CLOSING DOCUMENTARY
AND SO IT BEGINS
Directed, Written and Produced by Ramona Diaz
Documentary | 115 Minutes | English, Tagalog | New England Premiere
- Sunday, Oct. 20, 4:30PM EST
- Emerson Paramount Center
- 559 Washington St. Boston, MA
- Q&A with filmmakers
“In a decades-long nonfiction saga of the Philippines, director Ramona Diaz presents the latest chapter on her homeland as the despotic reign of President Rodrigo Duterte is coming to an end. And So It Begins proffers unbridled access to all the key players in the months leading up to the country’s 2022 presidential election. With her keen observational eye and deep knowledge of the socio-political history and landscape, Diaz continues to find her own forms of storytelling as political disruption.
Taking place in the thick of the Covid pandemic, And So It Begins is a shape-shifting story of the raucous collective act of joy expressed in a quirky resistance movement that pits itself against the haunting specter of increasing autocracy. Weaving together multiple narratives against the backdrop of a gloves-off campaign for the most powerful office in the land, what emerges is a dazzling cinematic portrait of a beleaguered nation fighting for its very soul.”
Director’s Bio – Ramona Diaz
Ramona S. Diaz is a Peabody, Gotham, IDA, Emmy award-winning, PGA and Independent
Spirit award-nominated Asian American filmmaker best known for her compelling
character-driven documentaries that combine a profound appreciation for cinematic aesthetics
and potent storytelling. Ramona’s films have demonstrated her ability to gain intimate access to
the people she films – be they rock stars, first ladies, dissidents, mothers, teachers, or
journalists – resulting in keenly observed moments and unforgettable nuanced narratives. Her
films have been screened and won awards at Sundance, Berlin, Busan, Tribeca, SXSW, IDFA,
HotDocs, and many other top-tier film festivals.
Ramona’s feature-length independently-produced films— Imelda (IL, 2004), The Learning
(POV,2011), Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey (IL, 2012) and, Motherland (POV, 2017),
A Thousand Cuts (Frontline, 2020)—have been nationally broadcast on PBS, Arte, and the BBC
amongst others. Ramona is both a Guggenheim Fellow and a USA Fellow – prestigious awards
given to artists with singular visions who have significantly contributed to the arts in the United
States. She was recently named the inaugural McGurn Family Trust Resident in Film by the
American Academy in Rome. Ramona is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts &
Sciences and the Producers and Writers Guilds of America. In 2017, she received a Women at
Sundance Fellowship, a Creative Capital Award, and a Chicken & Egg Pictures Filmmaker
Award. For the past ten years, Ramona has served as a film envoy for the U.S. State
Department’s American Film Showcase in partnership with USC and, more recently, for Film
Independent’s Global Media Makers program. Ramona is a graduate of Emerson College and
holds an MA from Stanford University.”
