Doc Corner: 'A Thousand Cuts'
Wednesday, August 5, 2020 at 3:00PM By Glenn Dunks
The first word that came out of my mouth at the conclusion of A Thousand Cuts was simply, ‘Phwoar!’ Which is surprising because I don’t think it’s a word I use on the regular. But this new film by renowned Filipino-American filmmaker Ramona S. Diaz had the dizzying, alarming sensation of being put through the wringer. It’s an ever shrinking and claustrophobic box of political corruption and democratic destruction that is so confident in itself that it leaves arguably it’s biggest and most damning moment to the end credits.
Diaz’s film predominantly follows Maria Ressa, a prominent journalist in the Philippines who in 2018 was co-named Time magazine’s Person of the Year and who has become a significent recipient of scorn from the nation’s bullish President, Rodrigo Duterte. Through her website Rappler, she has sought to uncover the violent criminality of his regime, but through public rallies, abusive televised press conferences and through packs of angry political surrogates and supporters, she has become Duterte’s public enemy number one. They have sought to silence her and leverage his power to have her arrested multiple times and spread fake, damaging information and threats to her and her outlet.
Sound familiar?
A Thousand Cuts also finds time its expansive narrative for Ressa’s colleagues Pia Ranada and Patricia Evangalista as well as one of Duterte’s faithful lieutenants running for Senate who admits to openly murdering people in interviews, and sexy pop star Mocha Uson who dives headfirst into right-wing politics as a singing and dancing public spokesperson for the President. Diaz focuses closely on Ressa, a former face of CNN Asia, observing as she jets around the world discussing journalistic rights and demanding freedom of the press as a time when such a thing is under siege everywhere. But the time offered to the secondary subjects helps illuminate her fight even more so—the both sides of the story that so many claim to demand. Diaz’s own journalistic knack, her cinematic variety of it, is a fitting companion to Ressa. After all, it’s not every filmmaker who can say they have been sued by Imelda Marcos; and at times its hard to picture what those on the side of Dutarte thought they were getting by being followed by Diaz’s camera.
Moody camerawork by Gabriel Goodenough and Jeffrey Johnson adds to Diaz’s uncovering of her home-nation’s corrupt authoritarianism. Meanwhile, Leah Marino and Diaz’s editing smartly constructs its subjects narratives as they build towards the country’s mid-term elections and the outcome of a court-case against Ressa.
Naturally, for many A Thousand Cuts’ particularly point of relevancy right now will be the similarities between Dutarte’s attacks on the press (calling them whores and prostitutes and threatening them with murder just for starters) and those of America’s current President. The difference here, of course, is that I don’t think American journalists actually fear for their lives at the hand of their elected officials, which is strangely/surreally not the case in the Philippines. As Ressa notes, when America does something, the world watches. And as its leaders have copied and mimicked Tr*mp with far less impunity, Dutarte and his gangs have an easier ability at skirting the laws, which is where Ressa, Ranada, Evangalista and their colleagues come into play. While their leader may have taken inspiration from America’s President by parroting Tr*mp’s encouragement of violent rherotic against his adversaries, as A Thousand Cuts shows, they are perhaps the logical next step for a government like America’s.
Diaz’s film would already be a mightily impressive effort without that, but it’s impossible to ignore and only makes her film a stronger and even more impactful affair.
Release: The film launches in about 50 virtual theatres from this Friday. You can find out which ones at the official website. Being a FRONTLINE production and PBS distribution title, it will probably air on the network sometime later in the year.
Oscar chances: I’d say quite positive. Advocate made the short-list last year and the branch has been more and more welcoming to foreign languages and stories (the film is a mix of English and Tagalog). And its parallels to the current American state of journalism and politics can only help. There have been several films about the Philippines lately—I thought Nightcrawlers would be a nominee last year for Documentary Short Subject—but maybe they’re bound to nominate one eventually? I’d say this is as good of a chance as any.
Reader Comments (2)
Thank you for this review. I'm really hoping on its Oscar chances. We need more international scrutiny on what's happening here. It's truly maddening.
Great write-up. I thought this film was excellent, as was Nightcrawlers, which is still available to watch for free on YouTube from National Geographic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_r1Zoa8KPYw