The searing story of President Duterte's bloody campaign against drug dealers and addicts in the Philippines, told with unprecedented and intimate access to both sides of the war.

Interview with Directors James Jones and Olivier Sarbil

Watch On The President's Orders on Prime Video and Kanopy

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

It was a subject Olivier Sarbil and I had been following for a while, mainly through the brilliant work of Filipino photojournalists. We were both drawn to getting under the skin of such an important issue that had such bloody consequences. We felt that getting access to the cops, understanding the rationale for killing, would be the most revealing way to understand Duterte's drugs war.

Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?

The film combines the look and feel of a thriller with a real-life revelatory journalistic investigation into a campaign of killings. It's a very distinctive style for a documentary but makes for an intense viewing experience.

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

We chose not to tell the story from a political perspective. We wanted the real human stories on the ground - getting inside the heads of the police accused of being killers, and inside the lives of the families of the victims. Journalistically, Caloocan was a hotspot for the killings and a great prism through which to understand Duterte’s drugs war.

We chose to call the film On The President's Orders as we wanted it to resonate around the world - in America, Brazil, wherever. It's not just a Filipino story, it's a universal trend. There is a wave of populist leaders globally and Duterte's drugs war is just the bloodiest manifestation of the phenomenon.

How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?

When you're making an observational documentary you never know exactly where the story will take you. We filmed in Caloocan for more than six months. At first, there was a great emphasis on restraint in drug operations and “trigger discipline” as Modequillo, the police chief in Caloocan, would say. We certainly saw fewer deaths in police operations – there were only two during Modequillo’s six-month term. But by March 2018 there was a wave of “riding-in-tandem” shootings of people reportedly involved in drugs, which led to the public thinking the police were behind the killings. There was a feeling that the police’s killing had just gone underground.

I don't want to give too much away, but our film is about getting to the bottom of those killings.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

We've had a fantastic response. Hot Docs was a genuinely amazing experience and the reviews were beyond anything we could have hoped for. We were lucky that the critics appreciated the film noir atmosphere and aesthetic ambitions, which are quite unusual for a doc, as well as the layers of meaning around the human cost. We're playing next at Sheffield Doc/Fest in the UK and HRW Film Festival in New York and can't wait to see the response there.

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

All feedback is good as it often makes you think about aspects of the film that you'd only really known subconsciously. People say the creative process isn't complete until it's been seen by an audience and I definitely think you have a richer, more rounded idea of the film once people have seen and reacted to it.

What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?

This is a film that means a lot to us and we want as many people as possible to see it - and to learn about the brutal effects of the drugs war. The film is going to be playing at festivals around North America and Europe so we hope people can spread the word. It really is a film that should be seen on a big screen.

Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?

We're hoping the film will have a theatrical release after its festival run this summer.

What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?

We want the film to raise awareness about the killings in the Philippines. It's a subject that can feel remote, but hopefully, this film will make it feel frighteningly close.

What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?

The moments that may stay with viewers are the police laughing and joking about having to kill people they see as "pests". That goes to the heart of Duterte's drugs war: the way his propaganda has dehumanised supposed drug pushers. It's something many people around the world may recognise with their own leaders and groups within society, whether it's immigrants, Muslims, or other minorities.

What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?

I'm just starting a feature doc for the BBC, based in the UK. It'll be nice to film something at home for a change!

Olivier is preparing for a foreign shoot for another feature.

Interview: May 2019

We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela

On The President's Orders

The searing story of President Duterte's bloody campaign against drug dealers and addicts in the Philippines, told with unprecedented and intimate access to both sides of the war.

Length: 1:12:00

Director: James Jones, Olivier Sarbil

Producer: James Jones, Dan Edge

Writer: James Joes, Dan Edge

About the writer, director and producer:

JAMES JONES is an award-winning British director who makes documentary films for international television and theatrical release.

Looking for: film festival directors, journalists

Twitter: @OnThePresident

Instagram: @jamesjonesfilm

Hashtags used: #onthepresidentsorders

Website: www.onthepresidentsorders.com

Made in association with: Doc Society, Frontline PBS, Arte France, BBC Storyville

Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Hot Docs/Toronto - 27 April