By: Taken from www.prostamerika.com

Barack Obama returns to his family's roots on an emotional journey to Africa in this new documentary by Bob Hercules and Keith Walker, the producers of Forgiving Dr. Mengele. Part personal odyssey and part chronicle of diplomacy in action, this timely and poignant documentary follows Senator Barack Obama as he travels to the land of his ancestry. From South Africa to Kenya to a Darfur refugee camp in Chad, Obama explores the vast continent that is gaining increasing importance in this age of globalization.

 

The Film

The heart of the film is Obama's emotional homecoming to Kisumu, Kenya - his father's home - where thousands of people turn out to greet him. “It was completely overwhelming,” says Michelle Obama, the Senator’s wife. “It’s hard to describe unless you were there—to see hundreds and thousands of people lining the streets of this very small town to greet my husband.”

In South Africa we follow Senator Obama on a trip to Robben Island - the infamous prison where Nelson Mandela was jailed for 21 years. Obama talks about how his own political activism was sparked by the U.S. anti-apartheid movement. Here, Senator Obama and Michelle took an AIDS test in public as a symbolic gesture to encourage others to follow suit. They also visited several CARE facilities and ended the trip at the Senator’s grandmother’s house in Siyaya.

At a Darfur refugee camp in Chad, we see, through Obama's eyes, the devastating effects of genocide. Here, we listen in to Senator Obama’s discussions with victims of the crisis, U.N. officials, and other aid workers as he explores ways in which the United States can lend support to the victims.

Throughout it all, Senator Obama narrates the film, giving his own perspective on the journey and the significance of Africa to U.S. interests. Additional perspective is included through interviews with experts on African affairs as well as with U.S. political commentators.

The Director

Director Bob Hercules is a veteran filmmaker whose most recent documentary, Forgiving Dr. Mengele, won the Special Jury Prize at the 2006 Slamdance Film Festival and a Crystal Heart Award at the 2006 Heartland Film Festival. It is currently in limited theatrical release from First Run Features. His 1999 documentary The Democratic Promise: Saul Alinsky & His Legacy won Best Documentary at the 1999 Philadelphia International Film Festival and was shown on PBS in 2000. Hercules is co-owner of Media Process Group, a Chicago-based production company.

Bob Hercules graduated from West Michigan University with a degree in Telecommunications. He is a veteran independent filmmaker whose work has been seen nationally at film festivals and through numerous PBS broadcasts. Co-owner of Media Process Group, a Chicago-based TV production company.

Filmography (selected):
Senator Obama Goes To Africa (2007)
Forgiving Dr. Mengele (2005)
The Last Frontier (2002)
The Democratic Promise: Saul Alinsky & His Legacy (1999)
Stoney Does Houston (1992)
The Story of America's Classic Ballparks (1991)
Did They Buy It: Nicaragua's 1990 Elections (1990)
Stoney Does Dallas (1984)

 

The Team

Director of Photography Keith Walker is a veteran cameraman whose credits include over 75 stories shot for CBS’ “60 Minutes,” numerous stories for “48 Hours,” HBO’s “Real Sports” and many PBS documentaries including Surviving the Bottom Line, The Democratic Promise: Saul Alinsky & His Legacy and Critical Condition with Hedrick Smith. Walker was also one of the cameraman who shot the Academy Award nominated documentary Legacy.

Editor Melissa Sterne is a gifted story-telling editor whose past work includes The Fight Over Faith (A CNN Presents production that aired in 2004), High Tech Lincoln (Kurtis Productions production that aired on the History Channel in 2005) and her current production, a documentary about the radical Chicago priest Father Mike Pfleger for David Axelrod and Associates.