Production has begun on an HBO documentary about Sen. John Sidney McCain, III, described as “an illuminating, exclusive profile of one of the most influential forces in modern American politics.”     The film will be produced and directed by six-time Emmy(R) winner Peter Kunhardt (HBO’s “Jim: The James Foley Story,” “King in the Wilderness”), along with Emmy(R) winners George Kunhardt and Teddy Kunhardt of Kunhardt Films.

Serving 31 years, the six-term senior Arizona senator agreed to participate in the film shortly after being diagnosed with brain cancer, providing unprecedented access to his daily life in Washington, D.C. and Sedona, Ariz. The film also features interviews with family, friends, colleagues and leading political figures.

This sweeping account combines the senator’s own voice, culled from original interviews, commentary and speeches, with archival newsreel and television footage and previously unseen home movies and photographs. What emerges is a portrait of an American maverick who has kept his eye on on the most important American goals.

“Through the years, John has rightly earned the reputation as an American hero,” says Peter Kunhardt. “In the final chapter of his life, he is reminding this generation of what government can and should look like.”

John McCain’s recent battle with brain cancer underscores the fighting spirit and resilience of this remarkable man, who continues to crusade for the causes he believes in, despite advancing health issues and daunting odds.

Kunhardt Films’ previous HBO credits include the recent “King in the Wilderness,” the Emmy(R) winner “Jim: The James Foley Story,” the PGA nominee “The Newspaperman: The Life and Times of Ben Bradlee,” “Becoming Warren Buffett,” the Emmy(R) nominee “Nixon by Nixon: In His Own Words,” the Emmy(R) nominee “Gloria: In Her Own Words” and the Emmy(R) winner “Teddy: In His Own Words.”