Imelda Marcos in Manila and Ilocos Norte in a still from The Kingmaker. Photo by Lauren Greenfield.
Greed. International Real Estate. Presidency. Abuse of Power. Family Legacy. Stylish Fashion.
Does any of this sound familiar? The family name I’m referencing is Marcos, not Trump. The country is the Philippines, not the USA. The notorious first lady of the Philippines Imelda Marcos ran an authoritarian kleptocracy along with her husband Ferdinand Marcos for 20 years. They were ousted and exiled by an uprising in 1986. Imelda is still alive today, unrepentant, and back influencing Philippine politics at her current age of 90. And she is planting the seeds for a future Marcos ruling family. Alarm bells should be ringing.
Lauren Greenfield’s documentary The Kingmaker is a deceptive portrayal of the elderly Imelda, as she relates her life story in interviews. The filmmaker contrasts Imelda’s recounting of her life as savior and victim with video, photographic, and newsprint evidence which frequently contradict Imelda’s account. You can expect to be blown away by the societal portent of this movie if you’re familiar with Lauren’s previous body of work. Her decades-long interest in photographing excessive examples of wealth and consumerism has resulted in documentary films, TV shows, and books — most notably the award-winning docs The Queen of Versailles, Generation Wealth, and Thin.
Who is Imelda Marcos? Her public profile is of a beauty queen, an elegant and mega wealthy first lady of international renown, a notorious shoe hoarder, and a shamed wife of a disposed dictator who was run out of his own country. Although democratically elected, the Marcos carried themselves as King and Queen, eventually imposing violent martial law on their county and absconding with the nation’s wealth. They sheltered a purported $10 billion, embezzled from their country and invested in numerous Manhattan high rises, original masterpiece works of art, and at least 170 bank accounts. At the same time, the beautiful and fashionable Imelda paraded around the globe, meeting with all of the top world leaders.
The first half of the film lets Imelda tell her well-rehearsed version of her public-facing profile through on-camera interviews. Although in her late 80s at the time, Imelda may have slowed down, but her deviousness shines through. Her adamant self-glorifying, self-sacrificing version of her legacy is repeatedly debunked. The film even uses the interview space in her home as film verite, allowing Imelda’s presentation of herself surrounded by priceless works of art to leave room for interpretation without comment.
The Kingmaker is full of visual evidence of the Marcos’ excess spending and abuse of wealth. One dramatic example is a safari park she and President Marcos created by importing 104 African animals to the island of Calauit, evicting the population to make room for the animals. In the decades since the fall of the Marcos regime, the animals have survived on this neglected island and have suffered terrible physical manifestations from generations of inbreeding (such as giraffes with weak necks).
Since the Marcos’ exile in 1986, the democratic government has only been successful in repatriating a billion or so dollars from the couple’s widespread investments. Imelda pleads innocent of any knowledge of her hidden riches, portraying herself as a victim and sacrificing mother to her nation. “I want to be mother of not only the Philippines, but of the world. No one can stop me,” she says pursing her lips. She proudly hands out single bills of cash to street beggars and hospitalized children without any sense of irony.
Imelda Marcos in a still from The Kingmaker. Photo by Lauren Greenfield.
Yet, Imelda is an enduring fox. The second half of The Kingmaker covers Imelda’s return from exile and her ability to mount a surprising political comeback. Despite her troubled past, Imelda has been able to get herself, her son, daughter, and extended family elected into political positions in the Philippines. It appears she also financed the sudden rise of strongman Rodrigo Duterte to president in 2016, with the expectation that he will soon anoint her son Bongbong as the Vice President (by arresting the current VP). The Marcos family may rule again with a second act. If you learn anything from The Kingmaker, it is to stay tuned.
The Kingmaker opens theatrically on November 8.
Karen Henry is an Associate Editor at LA YOGA who volunteers in a variety of capacities for nonprofit organizations and artists around Los Angeles. She practices yoga as a counterbalance to her daily impact sports and is a mother of four grown children who also practice yoga . Now, she’s working on teaching yoga and joy of life to the grandkids!