader political reality of the Philippines.

Contrasting Narratives

The film’s dialectic approach highlights the tension between Imelda Marcos’s perspective and the experiences of other key political figures. It documents the alliance between Bongbong and Imee Marcos with Rodrigo Duterte during the 2016 Philippine presidential election. By juxtaposing Imelda’s interviews with footage and insights related to this political maneuvering, the documentary reveals the strategic calculations behind the Marcos family’s return to power. This structure enables the audience to understand how the Marcoses leveraged political partnerships to overcome historical precedents and public skepticism.

Assessing Historical Reliability

Greenfield’s direction uses this contrasting format to invite critical engagement from the viewer. Rather than accepting Imelda Marcos’s statements at face value, the audience is encouraged to weigh her words against the documented events of the 2016 election and the broader context of Philippine politics. The film does not merely present a biography; it constructs an argument about the nature of political memory and image rehabilitation. The dialectic structure thus serves as a tool for uncovering the mechanisms through which the Marcos family sought to redefine their legacy in the eyes of the Filipino electorate.

How did the film impact Philippine political discourse?

The documentary The Kingmaker, released in 2019, entered Philippine political discourse during a pivotal moment in the nation's electoral calendar. The timing of the film's release, three years after the 2016 election that brought Duterte to power and positioned the Marcos family for a potential return to Malacañang, allowed it to serve as both a retrospective analysis and a contemporary commentary on the shifting dynamics of Philippine politics.

The accessibility of The Kingmaker played a significant role in its impact on public discourse. Distributed by Greenwich Entertainment, the film reached a broad audience through various platforms, including free streaming services. This widespread availability ensured that the documentary was not confined to cinephiles or political elites but was accessible to a diverse cross-section of the Philippine electorate. The ease of access facilitated broader public engagement with the film's narrative, allowing viewers to critically examine the strategies employed by the Marcos family to regain political prominence.

The film's portrayal of the Marcos-Duterte alliance provided viewers with an inside look at the political maneuvering that characterized the 2016 election. By documenting the efforts to rehabilitate the Marcos image, the film contributed to ongoing debates about memory, power, and political legacy in the Philippines. It offered a lens through which to view the complexities of Philippine electoral politics, where historical narratives and contemporary alliances intersect to shape the nation's political landscape. The documentary thus became a cultural artifact that reflected and influenced the public's understanding of the political forces at play during this significant period in Philippine history.

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