There aren’t many people alive that are despised as Stephen K. Bannon. The former Breitbart executive and advisor to President Donald Trump, Bannon has been the poster child for what many call the alt-right movement that has been spreading across the United States. And that’s exactly what makes the upcoming documentary “American Dharma” such a controversial film.
As seen in the trailer for “American Dharma,” the new doc focuses on Bannon, as the film’s subject. However, unlike other films about controversial subjects or other celebrities, ‘Dharma’ is built around a 16-hour conversation that the filmmaker and the political figure had. While “American Dharma” has received some pretty great reviews, the film is ultimately the source of controversy due to many wondering why Bannon is seemingly given free rein to discuss topics and spread his ideology.
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The new documentary is directed by Errol Morris, who is no stranger to the art form. The filmmaker is probably best known for “The Thin Blue Line” and his film “The Fog of War,” which won the Best Documentary Oscar. He’s also been nominated for tons of other awards, including a Primetime Emmy over the course of his career.
“American Dharma” arrives in select theaters on November 1.
Here’s the synopsis:
No stranger to sitting down with some of the most controversial figures of our time, Errol Morris trains his lens on Stephen K. Bannon. In their wide ranging conversation spanning over 16 hours, Morris questions Bannon on his background, belief system, his worldview, his current feelings on President Trump, and how films such as Henry King’s TWELVE O’CLOCK HIGH, John Ford’s THE SEARCHERS, and Orson Welles’ CHIMES AT MIDNIGHT became part of Bannon’s understanding of the world. Frank and unflinching, Morris grapples with his own contention of Bannon’s ideology and methodology. With AMERICAN DHARMA, Morris proposes that even for those who disagree with Bannon, ignoring him is a dangerous course of action.