From Dhaka to Documentaries Without Borders: The growing reach of a Mindanawon documentary
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 23 March) — What began as a regionally rooted documentary is steadily gaining international recognition, as Beneath the Badge (Sa Likod ng Tsapa) continues its run across global film festivals — marking not just a series of wins, but a widening audience for stories from Mindanao.
On March 15, the film, directed by Davao-based journalist Editha Caduaya, received the Outstanding Excellence Award for Investigative Documentaries at the Documentaries Without Borders International Film Festival, adding to its earlier Special Mention Award at the Dhaka International Film Festival in January.
These successive recognitions trace the documentary’s growing reach: from audience-driven acclaim in Dhaka to merit-based recognition on a global digital platform.
From Special Mention to Outstanding Excellence
Early this year, Beneath the Badge was recognized at the 24th Dhaka International Film Festival, where it received a Special Mention Award — an honor shaped by audience reception.
That recognition gestured towards the film’s ability to resonate across cultural and geographic boundaries, with its portrayal of the moral complexities and personal cost of police work.
This latest recognition, however, reflects a different kind of validation.
According to the official WRPN.tv website, the Documentaries Without Borders International Film Festival — along with WRPN.tv’s other festivals — evaluates its entries individually rather than ranks them against one another. Instead of competition-based awards, films are assessed based on their own merits, with distinctions such as Outstanding Excellence awarded by a panel of judges to works that demonstrate a high level of artistic and technical achievement.
This shift from audience recognition to merit-based evaluation highlights the film’s ability to meet different standards of international recognition.
Five other films received the Outstanding Excellence Award: AdAmAn (United States), directed by Kevin Pinski, for Documentary; The Adventures of photographer Hugh Wilmar (Netherlands), directed by Joost Schrickx, for Historical Documentaries: After oil (Algeria, Kenya, Sierra Leone, South Africa), directed by Boima Tucker, for Environmental; Ballroom Boom (Ireland), directed by Billy McGrath, for Music Documentaries; and The Cinematic Caliphate: Redefining Propaganda in the Age of Terror(United States), directed by Henry Petersen, for Documentary.
A global platform, a local story
Unlike traditional festivals that center on in-person screenings, Documentaries Without Borders operates largely through digital distribution, allowing films to reach audiences beyond the limits of physical venues. Through its digital-based approach, films are made accessible to global viewers — reflecting a broader shift in how independent documentaries circulate in the post-pandemic landscape.
Within this context, Beneath the Badge stands out not because it departs from its subject in pursuit of global reach, but because it stays with it — its reach widening even as it remains rooted in the story it tells; the specificity that gives it that reach.
The documentary traces the life and career of Police Brig. Gen. Hansel Marantan, following a trajectory shaped by controversy, public scrutiny, and attempts at redemption. But beyond the specifics of one figure, the film gestures toward broader questions of policing, accountability, and the human cost of public service.
These are themes that extend beyond national context, rendering the film legible to audiences outside the Philippines.
Beneath the Badge has moved across different festival circuits, reflecting how regionally produced, journalist-led documentaries are finding space in international conversations.
Focusing closely on the life of one man within the institution of policing, the documentary raises questions that touch upon the lives of many across the globe; questions about power, responsibility, and individuals who operate within systems larger than themselves.
At the same time, its recognition highlights the growing presence of filmmakers from outside traditional production centers, whose work continues to challenge assumptions about where globally relevant stories come from.
From Dhaka to Documentaries Without Borders, the film’s journey underscores how stories rooted in Mindanao, when told with clarity and depth, can travel — and be understood — far beyond it. (Bea Gatmaytan / MindaNews)
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