Politics & Government Movies

Filmmakers Matthew Heineman and Susan Froemke put America's broken health-care system under the microscope in this documentary highlighting the ongoing struggle for reform through personal stories of struggle, as well as interviews with noted physicians and politicians. With health-care costs on the rise and prevention measures at an all-time low, Heineman and Froemke question why the powers-that-be continue to maintain a dysfunctional status quo that favors profit over patient care, and explore the reform methods being proposed in Washington, D.C. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

This profile of George H.W. Bush, the 41st U.S. president, features recollections of his childhood, family, World War II service, and long career as a public servant that included stints as U.N. ambassador, U.S. envoy to China, and vice president under Ronald Reagan. Jerry Weintraub, a close friend of Bush's, is an executive producer. ~ Joe Friedrich, Rovi

As Americans grow increasingly divided over the presidency of Barack Obama, filmmakers Gerald R. Molen, Dinesh D'Souza, and Jim Hannon attempt to uncover the truth about the controversial politician's past, and explore the possible ramifications of his being elected to a second term. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

While Microsoft may be the biggest software company in the world, not every computer user is a fan of their products, or their way of doing business. While Microsoft's Windows became the most widely used operating system for personal computers in the world, many experts took issue with Microsoft's strict policies regarding licensing, ownership, distribution, and alteration of their software. The objections of many high-profile technology experts, most notably Richard Stallman, led to what has become known as "the Open Source Movement," which is centered on the belief that computer software should be free both in the economic and intellectual senses of the word. Eventually, one of Stallman's admirers, Linus Torvalds, created a new operating system called Linux, a freely distributed software which many programmers consider to be markedly superior to Windows. Revolution OS is a documentary that examines the genesis of the Open Source Movement, and explores and explains the technical and intellectual issues involved in a manner understandable to computer aficionados and non-techheads alike. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Naomi Klein's controversial best-selling book which explores how both natural and man-made disasters are used to force disadvantageous political and economic changes on unwilling governments is brought to the screen in this documentary from filmmakers Michael Winterbottom and Mat Whitecross. Using electroshock treatment as a metaphor -- a harsh jolt to the body and brain that, after being embraced as a healing method, was in turn discovered to cause more harm than good -- The Shock Doctrine explores how the United States, with the help of the C.I.A., became enamored of Milton Friedman's interpretation of free-market capitalism and attempted to persuade developing nations of its value. However, since fully unregulated markets tended to create an unbalanced economic climate in which a small number of people became extremely wealthy and vast numbers were plunged into poverty, the United States was only successful at selling free market deregulation to countries in crisis who had no practical choice than to do what the wealthiest and most powerful nation on Earth demanded. The results led to both widespread privation and violence in Russia, Poland, Chile, South Africa and the Middle East, and The Shock Doctrine explains how this happened, where it's still going on, and what can be done to stop it. The Shock Doctrine was an official selection at the 2009 Berlin International Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Jimmy McMillan, founder of the "Rent is 2 Damn High" party, is the subject of this documentary exploring the topic of fame in the age of the viral video. In 2010, McMillan became an instant celebrity thanks to his passionate speech at the New York gubernatorial debate. In this documentary, viewers witness firsthand what it's like to be at the center of a media frenzy, and find out exactly how McMillan handled his sudden ascent to stardom. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was the founder of the People's Party of Pakistan and the patriarch of one of the nation's most powerful political dynasties, and when he fell from power after a spell as Pakistan's first democratically elected prime minister, he made a surprising decision -- he groomed his daughter Benazir Bhutto to move into Pakistan's political arena rather than his son. Benazir was bright (she studied at Harvard and Oxford), personable, and had a campaigner's instincts, but it was anyone's guess how successful any woman could be in a Muslim nation where the authority of women was still questioned. In 1988, Benazir was voted prime minister of Pakistan, but was removed from office in 1990 under allegations of corruption she insisted were politically motivated; she was voted back into office in 1993, but further scandals once again drove her from office in 1996, and she eventually fled the country despite her popularity with voters. In 2007, Benazir Bhutto returned to Pakistan, hoping to run for office and reassert the power of democracy at a time when Muslim fundamentalist leadership threatened to move political progress backward, but her assassination in December 2007 put an end to that dream. Filmmakers Jessica Hernandez and Johnny O'Hara tell the story of the first woman elected to lead a Muslim nation in the documentary Bhutto, which explores the history of Pakistani politics, Benazir's relationship with her controversial family, the scandals that surrounded her, and her tragic death. Bhutto received its North American premiere at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

