THE REAGAN SHOW

Synopsis

The Reagan Show is an all-archival documentary about the original performer- president’s role of a lifetime. The film follows Ronald Reagan’s rivalry with the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, tracing how the Communicator-in-Chief used his public relations chops to overcome Soviet mistrust, the objections of a skeptical press corps, and the looming threat of WWIII. Chock full of wit and political irony, and told solely through 1980s network news and videotapes created by the Reagan administration itself, the film explores Reagan’s made-for-TV approach to politics as he faced down the United States’ greatest rival.

Director Biography

Sierra Pettengill produced the award-winning, Cutie and the Boxer, and has worked on Jim Jarmusch’s Gimme Danger, Mike Mills’ 20th Century Women, and Matt Wolf’s Teenage, amongst other films. Pacho Velez’s last film, Manakamana, won a Golden Leopard from the Locarno Film Festival. His earlier work has shown at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and Boston Museum of Fine Art.