Barack Obama: People's President - Reviews
Video Librarian (July/August 2009)
Barack Obama: People’s President
(2009) 90 min. DVD: $19.95. Choices, Inc. PPR. ISBN: 978-1-933724-27-0.
Filmmaker/narrator Danny Schecter’s documentary Barack Obama: People’s President focuses on the strategies employed in Obama’s grassroots campaign, particularly the effective use of creative media and online resources. Obama’s charismatic style, straight talk, and interesting background enabled him to connect with multiethnic and intergenerational supporters and volunteers in communities across the nation. Obama gained wider exposure through unconventional avenues such as the musical Rock Obama, creative canvassing for Latino and Jewish votes (including the tongue-in-cheek “Great Schlep” ads featuring comic Sarah Silverman), works by amateur filmmakers from MTV, “Obama girl” videos, stickers, posters, and iconic designs using Obama’s image. Featuring clips from Obama speeches, archival footage, and interviews with Laurence Tribe, Desmond Tutu, Jesse Jackson, and others, Barack Obama: People’s President highlights the 21st-century-tool-using resourcefulness of Obama’s landmark campaign. DVD extras include a director’s overview, Obama’s inauguration speech, and a lesson plan/guidebook. Recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (J. Williams-Wood)
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