Hollywood and Politics

A 52 minutes documentary in partnership with Canal +

As the United States changes its course, are we witnessing a resurgence of politically and socially committed cinema in Hollywood?

The recent success of such films as Syriana, Fahrenheit 9/11, The Inconvenient Truth, and The Constant Gardener seems to indicate that a number of Hollywood players are eager to exercise their political influence.

Whether advocating the end of the war in Iraq or fighting against global warming, American cinema would appear to be a haven for dissidence, a voice heard in the last U.S. Legislative Elections. Meanwhile, Hollywood, a traditional liberal bastion, has managed to blur the lines by electing a Republican governor, former Hollywood box-office champ Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The documentary Hollywood and Politics reveals the paradoxical nature of the Hollywood industry, where the quest for box office does not seem to impede on creativity that goes against the grain.

Testimonials from Hollywood celebrities such as Georges Clooney, Robert Redford, Dustin Hoffman, Jane Fonda or Leonardo DiCaprio complement interviews with today’s key industry players: producers Lawrence Bender and Mike Medavoy, journalist Andrew Breitbrat and Sundance Film Festival director Geoffrey Gilmore. All attest to Hollywood’s activism during the G.W. Bush years.

Several conservative opinions are also heard, such as the one expressed by Pat Dollard, an anti-Michael Moore of sorts, who wishes to convince his country that the war in Iraq is indeed a necessary one…