Imelda (2003)

Director:

Ramona S. Diaz

Release Date:

12 September 2009 (Japan)

Genre:

Documentary | Biography

Tagline:

Power, Myth, Illusion

Plot:

A "beyond the shoes" documentary on the former first lady of the Philippines, Imelda Marcos. |

Plot Keywords:

Imelda Marcos | First Lady | Philippines | Shoes | Murder

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Imelda Marcos	...	Herself
Ferdinand Marcos Jr.	...	Himself
Imee Marcos	...	Herself
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Stephen Bosworth	...	Himself
Phil Bronstein	...	Himself
Behn Cervantes	...	Himself
Rudolfo Cuenca	...	Himself
Josie Vergel de Dios	...	Herself
Conrado de Quiros	...	Himself
Katherine Ellison	...	Herself
Christian Espiritu	...	Himself
Richard Holbrooke	...	Himself
Eva Estrada Kalaw	...	Herself
Jose F. Lacaba	...	Himself (as Pete Lacaba)
Letty Locsin	...	Herself
Jo-Ann Maglipon	...	Herself
Carmen Guerrero Nakpil	...	Herself
Bernice Romualdez Ocampo	...	Herself
Sergio Osmena III	...	Himself
Vicente Paterno	...	Himself
James Reuter	...	Himself
Llewellyn White	...	Himself

Runtime:

USA:103 min

Country:

Philippines

Language:

Filipino | English | Tagalog

Color:

Color

Certification:

Philippines:G | Singapore:PG | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Philippines

Company:

CineDiaz

Trivia:

Initially, Imelda Marcos opposed the public showing of this film in the Philippines and even got a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) from a local court stopping it's public showing. Eventually she allowed the showing of the film on the condition the director dropped the word "Documentary" from the film.

There's a little Imelda in all of us

Why Imelda Marcos would allow filmmaker Ramona Diaz to get as close to her for as long as she does is anyone's guess, but this is documentary film at its best. At 70, Imelda is every bit the royal: charming, poised, beautiful, grand. "Imelda" is an excellent character study in power, greed and delusion.

Some of my favorite moments in the film:

* Anytime Imelda opens her mouth, especially when she espouses her views on beauty, truth and love: give people enough rope and they hang themselves.

* George Hamilton serenading Imelda aboard her yacht: "I can't give you anything but love, Imelda."

* Female security guard at the Imelda Marcos Shoe Museum who whispers to the camera that she sometimes sneaks in and tries some of them on.

* Imelda dancing with Henry Kissinger

* Imelda's description of the assassination attempt against her, "And he used such an ugly instrument. At least he could have tied a little bow on it or something."

* Comments from opposition are sometimes deadly accurate: "She built so many public works, she had an edifice complex."

This movie is available on DVD. Hard to find, but more people should see it. What it provides that I have never seen before is a closeup of one of the world's most notorious she-villains and the global power circles where she once strode.

... in fabulous pumps.