The Search for Weng Weng is the culmination of a 7 year journey by director Andrew Leavold into the heart of the Philippines to uncover a largely forgotten relic of their cinematic culture that some would prefer was left forgotten. The source of his obsession? The titular Weng Weng, a man that became a beloved action star in countries around the world despite being born into poverty and measuring a modest 2 feet 9 inches tall. I couldn’t have been more overjoyed to get the opportunity to review this film seeing as quirky, offbeat documentaries rank just below horror b-movie schlockfests as the movie’s I love the most, but I have to say I wasn’t prepared for what I got with this film.

While the success of Weng Weng may be seen as a simple novelty, the man behind the character is nothing short of fascinating. In the process of finding out the truth behind this unlikely star whose career as a leading man in spy and western movies lasted more than a decade, Leavold has uncovered the story of a complicated person that loved the limelight but struggled to connect to those around him, and his complex legacy in an industry coming to terms with its history. The narrative in The Search for Weng Weng is handled beautifully, beginning with the hunt for information about Weng Weng’s identity and then gradually building, giving us more insight into the world of Filipino cinema at that time with interviews from film historians and the industry veterans that worked with Weng Weng personally.

Of course, none of this would have been possible without the man himself. Weng Weng (born Ernesto de la Cruz) is a fascinating character that any documentarian would be lucky to have as their subject. This was far from a sure thing, however, as Andrew Leavold, who has previously documented the history of the Filipino action and exploitation genres in “Machete Maidens Unleashed!” and “The Last Pinoy Action King”, apparently decided to document Weng Weng’s story after discovering a couple of his films while working in a video store decades prior. One of the directors that worked with Weng Weng describes him as a lucky man, someone who brought luck and success to those around him, even if he would see little of it himself. It would seem that luck has rubbed off on Leavold as well; what could have been a dead-end or a story of an average man that happened to be born with primordial dwarfism (the rare form of dwarfism that lead to Weng Weng’s appearance and exceptionally short stature) ended up rivaling the most dramatic stories of Hollywood.

Weng Weng was the youngest of 5 brothers, born into severe poverty, but finding escape and purpose through martial arts and action movies. After going to learn karate to become like his idols, he was taken in by the studio as a sort of attraction to draw in customers. This is where is discovered by Peter and Cora Caballes, who offer to adopt him from his parents who were unable to continue properly caring for their 5 boys. After putting him in a few film roles in his teens, they end up becoming overbearing showbiz parents to what is at that point a young man, with all of the pitfalls that tend to afflict these sorts of relationships. As his star begins to rise in the burgeoning Filipino film industry, The Search for Weng Weng shows his struggles with shyness while basking in his newly-discovered praise and adoration. A magnetic and joyous personality, yet troubled by not being able to connect with others and unsure of his place in that world, Weng Weng is the sort of lovably tragic character, full of life while so heavily burdened by pathos that makes for a story that grips the viewer from beginning to end.

This could have been that story, an intimate character portrait that delves into his psychology and tries to make sense of who Weng Weng was a person. This is not that film. Perhaps it couldn’t have been, as many of the people that worked with him are now dead (Weng Weng himself passed away in 1992) and even fewer seem to have really gotten to know the man well enough to have much insight into his character. It also seems that Leavold feels the need to go deeper, to explore more fully not just the phenomenon of Weng Weng, but the culture and film industry of the Philippines during the 70s and 80s that allowed that phenomenon to occur. The result is something that is much grander in scale, a film that through interviews with experts and industry veterans ties the success and subsequent cultural rejection of Weng Weng’s legacy to a film industry trying to find its own voice over the deafening influence of Hollywood and a tense political climate that included a personal relationship with dictator Ferdinand Marcos and his wife Imelda.

This one really blew me away, it’s a fantastically paced documentary filled with firsthand accounts of a world that will be completely alien to most American audiences from the men that made that world what it was. The Search for Weng Weng is a gripping experience from start to finish, constantly adding in new elements to the story to keep the viewer engaged. If anything, the film’s biggest flaw is its 92 minute runtime, which isn’t quite enough to contain a story this rich and layered, though I suppose it did leave me wanting to know more (and to check out Leavold’s other work on this subject) which is the sign of a well-made documentary. Still, I would be happy to see an extended cut, as I imagine many hours of footage must’ve been left on the cutting room floor over the course of his 7 year search. The combination of Leavold’s skill and cunning as a documentarian and Weng Weng’s undeniable charm and magnetism are a match made in heaven. Sadly regarded by many as a simple novelty or a relic of the times, Weng Weng was a true star whose success was due to his charisma and legitimate talent as it was his unique appearance and this film treats him with the dignity and respect he was sadly too often denied in life. Be sure to follow the website and Facebook page for more information on when you can get your hands on The Search for Weng Weng. I will now leave you with the video that first introduced many of us to Weng Weng over 10 years ago now: