There may be no (American) political figure of the last 20 years as well-suited for the rise-and-very-bad-fall documentary treatment as Anthony Weiner, former New York congressman and failed New York City mayoral candidate whose fiery stands for the mistreated and impoverished was, to put it lightly, impacted by a sexting scandal — one that, thanks to his unfortunate surname, opened the floodgates for every hack comic. (…see the above headline.)
Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg got behind the scenes for the neatly, plainly titled Weiner, which has earned very strong notices in its festival appearances — mostly on account of the rather unbelievable level of coverage this filmmaking duo were afforded. The first trailer, debuting ahead of its theatrical release, will give a good sense of that: if you, like I, have a strong interest in what politicians do behind closed doors, it’s almost impossible not to be intrigued after giving this a view.
One can see the trailer below, as well as a Q &A with Kriegman and Steinberg:
Synopsis:
Anthony Weiner was a young congressman with one of the most promising careers in Washington when a sexting scandal forced a humiliating resignation. Made with unprecedented access as he mounts his New York City mayoral campaign, WEINER is a thrilling look inside his impending political meltdown. What begins as an unexpected comeback takes a sharp turn once Weiner is forced to admit to new sexting allegations. As the media descends and dissects his every move, Weiner desperately tries to forge ahead, but the increasing pressure and crippling 24-hour news coverage halt his political aspirations dead in their tracks. WEINER teeters the line between political farce and personal tragedy. With the city of New York as a loud and bustling backdrop, this documentary charges through an increasingly baffling political campaign with unflinching clarity, humor, and pathos.
Weiner opens on May 20th.