Acclaimed documentary ‘A Thousand Cuts’ accessible to Phl viewers starting March 13
Frontline, US television’s longest running investigative documentary series airing on the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), announced that it has acquired full-streaming rights for the acclaimed Philippine film A Thousand Cuts.
The documentary by award-winning filmmaker Ramona S. Diaz chronicles the story of journalist Maria Ressa, founder of online news site Rappler and explores the conflicts between the press and the Philippine government under President Rodrigo Duterte.
Frontline’s acquisition will make the PBS-backed film accessible on PBS.org/frontline and YouTube to viewers in the Philippines who are most impacted by the issues in this story. The news comes after Philippine distributors and TV did not license the said film despite it earning rave reviews since its Sundance premiere and screenings around the world.
The acclaimed documentary @_athousandcuts will begin streaming in the Philippines on March 13 and will be followed by a YouTube roundtable discussion featuring journalist @mariaressa, filmmaker @CineDiaz and FRONTLINE EP @raneyaronson. https://t.co/WUauxvVTXI
— FRONTLINE (@frontlinepbs) March 4, 2021
According to the announcement by PBS, the documentary will begin streaming in the Philippines on Saturday, March 13, at 9 p.m. PHT/8 a.m. EST on March 13, Frontline will also host a live YouTube roundtable discussion with Maria Ressa and the film team including Diaz and Frontline’s executive producer, Raney Aronson-Rath. The roundtable will explore the importance of sharing A Thousand Cuts with Filipino audiences as Ressa’s legal situation continues to unfold.
The film made its US broadcast debut at the Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 25, 2020 and made the rounds in the festival circuit, including the SXSW Film Festival and AFI DOCS. In June 2020, PBS Distribution and Frontline acquired US distribution rights to the film, and made it briefly available for a very limited time on YouTube free for Philippine users. It was also released in the US in virtual cinemas last August and was followed by a broadcast on the program Frontline on Jan. 8, 2021.
According to Frontline, the documentary has earned rave reviews, with The New York Times calling the documentary “absorbing” (Critic’s Pick), The Washington Post saying it is “utterly urgent” and The Hollywood Reporter describing it as “essential” viewing.
By securing full streaming rights on both PBS.org/frontline and YouTube, those residing in the Philippines can now stream the full version of A Thousand Cuts and learn about the implications for democracy when press freedom is threatened—a story that is increasingly vital during these times.
“At Frontline, we felt we needed to do whatever we could to make this story available to the Filipino people,” said Frontline executive producer Raney Aronson-Rath in a statement. “We’ve seen a growing desire to have A Thousand Cuts be more permanently accessible in the Philippines, especially as Maria’s legal situation continues to worsen. We’re proud we can make Ramona’s documentary available to the community it impacts the most.”
“After a year of screening for audiences around the world—from New Zealand to North America, from Israel to the Netherlands, A Thousand Cuts is finally coming home. I’m so grateful that Frontline (PBS) stepped up to the plate to make the film available to audiences in the Philippines where it matters most,” said Diaz.
Frontline’s A Thousand Cuts is now streaming online in North America on pbs.org/frontline and YouTube. The film is also available to stream in the PBS Video App and on PBS Documentaries Prime Video Channel. It will be made available to Philippine viewers starting March 13, 2021.
Here’s the official synopsis for the film:
“With press freedom under threat in the Philippines, A Thousand Cuts goes inside the escalating war between the government and the press. The documentary follows Maria Ressa, a renowned journalist who has become a top target of President Rodrigo Duterte’s crackdown on the news media.”
View the trailer for A Thousand Cuts below:
(Images via Frontline/PBS)