This controversial documentary takes a look at the anti-Israeli publicity campaigns employed by figures in the Palestinian media, positing that a conspiracy exists in the Palestinian community to destroy Jewish culture, even extending into the realms of literature and education. ~ Cammila Collar, Rovi

Documentary filmmaker Alex Gibney (Taxi to the Dark Side, Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room) turns his focus on New York governor Eliot Spitzer, his valiant crusade to hold large financial institutions accountable for their crimes, and his ultimate downfall after enlisting the services of high-priced call girl Ashley Dupre. Unlike many other accounts of the case, which draw primarily from the confessions of Dupre, Client 9 offers a much more detailed overview of Spitzer's incredible rise and fall thanks to the contributions of Peter Elkind, author of Rough Justice: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer. In addition to landing an interview with the Spitzer himself, Elkind also sat down for a revealing conversation with "Angelina," another woman who spent plenty of time with the ex-governor. A variety of Spitzer's friends, colleagues, and political adversaries also weigh in with their thoughts on the scandal. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Robert Mugabe's rule as president of Zimbabwe has been wildly controversial, with his economic plans generally held responsible for the nation's hyperinflation and massive unemployment, while Mugabe has also been accused of widespread human rights violations. One of Mugabe's most notorious programs has been his policy of seizing farms owned by white Africans and turning them over to individuals affiliated with the Mugabe government; many of these nationalized farms have been put in the hands of people with little practical background in raising crops, with the nation's agricultural base thrown into chaos. Many white land owners in Zimbabwe have fled the country, but 75-year-old Michael Campbell is a veteran family farmer who has chosen to stay and fight; rather than turn over his property, Campbell has taken his case to an international court, accusing the government of Zimbabwe of racial discrimination and violation of his human rights by claiming ownership of his rightful property. Filmmakers Lucy Bailey and Andrew Thompson profile Campbell and present an indictment of the abuses of the Mugabe administration in the documentary Mugabe and the White African, which was an official selection at the 2009 Hot Docs International Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Theodore Thomas, son of the late Walt Disney Studios animator Frank Thomas (1912-2004) and director of the acclaimed 1995 documentary Frank and Ollie, helms this second foray into Disney history, Walt & El Grupo (2007). The subject this time lies somewhat outside the boundaries of Disney animation and rests on an unusual footnote: in 1941, Walt Disney personally led a "goodwill tour" and research expedition of South America, with a team of animators in tow whom he collectively christened "El Grupo." The voyage transcended passing personal interest on the part of the animators; its residual effects can be seen in several Latin-themed Disney projects -- notably, Saludos Amigos (1942) and The Three Caballeros (1945), both of which won Oscars, and other efforts designed to support the Good Neighbor Policy of the United States. With Walt & El Grupo, Theodore Thomas and his wife, Kuniko Okubo, combine rare, unseen 16 mm home movie footage of the original trip (held in the Disney vaults for years) with footage from their own trip through South America that retraces the Disney animators' original journey -- contrasting 1941 footage with glimpses of the same locales, shot 60 years later. On the soundtrack, Thomas and Okubo overlay reminiscences by the original travelers, taken from journals and letters and read by family members. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez is a hero in Latin America for his willingness to stand up to the United States (both the government and the private sector) and his desire to use the nation's petroleum resources as a tool to bring a better way of life to the working class under his rule. But Chavez's policies have made him many enemies in North America, and in the American news media (especially conservative outlets such as Fox News), Chavez has been demonized for his rejection of U.S. policy, his pro-socialist stance, and his openly combative stance toward George W. Bush. Are either of these extremes an accurate portrait of the real Hugo Chavez? Filmmaker Oliver Stone presents a portrait of Chavez the politician and Chavez the man in his documentary South of the Border, which is built around a series of in-depth interviews Stone conducted with the Venezuelan president. Stone also includes interviews with a number of other major Latin American leaders, among them Bolivia's Evo Morales, Argentina's Cristina Kirchner, Brazil's Lula da Silva, and Cuba's Raul Castro. South of the Border was an official selection at the 2009 Venice International Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

This documentary from National Geographic examines the efforts of the United States State Department under the leadership of Secretary of State Hilary Clinton. The filmmakers were granted greater access to the inner workings of the organizations than any other crew to that time, and they include footage of Secretary Clinton's first trip in that capacity to the United Nations. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi