On The President's Orders
SCROLL DOWN
On The President's Orders
“it’s a wholly cinematic, sensory experience, its straight-ahead reportage electrified by glaring streetlights and a panicked urban wall of sound”
“A riveting account of the consequences of unfettered demagoguery”
“Shot with the stark precision and chiaroscuro tones of a Michael Mann film”
“A shockingly alarming investigation produced with the sensibilities of a social realist drama ”
The searing story of President Duterte's bloody campaign against drug dealers and addicts in the Philippines, told with unprecedented and intimate access to both sides of the war - the Manila police, and an ordinary family from the slum. Shot in the style of a thriller, this observational film combines the look and feel of a narrative feature film with a real life revelatory journalistic investigation into a campaign of killings. The film uncovers a murky world where crime, drugs and politics meet in a deathly embrace - and reveal that although the police have been publicly ordered to stop extra-judicial killings, the deaths continue.
In 2019, the film was used as evidence by the International Criminal Court (ICC) as part of its ongoing investigation into the government-sanctioned killings. Deadline Article
WATCH THE FESTIVAL VERSION
REVIEWS
-POV
-LA Times
AWARDS
Won:
• Royal Television Society Award — Photography in Factual & Non-Drama
• Best UK Feature — Raindance Film Festival
• Special Prize — Human Doc Film Festival
Judges: “Every bit of the photography is beautifully and brilliantly constructed. The framing and lighting was extraordinary, giving a cinematic effect that completely drew the viewer into a haunting, sinister and menacing world. It is a bold, brave and masterful use of the lens.”
Nominated:
• Emmy® Award — Outstanding Current Affairs Documentary
• F:ACT Award — CPH:DOX International Film Festival
• Rory Peck Sony Impact Award (Finalist)
Director: Olivier Sarbil
Cinematography: Olivier Sarbil
Director: James Jones
Producer: James Jones
Producers: Dan Edge, Raney Aronson-Rath
Editing: Michael Harte
Production Manager: Philippa Lacey
Original Score: Uno Helmersson
