Nearly a year before Barack Obama announced his candidacy for the presidency on Feb. 10, 2007, filmmakers Amy Rice and Alicia Sams began to roll cameras on the young senator. Over the next 19 months, they found themselves travelling all across the country, chronicling the daily ups and downs of the campaign trail as experienced by Obama, his family, his staff and volunteers. While Obama's meteoric rise to the White House has been well documented in the press, few have witnessed the behind-the- scenes story of the passionate campaigners who helped a young African-American freshman senator attain the nation's highest office.
Rice conceived the idea of making a documentary about Obama long before the Illinois Senator announced his decision to run for president. Inspired by his oratorical skills and star appeal at the 2004 Democratic Convention, she set out to film his political career in 2006. Rice approached documentary producer Sams, who joined to co-direct and actor Edward Norton's production company, Class 5, agreed to produce the project. After Norton approached Obama's team with the idea, the senator agreed to grant the filmmakers what turned out to be unprecedented and exclusive access.
"Initially, it wasn't even about a presidential campaign; the idea was simply to examine the political experience of a promising young politician of our generation," says Norton, a two-time Oscar® nominee.
For Rice, the project had an even more personal dimension. She lost her older brother in the Sept. 11 attacks on the Twin Towers - an event that galvanized her political awakening. Then she saw Obama's 2004 convention speech on TV. Rice recalls, "That's when the idea of making a political documentary came into my mind."
Notes Sams, "It was clear that Obama was inspiring people to think differently about politics. We wanted to explore his impact and see where it would take both him and the country."
From this unique vantage point, BY THE PEOPLE captures the boundless fervor of the campaign's volunteers, as well as the extraordinary skill and technical sophistication of its organizers. "I think people will look back on this campaign as one that was conducted with a real understanding of communication and organizing tools that were singular to that moment," says Norton. "It was an historic new read on how you could do an end run around conventional political methodology and strategies."
BY THE PEOPLE tracks Obama's halting progress from long-odds candidate to front-runner in the 2008 presidential race. It's a roller-coaster ride that includes all the victories and upsets that were followed by millions in the media, seen from within the Obama campaign: from thrilling wins and disappointing losses in key states, to controversies stemming from Obama's associations with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright and domestic terrorist Bill Ayers; from the high of receiving his party's nomination over Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, to the low of losing his beloved grandmother the day before his final victory over Sen. John McCain on Election Day. Read the rest
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CULVER CITY, CA (April 8, 2009) - Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Group (SPWAG) has acquired all media rights internationally (excluding UK television) and domestic home entertainment rights to the previously untitled documentary feature film BY THE PEOPLE: The Election of Barack Obama. The announcement was made today by Steve Bersch, President, SPWAG and Keith Le Goy, President, International Distribution, Sony Pictures Television (SPT).
Produced by Edward Norton's Class 5 Films and directed by Amy Rice (From Ashes) and Alicia Sams (Toots), BY THE PEOPLE: The Election of Barack Obama will be released theatrically in the U.S. by HBO Documentary Films. The documentary follows the former Senator from the announcement of his candidacy to his historic election and inauguration as the first African American president of the United States. Told through unprecedented and exclusive footage of Obama and his staff, the film offers viewers an all-access pass to campaign life on the road to the White House.
"This remarkable film gives us a unique behind-the-scenes look at a truly transformative event. The filmmakers have done a beautiful job of creating a compelling narrative, and we are proud to be able to make the film available to the global market," said Steve Bersch, President, SPWAG.
"Obama's election was, clearly, a global event which people all over the world felt deeply about on both political and emotional levels. From the start, it was very important to us to share this film with as broad an international audience as possible and we're really thrilled to be partnered with Sony in trying to achieve this because no company has more experience or reach in both the world markets and home video," said Producer Edward Norton.
Sony Pictures Television is handling sales for TV (outside the U.S. and U.K.), mobile and new media.
Keith Le Goy, President, International Distribution, SPT stated: stated: "The election of Barack Obama to president of the United States was one of the most important world events in 2008. The film allows viewers to experience Obama's rise and we are thrilled to be the international distributor of the official film documenting this historic event."
The film was financed by GOOD, Green Film Company, Citi Productions and Class 5 Films. Class 5 Films credits include The Painted Veil, Down in the Valley, Keeping the Faith and Leaves of Grass.
The deal was brokered by Andrew Hurwitz and Endeavor on behalf of the filmmakers.
