Home » Arts and Culture » ’04 election revisited in documentary
PUBLISHED: 11-10-08
’04 election revisited in documentary
Local theater screens film on US voting process
While a nation had its eye on the 2008 Presidential Election, one filmmaker decided to revisit the 2004 election.
The documentary chronicles the voting process during the 2004 Presidential Election. After only seven weeks of pre-production, 14 camera crews shot on location in several different states throughout the day, culminating in 105 hours of unedited footage. Some of the people portrayed in the film include an ex-convict in New York, residents of a Native American reservation in South Dakota, a family that owned an organic farm in Wisconsin and a Republican poll-watcher in Chicago.
“Production for this film was difficult,” Bowman said. “It was especially hard to stay in touch with all of the crews on the day of shooting, which was cause for some worry. But after it was all over, we came away with some really great moments that we knew we could boil down into something powerful.”
The film interweaves snippets of different experiences that occurred throughout the country on the day of Nov. 2. Viewers are invited into the sense of shame and frustration felt by ex-felons who are legally not allowed to vote, the grassroots gumption of Native American organizers who attempt to rally the enthusiasm of their people and the election-invested hopes of a couple who work opposite shifts at a canning factory in Oklahoma.
These stories and others like them serve as archetypal experiences. If this film has one aim, it is to expose the injustices and desires felt by those who vote in an attempt to make things easier in elections.
“We figured that screening this film on Election Day was an opportunity to highlight the good and bad things that happen on this day every year,” said Mike McNamara, co-founder of the Midwest Independent Film Festival. “This film reminds us that, regardless of your race, annual income, family background or neighborhood, we are all equal in that we all have one vote and that vote counts just as much as anyone else’s.”
Producer and fellow filmmaker Jodi London said that she attends many events at the Midwest Independent Film Festival because it’s a great place for people with similar interests to network and keep up with what’s going on in the local film scene.
“It’s interesting to see this film and compare it to this year’s Election
Day,” said London. “Hopefully this time things went a little more smoothly.”
The festival’s next event is the Best of the Midwest Awards Gala on Dec. 2 at Rockit Bar & Grill, 22 W. Hubbard St. Along with being the annual awards show where it recognizes films screened throughout the year, it will also serve as the festival’s first fundraiser, which will anchor its operating budget for next year. Seann William Scott, who is nominated for Best Actor for his work in ‘The Promotion’, will be flying in to attend. Tickets are available now at MidwestFilm.com.
All comments are moderated before being published. We will not edit comments, but we also will not approve those that are abusive, off-topic, attack another person, include profanity or contain information we know to be libelous or false. Please include a valid e-mail address, as we will not approve comments with invalid or fake e-mail addresses. Most comments will be reviewed within 8 hours during weekdays. Comments posted on weekends may not be approved until Monday. For more information, please visit the "about us" link at the bottom of the page.