The Laughing Star (1983)

One of the most caustic and personal essay films ever made, Werner Schroeter's account of the 1983 Manila Film Festival, presided over by Imelda Marcos, chronicles the legacy of American and Spanish imperialism as it presents a "kaleidoscope of a ravaged country."

Released Oct. 27, 1983 110 min None+

Genres: Documentary

Keywords: imdb.film-festival, imdb.material, imdb.film-essay, imdb.everyday-life, imdb.western-influence, imdb.german-cinema, imdb.german-film-director + 23 more, imdb.film-critique, imdb.interview, imdb.manila, imdb.cultural-identity, imdb.social-tension, imdb.poverty, imdb.1983, imdb.documentary-footage, imdb.phillipines, imdb.harsh-reality, imdb.news-clip, imdb.society-on-the-brink-of-upheaval, imdb.social-inequality, imdb.non-linear-narrative, imdb.colonial-history, imdb.rituals, imdb.filipino, imdb.tradition, imdb.third-world-development, imdb.metro-manila-film-festival, imdb.festival, imdb.socio-political, imdb.traditional-life