Our New President

Our New President is an intriguing piece of cinema, both intensely compelling and chillingly controversial. This film, which premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival and subsequently won the World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award, is a product of ingenious conception and execution by director Maxim Pozdorovkin. The documentary dives headfirst into the dynamic political landscape of the 2016 United States Presidential election, employing an unusual storytelling approach that merits attention. The star cast includes notable figures such as Emin Agalarov, Dmitry Butuzov, and Bill Clinton, who feature prominently in the real-life drama that unfolded during that time.

The film derives its provocative title from a phrase used in Russian state media to announce the election's results. It documents the Russian perspective of American politics primarily through footage shared via state-run media outlets, Russian YouTube videos, and social network posts, offering viewers an intriguing glimpse into how these events are framed and manipulated in another country's media.

Our New President plants its feet firmly within the context of fake news and propaganda. Early on, the film establishes the premise that the information filtered through Russian state-run media sow seeds of confusion and misinformation. It paints a vivid picture of how channels like Russia Today and Sputnik serve as the mouthpieces for state propaganda. Through the featuring of outlandish fake stories often woven with a thread of international intrigue, the movie scathingly critiques the state-sponsored spread of fake news and the global consequences it breeds.

Emin Agalarov emerges as a pivotal character in the documentary due to his veritable connection with both Russia and the United States. The Azeri-Russian pop star had previously coordinated the Miss Universe Pageant in Moscow in 2013, the event at which Donald Trump famously made an appearance. This connection lends Agalarov's perspective an added dimension of interest and intrigue.

Similarly, Dmitry Butuzov, the editor-in-chief for Russia Today, plays an important role in the film as he provides insights into how news was disseminated through the state-run organization during the said period. Through his character, the film attempts to dissect the nuances of a media platform where objectivity and truth often take a backseat to political narratives.

Footage featuring Bill Clinton is also weaved into the narrative, drawing upon the past to accentuate Russia's fascination and ongoing interest in American politics. These clips, along with those featuring other notable American figures, together with interviews and raw footage from Russia, create a rich tapestry that functions as both a mirror and a window—reflecting on the state of global information warfare and peering into the psyche of Russian citizens influenced by state-run media.

The documentary is neither heavily loaded with facts nor is it a fact-checking explainer type film; instead, it offers an experiential account of the information age, media manipulation, and the subsequent effects on public perception. Our New President is a strange brew of inside jokes, global politics, pop culture references, and unintended humor, making for a bizarre yet enlightening cinematic experience. Pozdorovkin's innovative and gut-wrenching storytelling style leaves a mark as it forces audiences to confront the power of media in shaping contemporary geopolitical landscapes and individual realities.

Our New President offers a thought-provoking journey, shining a spotlight on the intersection of global politics and communication in the era of misinformation. It warns us about the consequences of unchecked propaganda and the danger of distortion of truth. At the same time, it achieves this with a dark sense of humor that adds a hint of absurdity to the spectacle. As a raw, dystopian account of a pivotal historical moment, Our New President deserves applause for its daring portrayal of the unseen threads tying politics and media manipulation.