‘The Kingmaker’ Tells the Marcos Family’s Comeback as a Cautionary Tale

The Kingmaker, nominated for a Critics’ Choice Best Documentary Feature Award and a WGA Award for Best Documentary Screenplay, will have its television debut Friday, February 28 on Showtime.

Written and directed by Emmy winner Lauren Greenfield, the film presents a searing portrait of Imelda Marcos, the former first lady of the Philippines whose behind-the-scenes machinations in the political careers of her husband, and later her son, cemented her indelible mark on the global political stage.

Photo: Lauren Greenfield

Featuring intimate access, including one-on-one interviews and verité footage with Imelda Marcos, The Kingmaker tells her story as a powerful female leader who changed history and divided a nation.

From her current political project, guiding her son Bongbong in his bid for the vice presidency, audiences understand how in her late 80s, Imelda continues to rewrite her family’s history of corruption, replacing it with a narrative of a matriarch’s extravagant love for her country.

In an age when “fake news” manipulates elections, the Marcos family’s comeback story serves as a cautionary tale.

The Kingmaker, Premiere, Friday, February 28, 9/8c, Showtime