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Promo Trailer for Doc Film 'President' Following Zimbabwe's Election

by Alex Billington
February 15, 2021

"Mr. Chamisa - you are the hope for Zimbabwe. Please, do not take that hope away from us." Wow, this looks remarkable. Cinephil Docs released this early festival promo trailer for an impressive documentary film titled President, which just premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival a few weeks ago. The film follows a young, up-and-coming politician and presidential hopeful in Zimbabwe named Nelson Chamisa leading up to their election in 2018. Zimbabwe is at a crossroads. The leader of the opposition MDC party, Mr. Chamisa, challenges the old guard ZANU-PF led by Emmerson Mnangagwa, known as "The Crocodile." The election tests both the ruling party and the opposition. The film just won a World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award at Sundance for "Verite Filmmaking," and it's easy to see why. The footage they have of Chamisa at rallies and events is just remarkable, taking us deep inside a country most are not familiar with.

Here's the festival promo trailer for Camilla Nielsson's documentary President, direct from YouTube:

Description from Sundance: "When Robert Mugabe was removed from power, Zimbabwe military leaders promised they would not seize control for themselves but would ensure democracy in a national election. Against a backdrop of economic crisis, food shortages, and political violence, the stakes could not be higher. Working to defeat the ruling party, the Zimbabwe African National Union–Patriotic Front (ZANU–PF), which has controlled Zimbabwe since independence, is the young and charismatic Nelson Chamisa and the opposition, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) Alliance. After decades of a corrupt group clinging to power using any tool available—legal or not—can a free, fair, and transparent election be truly possible?" President is directed by acclaimed Danish filmmaker Camilla Nielsson, director of the doc films Cities on Speed: Mumbai Disconnected and Democrats previously. This just premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival in the World Doc Competition category. No release is announced - stay tuned for more. Interested?

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