The latest film from this year's Marek Nowicki Prize winner, Ramona S. Diaz, takes viewers on a journey through the spectacle of Philippine politics. Set against a dramatic election, the son of a former dictator faces a political newcomer—the democratic camp’s only hope. Diaz reveals the astonishing meanders teeming with propaganda that recasts the Marcos regime’s bloody tyranny as the "good old days" in the collective memory. The film captures the scale of an election that’s more than a campaign—it’s a grand performance with millions of participants, highlighting the media's role in shaping public perception. Which will have a stronger impact on the voters’ imagination: the efforts of the democratic press, led by a Nobel Prize winner, or the populist propaganda fueled by fake news? 

Konrad Wirkowski