Cover Photo By Samuel Noel
Cover Photo By Samuel Noel.

Never Forget, Never Again: Eye-opening documentaries about Martial Law


As a daunting familiar face returns to power, may we never forget our history that is being rewritten to hide the bloodstains, the corruption, the lies and deceit.


By Ralph Regis | Tuesday, 17 May 2022

Documentaries chronicling Martial Law and the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos are a testament to stories of tragedy, horror, and evil. We must remember this period in our history, in honor of the Filipinos wrongfully silenced.

Batas Militar

Narrated by veteran Filipino actor Joonee Gamboa, Batas Militar takes a deep introspective into the human rights violations, the state of the Philippine economy, and the biographies of Ferdinand Marcos, Imelda Marcos, and Benigno Aquino, Jr.

The documentary chronicles testimonies from victims and integral personalities’ experiences from the atrocities they have faced during this regime.

Batas Militar” is available on YouTube and Filipino filmmaker Mike de Leon’s Vimeo.

Marcos: A Malignant Spirit 

Was there actually an economic boom in the Philippines during the Marcos regime?

Marcos: A Malignant Spirit debunks that claim and discusses the Marcoses’ plunder of a nation. Hosted by Filipino broadcast journalist Angelo Castro, Jr, the documentary sheds light on the inhumanity, greed, and unhinged quest for corruption by the Marcos and his allies.

Marcos: A Malignant Spirit is available on the Facebook page of Caritas Philippines, the humanitarian, development and advocacy non-profit organization of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).

A Rustling of Leaves: Inside the Philippine Revolution

Canadian filmmaker Nettie Wild’s first documentary captures the aftermath of the Marcos regime and the revolution that sparked President Cory Aquino’s rise to power.

The documentary provided varying perspectives of the political left, the armed revolution of the New People’s Army, and the armed reactionary right. Even after the end of Marcos’ rule, evil still runs rampant on Philippine soil. Aquino may have been on the frontlines of toppling down a dictator, but the dark side to her reign shouldn’t be taken aside.

Tragedies such as the Mendiola massacre saw farmers killed as they marched on to the palace to fight for land reform. Terror in the country never left with the Marcos family when they were exiled. 

You can rent A Rustling of Leaves for ₱150 on Cinema Politica.

Imelda 

Renowned Filipina-American documentary filmmaker Ramona S. Diaz offers a look into the life of Imelda Marcos, the former first lady of the Philippines. The documentary chronicles her early beginnings as a one-time beauty queen to the rise in power as the dictator’s other half. 

Personal accounts by Marcos take us to her claim to fame with the lavish and extravagant lifestyle that painted over the struggles and hardships of many Filipinos. This character study is a portrait of a “motherly figure” that nurtures a nation fueled by power, corruption, greed, and absurdity.

The Kingmaker

American documentary filmmaker Lauren Greenfield also focuses on Imelda Marcos and her family’s quest to restore their image and return to political power. Decades later, The Kingmaker reminds Filipinos of today to never forget a dark age in our history. 

Despite giving the spotlight on purveyors of trauma and lies, this documentary withstands historical revisionism celebrated by the Marcos family. Even after their exile in Hawaii, the Marcos dynasty continue to live on their ill-gotten wealth and try to return to the seats in power they once “owned.”

The Kingmaker is available on YouTube.