Obama documentary finds home at Music Box

MEDILL NEWS SERVICE

Audiences disappointed when the Gene Siskel Film Center cancelled screenings of "Senator Obama Goes to Africa" earlier this month can see the documentary at the Music Box Theatre Jan. 30 and Feb. 2.

Concerned that showing a film about Obama during the presidential campaign could jeopardize their non-profit status, the Siskel Center pulled out of a deal to present the film on Jan. 19 and 22.

"I personally disagree with their decision, but I accept it," said Bob Hercules, director and co-producer of the documentary.

The Music Box, a for-profit theater, is comfortable hosting the film's commercial premiere. It was shown at last year's Chicago International Documentary Festival.

Brian Andreotti, the Music Box's program director, has no political agenda in screening the film.

"We know that Obama supporters wants to see it,'' he said. "That's our only decision. It's not a political move. [The theater] is in the business of showing films. People can choose to see it or not."

PBS-TV aired a documentary on Hillary Clinton in the 1990s, and Andreotti wouldn't hesitate to show films about other candidates during election campaigns if such documentaries existed. But only, he added, "If we were sure that they would help promote the film and draw an audience."

Hercules is an Obama supporter, but he says people have a misconception about the film. In June 2006 when he began shooting, the senator from Illinois was not a candidate for president. (Obama launched his campaign in February 2007.) Hercules didn't set out to make a film touting Obama's presidential bid.

"It's not meant as a be-all-and-end-all about Obama,'' said Hercules. "It's about his trip to Africa, what the people of Africa think about him, and also about how it affected him."

Keith Walker, co-owner with Hercules of a film production company,helped raise the film's$65,000 budget. Hercules says they went into debt to make the film, but he hopes they will make money with the sales of the DVD and screenings.

"The fact that weown a company allowed [the film] to happen with such a small amount of money," he said.

Part personal odyssey, part profile of a political journey, the film chronicles Obama's travels in Africa as he retraces his roots in Kenya and focuses on the myriad issues facing the continent. Although the film has already been released on DVD and is available through Netflix, Hercules says he still wants to see it on the big screen.