The Strongwoman

According to a popular adage, “Behind every great man is a great woman”. I find this most applicable to Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos. People always recognize Ferdinand Marcos for his intelligence, greatness, and notoriety especially when he declared Martial Law in the Philippines. However, not lagging behind, is the people’s recognition of his partner and first lady Imelda who never left his side. He may be the strongman but she is the face, fellow strategist, and main collaborator in his regime.

The aim of the documentary was to give a peek behind the curtain and see what Imelda Marcos was like. The film interestingly depicted her many colors. It portrays her intelligence, quirks, fanaticism, and her over-all character. It also shows her as a visionary, thinking about how she could improve and add beauty to the country by spearheading and funding projects aimed at beautifying the landscape and at enriching the culture of Filipinos ultimately leading to the country’s progress.

Furthermore the documentary showcases how she sees herself and how people see her. It is surprising how polarized the reactions were. We get to see in the film what her socio-political and cultural views are including how she copes with everyday political pressures and what keeps her strong. It also gives us an idea on why she continues to be popular and loved by other people despite their family’s notoriety.

The Imelda documentary shows that there indeed are different sides and angles to a story. It is interesting how she sees what happened during the Marcos regime in her perspective as opposed to what the opposition interviewees in the documentary thought. This also explores the complexity of man or woman that cannot be ever boxed in particular stereotypes. Politics as shown in this film indeed also molds our society and is crucial in making history.