Special Preview +Q&A: Bhutto
115 mins/2010/ US, Pak, UK/ Dir. Duane Baughman and Johnny O’Hara
As the first woman to lead an Islamic nation, former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto’s life story unfolds like a tale of Shakespearean dimensions.
Educated at Harvard and Oxford, Bhutto evolved from pampered princess to polarizing politician battling tradition and terrorism in the most dangerous country on Earth. Her father, the first democratically elected president of Pakistan, chose Benazir over his eldest son to carry his political mantle. Accused of rampant corruption, imprisoned, then exiled abroad, Bhutto was called back in 2007 as her country’s only hope for democracy. When she was struck down by an assassin, her untimely death sent shock waves throughout the world, transforming Bhutto from political messiah to a martyr in the eyes of the common people. With exclusive interviews from the Bhutto family and never-before-seen footage, filmmakers Duane Baughman and Johnny O’Hara have crafted a sweeping epic of a transcendent, yet polarizing, figure whose legacy will be debated for years to come.
Plus a Q&A with director Duane Baughman and producer and Mark Siegel who was also Benazir Bhutto’s US political adviser.
Official selection at the Sundance Film Festival 2010
Winner of Special Jury Award for Outstanding Historical Documentary, The Sonoma International Film Festival 2010
Duane Baughman, Producer/Director
Duane Baughman is the owner and founder of the San Francisco-based Yellow Pad Productions, through which he produced and funded the 2010 Sundance Film Festival feature-length documentary selection BHUTTO. He is the owner of the nationally regarded political direct mail firm, The Baughman Company which has been responsible for helping elect Michael R. Bloomberg mayor of New York City, and the historic presidential campaign of another barrier-breaking woman, Hillary Clinton.
Mark Siegel, Producer
Pakistan expert Mark Siegel, a partner at Locke Lord Strategies, has a vast political resume’ that includes serving as Deputy Assistant to President Jimmy Carter, Assistant to former Senator and Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey and Executive Director of the Democratic National Committee. Mark assisted Benazir Bhutto in updating her autobiography, “Daughter of Destiny” in 2007 and co-authored with her the international best selling book “Reconciliation: Islam, Democracy, and the West” shortly before her death. He frequently appears on television as a political analyst, and was a guest on THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART interviewed about his book and friendship with Ms. Bhutto. During three Democratic National Conventions, Siegel served as political consultant to the late longtime CBS News anchor and newsman Walter Cronkite. A prominent speechwriter, he has written for Presidents, Vice Presidents, Senators, Congressmen and corporate executives as well as international dignitaries.