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One year ago today, the U.S. inaugurated its first African American president.  Nearly a year before Barack Obama announced his candidacy for the presidency on February 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.

Screening followed by Q&A with editors Sam Pollard and
Geeta Gandbhir, Shola Lynch and reception.

More on: www.hbo.com/docs/programs/bythepeople

 

Amy Rice

Amy Rice was raised in Oklahoma.  Her oldest brother, David, was killed on 9/11/2001 in the Twin Towers and their other brother, Andrew, called her the night before Obama gave the keynote address at the Democratic Convention in August of 2004.  These events, among many others, inspired Rice to make, By the People. In addition to her work on By the People, Rice was the cinematographer for such films as Mr. Right (2005) and You Cannot Eat Art (2005).

 

Alicia Sams

Alicia Sams grew up in Washington D.C. and received a B.A. from Harvard University in English and American Literature in 1986. She has been working as a freelance director and producer of documentary films and non-fiction television, with experience in narrative film development and production for the past 18 years.  Before By the People, Sams previously worked with Rice on Mr. Right (2005) and You Cannot Eat Art (2005).

Co-Presented with the Black Documentary Collective