ACORN and the Firestorm

2017 | USA, India | NR | 84 min.

Showings

Kirkbride at the Commons Thu, Jul 27, 2017 12:00 PM
Bijou by the Bay Sat, Jul 29, 2017 9:00 AM
Film Info
Section:US Documentary
Cinema Salon
Release Year:2017
Runtime:84 min.
Premiere Status:Midwest Premiere
Rating:NR
Production Country:USA
India
Original Language:English
Cast/Crew Info
Director:Reuben Atlas
Sam Pollard
Produced by:Reuben Atlas
Sam Pollard
Cinematography:Frank Larson
Spencer Chumbley
Naiti Gamez
Natalie Kingston
Editing By:Francisco Bello
Music By:Khari Mateen
Cast:Bertha Lewis
Hannah Giles
Wade Rathke
Maude Hurd

Description

An essential part of documentary filmmaking’s DNA is the capacity for nuance, a trait the world of 24-hour cable news does not share. This is demonstrated all too clearly in this riveting look at a heated scandal of the 2000s, the explosive political collapse of the longstanding nonprofit ACORN. The community organizing group that played a critical role in the 2008 election of Barack Obama—once boasting over 500,000 members worldwide—was taken down by a pair of undercover conservative activists posing as a prostitute and a pimp. The carefully staged operation, orchestrated by Andrew Breitbart, led to ACORN’s eventual bankruptcy, setting the stage for today’s polarized political climate and the rise of Breitbart News. A compelling cautionary tale, this true-life political thriller shines an unquestionably fascinating light on our troubled present.

PRE-SHOW MUSIC BY
CHOFF (Thu)
Brotha James (Sat)

SPONSORED BY
Nancy Hitchcock & Adele Brinkman (Thu)
Dr. & Mrs. Jonathan Kinne (Sat)