At a time when corruption once again dominates the headlines, “Kintsugi” could not have arrived at a better moment.
This indie film is more than just entertainment; it is a reminder that cinema can be a mirror, a moral reckoning, and a call to vigilance.
Directed by Roland Sanchez, a longtime NBI agent who has spent decades investigating the very abuses the film portrays, “Kintsugi” carries an authenticity few political dramas achieve.
It helps that Sanchez knows these stories too well — smuggling, collusion, intimidation, and violence — and it shows in every frame.
The film follows a congressman and a Bureau of Customs commissioner conspiring to strangle the agricultural sector, silencing critics even through murder. Their unchecked greed forces victims into vigilantism, a grim but gripping narrative that echoes with real-life parallels.
The title is apt.
Borrowed from the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold, “Kintsugi” is both metaphor and message: Out of broken systems and fractured lives, resilience and truth can still emerge.
What truly anchors the film are its actor’s superb performances.
Aya Sarmiento and Anthea Murfet in particular shine with emotional honesty, embodying wounded yet unbowed women. Their work gives the film its heart.
The ensemble cast, Liza Lorena, Giovani Baldisseri, Gigi Hernandez, Jun Nayra, James Lomahan, Malet Zapata, and John Arcenas, among others, adds texture, urgency.
Sanchez’s dual life as law enforcer and filmmaker adds another layer of fascination.
Asked if he fears angering powerful figures though his art, he is matter-of-fact: “Hindi naman kasi, unang-una, alam ko naman yung batas, alam ko naman yung naghihiwalay sa what is fiction and what is factual. Panglawa, alam ko naman yung sinasabi ko at sinusulat kasi nga NBI agent ako.”
“Kintsugi” is not without flaws. At times, it meanders; the pacing could benefit from tighter editing to sharpen its impact. Yet even with this, its courage and relevance outweigh the imperfections.
In the end, “Kintsugi” is not simply a film — it is an indictment. It reminds us that corruption is all around us and it is deadly. And while broken pottery may be mended with gold, the cracks in our system demand something far rarer: Courage.
