New York – The freedom of the press is under attack in the Philippines and journalist Maria Ressa, a 2018 TIME Magazine Person of the Year, is fighting back in an attempt to defend press freedom, a pillar of democracy. Filmmaker Ramona S. Diaz (Motherland, Imelda, Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey) highlights the urgency of this threat and its implications globally in her new film A THOUSAND CUTS .
The film world premiered at the Sundance Film Festival this year, and is set to release nationally August 7th via PBS Distribution and Frontline. Produced by Concordia Studio and Motto Pictures, the film was also named an official selection at SXSW, HotDocs AFI DOCS and Full Frame Film Festivals.
Read Review of the film here by Marivir Montebon
Ressa’s fight for justice in the country is ongoing as she was found guilty of cyber libel last month in a blatant attempt to silence one of the most outspoken critics of the Philippine President. The alarming result is not only an attack on Democracy in the Philippines, but also a warning shot to the rest of the world. The tactics he uses are similar to what other authoritarian leaders use (discredit journalists/media, spread misinformation, attacks on social media).
Director Ramona Diaz is an award-winning Asian American filmmaker whose films have screened at Sundance, the Berlinale, Tribeca, the Viennale, IDFA, and many other top-tier film festivals. All of Ramona’s feature-length films—Imelda (2004), The Learning (2011), Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey (2012) and, Motherland (2017)—have been broadcast on PBS, on either the POV or Independent Lens series. Motherland won an award at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival and had its international premiere at the 67th Berlin International Film Festival. It was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for best Documentary, a Peabody Award, and a Gaward Urian Award from the Filipino Film Critics. (Photo and press release by David Magdael and Associates)
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