On The President's Orders

Synopsis

Shot like an atmospheric Hollywood thriller, this chilling expose reveals the deadly heart of darkness behind Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte's obsessive war on drugs. In May, 2016, Duterete won a landslide victory, earning the praise of US president Donald Trump, then promising to wipe out the country's drug problem at any cost. In the first year of Duterte's operation, police killed 3,000 suspects in a state-sponsored bloodbath. This doc is a powerful indictment focusing on the individuals caught up in the chaos - from a brutal, cross-carrying police chief to a whisky-sipping mortician patiently waiting for the next victim to arrive. Directors Jones and Sorbil take their cameras to the streets, getting a first-hand glimpse into Duterete's murderous campaign.

Director Biography

James Jones is an award-winning British documentary-maker. He has tackled difficult subjects like suicide in the military (Broken by Battle) and homelessness (Britain’s Hidden Housing Crisis), and focused on some of the world’s most dangerous and secretive places like North Korea (The Secret State of North Korea), Iraq (Secret Iraq), Gaza (Children of the Gaza War) and more recently, Saudi Arabia (Saudi Arabia Uncovered). Olivier Sarbil is an award-winning French documentary Director and Emmy-winning Cinematographer based in London. Over the past decade, Olivier has covered conflicts and critical social issues across Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe and North America. With strong visual storytelling, Olivier’s films are intimate and human, conveying emotions through beautiful and cinematic imagery.