Imee Marcos on 'Maid in Malacañang': There's 'Not Much Leeway for Falsehood'
Sen. Imee Marcos on Sunday said there's "not much leeway" for falsehoods in the "Maid in Malacanang" movie, which she considers as part of the family's "obligation" to tell their side.
The movie depicts the last 72 hours of the Marcoses in Malacañang before they were forced into exile in Hawaii in 1986, from the perspective of three maids in the palace. It will premiere on Aug. 3, a week after her brother, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., delivers his first State of the Nation Address.
Imee, the eldest Marcos child, said it is important to tell their story "para may kabuuan ang ating kasaysayan."
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"The problem with this story is that we all know how it ends. Well, we even know what happens 36 years down the line. So alam na nating lahat ng nangyari so ito nga, how to find out exactly what the details are, so there's not much leeway for untruth, for falsehood, for fantasy-telling or reimagining. Kailangan makatotohanan kasi alam naman ng lahat ito e," she said during the media conference for the movie.
The idea for the movie started as a joke between her and director Darryl Yap, whom she worked with for the "Lenlen" series that poked fun at her brother's rival, former Vice President Leni Robredo.
"Sabi ng lahat, gawin na ninyo at ngayon, kabadong-kabado na ako na eto nga masyado namang high expectations, akala yata nila 'The Crown' meets 'Downton Abbey' meets 'Bridgerton' pero nag-umpisa sa kalokohan pero at a certain point masyado na naming sineryoso."
Imee said recalling what happened before they fled the country was a "difficult process", initially telling Yap that it was too "painful and traumatic" that she didn't want to go through it again.
"At the same time I felt an obligation after all these years to tell our side of the story, ang iba't ibang mga kuwento tungkol sa panahong 'yun sa iba't ibang sektor pero yung talagang nabuhay nun at nandon sa Malacanang e siguro kami lang so dapat ikuwento din namin para may kabuuan ang ating kasaysayan."
"Malacanang is only a place. Ang totoo, doon na kami galing e so hindi big deal 'yung makabalik. 'Di sa minamaliit ko, pero hindi 'yun ang mahalaga. Ang mahalaga 'yung legacy ng tatay ko, na 'yung apelyido at pamilya namin ay maahon at makabangon."
Imee said she is excited to watch the film. She also lauded the rest of the cast, particularly Christine Reyes, who portrayed her in the film, for copying her hair flips and what she called her "pangit na lakad."
"Ito ang aming pinagsisimulan. Hindi biro ang maging Marcos kaya ito nga, hindi lamang ito isang pelikula. This is not just a movie. It's the beginning of a national conversation that hopefully will bring us to genuine unity."
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