PARK CITY, UTAH. Walking along Main Street makes me think of the opening line in Frank Sinatra’s ‘Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow! But while the weather outside is frightful–frigid with a mix of flurries and slush, and unpalatable to an average Filipino who grew up in 80-degree Fahrenheit weather, the temperature inside the 500-seater RAY Theater in Prospector Park is as warm as a hot pandesal. And it’s not just because of the thermostat, but because of the warmth and cheerfulness of Filipino audience members at the Sundance premiere of Ramona Diaz’s latest documentary feature, “And So It Begins.”

The film provides an introspective look at former Vice President Leni Robredo’s presidential campaign in 2022. The festival’s homepage describes it as: “Amidst the traditional pomp and circumstance of Filipino elections, a quirky people’s movement rises to defend the nation against deepening threats to truth and democracy. In a collective act of joy as a form of resistance, hope flickers against the backdrop of increasing autocracy.” 

In my conversations with Diaz at Sundance, she repeatedly emphasized ‘joy’ as a central theme of the movie. The filmmaker encapsulated this idea into the film in a myriad of ways, including showcasing festival-like rallies, cheerful roars of Leni’s KAKAMPINK supporters, and a grand spectacle of song and dance numbers, often performed by LGBTQ+ people in elaborate and colorful costumes.

“Because when you have nothing else, you lean into joy, and that’s the most beautiful thing,” says Diaz. Check out the rest of my interview with the filmmaker below:

The film’s main subject Leni Robredo says she and her team were hesitant at first to allow Diaz’s crew to shoot footage during the campaign because they thought it might be too intrusive. But because they knew Diaz is an accomplished director, Robredo and her team knew they could trust the filmmaker.  And now, that seed of trust has turned into a remarkable fruit made of love and labor. “And we’re happy we did that,” states Robredo.

Here’s the rest of my interview with former Vice President of the Philippines, Leni Robredo:

Meanwhile, Award-winning journalist and Rappler CEO & Founder, Maria Ressa, who was also featured in Diaz’s 2020 companion piece, ‘A Thousand Cuts,’ acknowledged that the “level of fear” and “attacks on Rappler” have largely stopped on social media under the new administration of President Ferdinand “Bong Bong” Marcos Jr. “Out of ten criminal charges filed against me, eight have already been dropped,” added the journalist.

While the level of freedom for journalists and civil society in the Philippines is now mobilizing again, Ressa suggested that that the upcoming Presidential elections in the United States will be the tipping point for journalism and democracy across the globe.

Check out the rest of my interview with the Nobel laureate below:

After its US premiere at Sundance,  ‘And So It Begins’ will have its international premiere in March. If there’s one recurring theme that I heard from the team behind ‘And So It Begins’, it’s to find joy in the face of adversity and challenges. With that, I wish and find we all find joy somehow.

Thanks so much to Sundance Institute for this incredible experience! You can find out more info about the film by checking out their IG page at @asib_film.