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In Duterte's Philippines, journalist Maria Ressa places the tools of the free press - and her own freedom - on the line in defence of truth and democracy.
When Rodrigo Duterte became president of the Philippines in 2016, he promised vengeance and violence in a “war on drugs” which swiftly became a crackdown on the people.
Fighting against authoritarianism in an increasingly dangerous society, we join journalist Maria Ressa and the team at her online news site Rappler, as they reveal thousands of government-sanctioned murders, primarily of poor people accused of using or selling drugs.
Soon, Duterte begins to target journalists, unleashing a powerful disinformation campaign on social media, and Ressa places her own freedom on the line to hold the lawless regime accountable. Director Ramona S. Diaz follows both sides of a critical fight between the free press and a populist government, between access to information and the spread of disinformation, creating a searing insight that echoes well beyond the Philippines.
