Camilla Nielsson’s PRESIDENT To Hit Theaters Dec. 17 With Thandiwe Newton & Danny Glover Onboard As Exec Producers
Film Forum is pleased to present the US theatrical premiere of Camilla Nielsson’s PRESIDENT on Friday, December 17. Danish director Nielsson – who previously chronicled the contentious reform of Zimbabwe’s constitution in the acclaimed DEMOCRATS (a Film Forum premiere) – gains astonishing access to that nation’s 2018 presidential election as Obama-esque reformer Nelson Chamisa faces overwhelming odds against Emmerson Mnangagwa, disciple of longtime dictator Robert Mugabe, and nicknamed “the crocodile.” Disputes over voter rolls and a compromised election commission, plus voter intimidation and outright violence mount as election day nears. As we Americans question the strength of our democratic institutions and our ability to agree on what constitutes a free and fair election, PRESIDENT illustrates the global scale of these issues.
PRESIDENT premiered in the World Documentary Competition at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival where it won the Special Jury Award for Cinema Verité Filmmaking. It is nominated for a 2021 Gotham Award for Best Documentary and shortlisted for Best Documentary by the International Documentary Association (IDA). From a statement by Executive Producer Danny Glover: “Camilla Nielsson’s remarkable dedication and depth of engagement over the course of a decade have garnered her a well- and hard-earned credibility on the ground in Zimbabwe.”