Following the nation-wide protests against the murder of George Floyd, elected Mayor of Baltimore Brandon Scott promised to make the city a better place by reducing gun-violence. ‘The Body Politic’ is a documentary following Scott’s first year in office as he introduces plans that will reduce gun-violence happening in the city of Baltimore.
The documentary was screened at the 2023 Sheffield DocFest, gaining the Top 10 Audience Favorites. It has also been screened at other festivals including the Heartland International Film Festival where it won the Documentary Official Selection Audience Choice Award, DC/DOX Film Festival, and the 2024 Atlanta Film Festival.
Release Date
Directed by Gabriel Francis Paz Goodenough, ‘The Body Politic’ opens in New York at DCTV on September 27, 2024 and in Los Angeles at Laemmle North Hollywood on October 18, 2024 followed by a national rollout. The film will have its national streaming premiere on November 25, 2024 at 10pm/9C exclusively on POV on PBS streaming simultaneously in the U.S. on all PBS-branded Apps
Synopsis
‘The Body Politic’ is a harbinger of hope in a country plagued by gun violence. Brandon Scott is a young Mayor who grew up during Baltimore’s most troubling years and sets out, with unyielding idealism, to change the course of his battered and beloved city. He is elected Mayor amid nationwide unrest following the murder of George Floyd. With unfettered access, cameras follow Brandon throughout his first year in office as he introduces an ambitious plan for violence reduction and police reform that he promises will lower the city’s murder rate.
Pundits claim Brandon’s political health and the city’s health are tied to the number 348 – the total murders Baltimore had the previous year, more homicides than New York City, a city 15 times its size. After entering office and barely getting a chance to enact his first safety reforms, violence surges to new highs. As the media and political foes attack his holistic approach, his commitment to his plan and principles put his political future in jeopardy. Will his holistic approach lead to healing and serve as a blueprint for the rest of the nation?
“Telling Mayor Scott’s story of how he’s striving to make an impact in our city of Baltimore amidst the continuing prevalence of gun violence is important to me as a filmmaker and resident of Baltimore,” states director Goodenough. “In the end, we made a film about the healing of our city, a film that hopefully serves as a pathway to healing for the rest of the nation. I am hopeful this film will be an example to inspire others to take action.”
Official Trailer
Watch the official trailer for ‘The Body Politic.’