A Thousand Cuts – A Solid Eye-Opening Documentary

Pandemics aside, we already live in tumultuous times full of political and social unrest. While the issues in the United States are common knowledge for the most part, many may not know the issues within the Philippines led by the iron rule of its president, Rodrigo Duterte, under the guise of his war on drugs. On paper, it seemed easy to gravitate towards the charming and charismatic outsider politician whose personality and ideas didn’t quite fit the established norm. The war on drugs may be a real problem though it is also a very complex issue spanning social and economic factors. In the end, it’s easy to fall in love with words and results but what about the actions behind the scenes? The war on knowledge and information has never been more prevalent in that the shaping of perception and controlling public discourse. The truth matters more now than ever, however, the waters have never been muddier. A Thousand Cuts is the latest acclaimed documentary that explores these themes.

A Thousand Cuts follows how Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte uses social media to spread disinformation in an effort to crush any opposition and essentially maintain a sense of control over the Filipino people. Meanwhile, journalist Maria Ressa and her team working for the independent news site Rappler leave it all on the line in the fight to preserve a free press and to defend democracy while keeping Duterte and the Filipino government in check. However, this would be easier said than done as Ressa specifically, the face of Rappler, as this came at a much more dire cost as she had to put her own freedom on the line but nevertheless, she persisted which was certainly cause for inspiration. The film chronicles the contentious relationship between the two through the lens of the weaponization of social media by the Duterte government as an attempt to discredit both Ressa and Rappler as a result of their reporting on the drug war (sounds familiar?).

The film also tells the story of the rise of Duterte from the unconventional local mayor of Davao City to the highest office in the country. What arguably got him there was that aforementioned personality of his, taking advantage of the fear within the masses while convincing them that he was the only one who can save them. Whether or not this was actually the case is debatable but those words proved powerful and this was what had made him still so popular among the Filipino people to this day all the while he continued to work to cement his power and influence on the country. Meanwhile, Ressa and Rappler covered the darker side of Duterte’s war on drugs, one that he started during his time as mayor before making it one of the cornerstones of his presidential campaign, controversially leaving plenty of bodies in his wake. In reality, his war on drugs was a war on the poor and less fortunate. The stories and experiences from the Rappler journalists are absolutely heartbreaking to watch. It will be easy for viewers to relate to their frustration and their passion while connecting with them on an emotional level.

While not so much about Duterte and the atrocities committed by his government, A Thousand Cuts, was a pro free press/pro democracy documentary. As mentioned, the film followed Ressa and Rappler’s attempts to do their job at covering the war on drugs as they were met with furious opposition by the Duterte government who ran a overwhelmingly negative social media campaign to discredit them and their work. It takes a deep dive to explore how these elaborate networks came to be, riling up the Filipino people in the process as it positioned the media as dishonest and enemies of the people. When this did not dissuade them. the government pivoted to using the law against them to scare them into subservience but this also proved to be futile. However, these journalists were human after all therefore this did take a toll both physically and psychologically. Meanwhile, as the face of Rappler, Ressa worked admirably to share her fight with the rest of the world undeterred in the midst of the many challenges she faced at home. After all the work done to discredit them, this proved to be an uphill battle that continues to this day.

At the end of the day, A Thousand Cuts was a solid yet powerful documentary that bites off more than it could chew. It may be admirable but this is only the tip of the iceberg and one film cannot quite do it justice not that it isn’t a story that deserves to be told.

still courtesy of Sundance

If you liked this, please read our other reviews here and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter or Instagram or like us on Facebook. Also subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.