A Thousand Cuts

How many cuts can a democracy withstand, and how deep can they be, before it perishes? Maria Ressa is the founder of the Philippine newspaper Rappler and was named person of the year by Time Magazine in 2018. After President Duterte came to power in 2016, both Ressa and the newspaper have been quite busy, to put it mildly. Duterte himself describes both Maria and the newspaper as lying and deceitful, and all but encourages his followers to solve the problem of the disloyal newspaper once and for all. Maria is well aware that she is not safe, but refuses to be intimidated into silence.

The documentary lets us get close to Maria through her work in the newspaper, and tag along on some of her countless trips abroad to talk about the human rights situation in the Philippines. At the same time, the documentary is elevated by the many colourful secondary characters, such as the former police chief who is running for office in the local elections. Loyal to Duterte and with a hidden dream of performing on stage as a pop star, he represents an entertaining, albeit somewhat tragic, addition to the film.

A Thousand Cuts is a must-see for anyone who is concerned with the freedom of the press and presidents with an inflated ego – combover hair or not!

Gjermund Granlund

Director

Ramona S. Diaz is an award-winning documentary director and producer, known for character-driven documentaries. Her previous film Motherland won the Jury Award at the Sundance Film Festival in 2017. A Thousand Cuts was also selected for Sundance, as well as the Canadian film festival HotDocs and many other prestigious festivals. In 2016, Diaz was awarded the very prestigious Guggenheim Scholarship, and is currently the recipient of the United States Artist Scholarship.