POV
Motherland
An exploration of the devastating toll on poor women as the Philippines struggles with reproductive health policy and the politics of Catholic ideology.
And So It Begins
And So It Begins follows the key figures of the 2022 presidential race in the Philippines, as a nation fights for its soul.
- Series
- Independent Lens
- Premiere Date
- May 12, 2025
- Length
- 90 minutes
- Funding Initiative
- Series and Special Projects
Producer/Director
Ramona S Diaz
Ramona S. Diaz is a Peabody, Gotham, IDA, and EmmyⓇ Award-winning Asian American filmmaker, and a PGA and Independent Spirit award-nominee, known for her compelling character-driven documentaries. Ramona is both a Guggenheim Fellow and a USA Fellow. She was named the inaugural McGurn Family Trust Resident in Film by the American Academy in Rome.
- Other ITVS Films
- Don't Stop Believin': Everyman's Journey
- Imelda
- The Learning
- Motherland
We fund untold stories for public media.
Learn more about funding opportunities with ITVS.
The Film
Director Ramona Diaz presents the latest chapter on her homeland, the Philippines, as the reign of President Rodrigo Duterte comes to an end. She sets the film decades after the People Power Revolution ousted dictator Ferdinand Marcos and his legacy of martial law. This period of violence lasted for 21 years, yet many Filipinos remember that time as idyllic. Now, Marcos’ eldest son, Ferdinand (Bongbong) Marcos, Jr. is the frontrunner for president.
The film offers access to key players in the months leading up to the country’s 2022 presidential election. Maria Ressa is co-founder of Rappler, an independent online news service. As a Nobel Peace Prize winner and a voice of conscience, she probes the existing political rhetoric.
Marcos, Jr. is waging an unrelenting social media campaign against his opponent, the incumbent Vice President of the Philippines, Leni Robredo. A new people’s power movement is rising in Robredo’s name. Masses of working-class citizens praise the socially conscious attorney and perform renditions of pop songs in the streets in her honor.
And So It Begins showcases the collective joy of the resistance movement against the specter of increasing autocracy. Multiple narratives combine within this no-holds-barred campaign for the most powerful office in the land.
