Virginia Film Festival

Centering on the controversial political career of Imelda Marcos, The Kingmaker explores the Marcos family’s improbable return to power in the Philippines. The former first lady of the Philippines, whose behind-the-scenes influence on her husband Ferdinand’s presidency rocketed her to the global political stage, confidently rewrites her family’s history of corruption, replacing it with a narrative of the matriarch’s extravagant love for her country. This jaw-dropping documentary by director Lauren Greenfield paints an engaging portrait of a woman who has navigated through countless political, personal, and social squalls, yet remains irretrievably drawn to the flame of power.