Currently playing in select theaters and set to air on MSNBC on Oct. 16 from Focus Features is Dawn Porter's documentary The Way I See It, which follows former Chief White House Photographer Pete Souza's time behind-the-scenes covering Presidents Barack Obama and Ronald Reagan.

This comes on the heels of Porter's recent moving documentary, John Lewis: Good Trouble, chronicling the now-late Congressman and civil rights hero John Lewis.

Based on the New York Times #1 bestseller comes The Way I See It, an unprecedented look behind the scenes of two of the most iconic Presidents in American History, Barack Obama and Ronald Reagan, as seen through the eyes of renowned photographer Pete Souza. As Official White House Photographer, Souza was an eyewitness to the unique and tremendous responsibilities of being the most powerful person on Earth. The movie reveals how Souza transforms from a respected photojournalist to a searing commentator on the issues we face as a country and a people.

The documentary is based on Souza's New York Times #1 bestsellers, "Obama: An Intimate Portrait" and "Shade: A Tale of Two Presidents." He is a professor emeritus at Ohio University's School of Visual Communication and was a winner of the Pulitzer Prize for explanatory journalism in 2001 as part of the Chicago Tribune staff.

BlackFilmandTV.com recently caught up with Porter as she spoke about filming Pete and using his photos to tell his stories.

What went into saying yes to doing this film?

Dawn Porter: You know, I think like a lot of people. I was really distraught by what was happening in our country. When the producers came to me and said, "President Obama's photographer had 2 million pictures, and he wants to talk about leadership and good government," I was just really in the mood for some good news. I watched his one man show and it was like a relief. It was like saying, “Okay, we didn't dream that time.” Good government. The film is not so much about President Obama did everything, right. It's about how important the office of the presidency is. I was really struck by that reminder, that Pete's photographs allow us to have.

Not only that, but he also worked with Ronald Reagan. You get to hear two sides of a story, in terms of a guy who not only worked for a Republican, but a Democrat as well with a little break in between.

Dawn Porter: That's exactly right. It was really important to us that this not be a political commercial, but it actually be a reminder of just how abnormal the times we are living in are. That this is far beyond partisan politics. This is really a threat to our system of democracy. That's actually what we're in.

His pictures are the story. When you have as much as he has, compared to what you've done in the past, Is it a matter of sit back let the pictures tell the story?

Dawn Porter: You know, I think because he took so many pictures, the first job was to figure out what do we want to amplify. He took 2 million photos, and he chose from a curated set of 50,000. We then went on whitehouse.gov, and looked at their Flickr account. It really was deciding what are the themes that are important. So empathy, leadership, work style, respect, and challenges. Those are some of the things which I picked, the themes first. We looked for the pictures that were taken that had something to say about those themes.

In meeting with Pete, was there a conversation on how you want to tell his story?

Dawn Porter: Yeah. Now he has his show, and then I was like, "and this is my movie.” I’ve watched his show a number of times and I was very moved by it. The first time I saw it I cried. I felt like I've been holding my breath for three years, and to see those images, see people working hard and trying their best, really was emotional. I also wanted to tell Pete's story of evolving into the political person that he has become. He didn't start out that way. That's something I think he doesn't talk about as much. He's much quieter about that. I felt that that was an important point to make as well. So beyond the pictures and what he saw, it very much speaks back to John Lewis. What motivates people to say something? When did that line crossed for you where you can't just be an observer anymore and when you have to speak up?

Knowing he also worked for Reagan, how much did you want to show his years with both Presidents for audiences to see his growth as a person and photographer?

Dawn Porter: I wanted to spend a good amount of time with his Reagan years, for just all the reasons you're saying. Number one is to show how much photojournalism has changed. Reagan was very much a master of the image, very aware of the cameras, suggesting photos to Pete. There's nothing like that in the Obama White House. Obviously, Obama's aware that Pete's there, but he was with him every day for eight years. That would be a big acting job for anybody to never let your guard down. You do see moments where President Obama's let his guard down.

But the other thing is Pete’s evolution, and how he says very clearly, when he takes the job with Obama, his experience during the Reagan administration informed how he wanted to do the job this time. At this time when this country is wrestling with truth, and the power of images, Pete's truth, as he sees that, and that’s the title, right? This is the way I see it, doesn't mean it's the way you are going to see it or DawnPorter is going to see it. But this is what he saw. This is what he wanted to say, the things he wanted America and the world to remember.

Once you’ve told the story through his pictures, was there a challenge on how you wanted to end the film?

Dawn Porter: I think for this one, this is really a film that's commenting about America. And so understanding where we are was important that we wanted to end in the present. It's actually not just enough to say something, you actually have to do something. That's where Pete's journey has taken him. I think a lot of people are experiencing the same feeling. People who have never protested anything before. People who are taking to the streets. That's what’s necessary.

What's your end game as far as what you want people to get out of this?

Dawn Porter: I want a lot of people to be reminded of the importance of the Office of the President. So many people are so dismayed and disappointed in government. I want them to know that government can be good. That it's hard. It's a hard job, but that it's really important who we elect. It's certainly about your political aims, but it's also about your character, who you are as a person. Because in the end, we have to rely on that person to make decisions that literally could be life or death. I don't feel like any of us have the luxury of ignoring elections, and I hope people will vote for the person who reflects their personal morality and character traits.