And So It Begins is a documentary about the 2022 presidential election in the Philippines. The country has a unique electoral system in which the president and vice president are elected separately, and the presidency is limited to a single six-year term. The film provides an unfiltered look at Filipino politics, centering on Leni Robredo's presidential campaign. Robredo, who is lovingly called "Leni" by her supporters, who was elected vice president in 2016, spent her term facing relentless attacks and scorn from then-president Rodrigo Duterte. Her main opponent in the 2022 race was Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., the son of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos. Initially trailing in the polls, Robredo embarked on a determined campaign across the Philippines, striving to counter the devastation left by Duterte's administration and prevent the return of a dictator's legacy. The documentary also highlights the state of Filipino democracy through the work of Maria Ressa, the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize-winning journalist and a prominent advocate for independent media, as she continues her fight against misinformation and authoritarian influence through her news outlet, Rappler. For Koreans, it is shocking to witness the resurgence of the Marcos family, which first seized power in 1965, declared martial law in 1972, and ruled the Philippines through violence and oppression. The film exposes how this political comeback was fueled by an onslaught of misinformation and personal attacks spread through social media—an alarming reminder that the tactics of authoritarian leaders remain the same across the world. (MOON Seok)