Death of a President

We are the production and claims counsel for what promises to be the most hotly debated motion picture of 2006. From our clients Channel 4 Television and Borough Films, and directed by the acclaimed Gabriel Range, the film includes the fictional assassination of President George W. Bush. Toronto Film Festival Director Noah Cowan has called it "easily the most dangerous and breathtakingly original film I have encountered this year."

Excerpts from, The New York Times, “British TV Movie Imagines Assassination of Bush,” by Sarah Lyall, September 1, 2006

The time is October 2007, and America is in anguish, rent by the war in Iraq and by a combustive restiveness at home. Leaving a hotel in Chicago after making a speech while a huge antiwar protest rages nearby, President Bush is suddenly struck down, killed by a sniper’s bullet.

That is the arresting beginning of “Death of a President,” a 90-minute film that is to be broadcast [in the UK] in October on More4, a British digital television station. And while depicting the assassination of a sitting President is provocative in itself, this film is doubly so because it has been made to look like a documentary.

Using archival film as well as computer-generated imagery that, for instance, attaches the President’s face to the body of the actor playing him, the film leaves no doubt that the victim is Mr. Bush rather than some generic President.

“The movie has not yet been released; indeed, the filmmakers were still editing it today and were not available for comment”, said Gavin Dawson, a spokesman for More4. But the station’s announcement this week that it planned to present “Death of a President” as part of its autumn season has raised something of a furor here.

* * *

The United States Embassy here directed calls to the White House, which said: “We won’t dignify this with a response.”

But Peter Dale, the head of More4, said the film was not sensationalistic and did not advocate the assassination of Mr. Bush.

“It has the combination of a gripping forensic narrative and also some very thought-provoking places where you are encouraged to think about the issues behind the narrative,” he said.

The film is to be shown publicly on Sept.10, at the Toronto International Film Festival. After it is broadcast on More4, a digital channel that is free but only available to those with digital television, it will be shown on Channel 4, a non digital channel that is the BBC’s main commercial competitor.

* * *

Mr. Dale said that the focus of the film is on the assassination’s aftermath, as the news media rush to judgment and as investigators plumb America’s fear and anger, particularly in communities with most cause to be angry at Mr. Bush. Suspicion soon focuses on Jamal Abu Zikri, a Syrian-born man.

“The movie”, Mr. Dale said, “is a very powerful examination of what changes are taking place in America” as a result of its foreign policy.”

“I believe that the effects of the wars that are being conducted in Iraq and Afghanistan,” he said, “are being felt in many ways in the multiracial communities in America and Britain, in the number of soldiers who don’t come home, and that people are beginning to ask: ‘When will these body bags stop coming back? Why are we there? When will it stop?’ ”

Two well-regarded films by the same team have used the same pseudo-documentary to imagine the ramifications of disastrous events, but set in Britain. One, “The Day Britain Stopped,” showed Britain’s overstretched transportation system in meltdown after a series of mishaps cripples first the train sand then the roads, leading finally to the point when a passenger jet collides with a freight plane near Heathrow.

Few Britons have criticized “Death of a President,” perhaps wanting to see it before they comment on it. But the newspapers have been quoting upset expatriate Americans.

“It is an appalling way to treat the head of state of another country,” Eric Staal, a spokesman for Republicans Abroad in London, told The Evening Standard. “We’ve seen from early in his Presidency the extremes the political left are willing to go to vilify him as an individual. This takes this vilification to a new and disturbing level.”

But The Daily Mirror, whose front-page headline today was “Bush Whacked,” said in an editorial that while the film was “treading a fine line in terms of taste, it nevertheless provides dramatic food for thought.”

It added: “The undoubted furor that this will spark across the U.S. and among the handful of Bush supporters in Europe must not obscure the real question facing us all: Where is the War on Terror going? And how bad does it have to get before it gets better?”

(http://www.nytimes.com/ )

Excerpts from The Los Angeles Times, “CAUSE CELÉBRÈ -- Bush film: Original or Outrageous? -- 'Death of a President' Lights Up the Blogo sphere in Advance of its Toronto Film Festival premiere,” by Tina Daunt, September 1, 2006

A new film mixing archival footage and computer-generated special effects to portray the fictional assassination of President George W. Bush will premiere Sept. 10 at the prestigious Toronto Film Festival - and is already kicking off a firestorm of controversy.

British filmmaker Gabriel Range said "Death of a President" - which is done in a retrospective documentary that has been described as eerily real - is intended to be a thought-provoking critique of the current political landscape.

"It's a striking premise," Range conceded in a statement. "But it's a serious film which I hope will open up the debate on where current U.S. foreign and domestic policies are taking us."

In the film, President Bush prepares to deliver a speech to business leaders in Chicago, where he is confronted by a massive antiwar demonstration. Unperturbed, Bush goes ahead with the visit, but as he leaves the venue, he is gunned down by a sniper. While the nation mourns, the hunt for his killer - a Syrian-born gunman - swings into action. Range said he reviewed hundreds of hours of footage of Bush to make the film as realistic as possible.

A call to the White House for comment was not immediately returned. Festival officials were unavailable for comment on Thursday, but festival director Noah Cowan praised the film in a posting on the festival's website: "This is easily the most dangerous and breath takingly original film I have encountered this year."

And it may be the year's most hotly debated film as well: The public relations firm representing the movie has been flooded with calls from media around the globe, and blogs are already lighting up with debate about the appropriateness of the subject matter.

(http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/ )

Excerpts from the Web Site for The Toronto Film Festival

An unknown gunman assassinates George W. Bush. A couple of years later, an investigative documentary are made. It features all the people involved that fateful day: the protestors outside a Chicago hotel; the suspects in the shooting and their families; the Secret Service men who failed to protect their charge; the press; and an array of experts, desperately seeking meaning in this horrible act of violence. We learn, agonizingly, what happened to America… after the death of a President.

“This is easily the most dangerous and breathtakingly original film I have encountered this year”. Director Gabriel Range’s 2003 project The Day Britain Stopped – which asked what might happen if Britain’s transportation grid was suddenly halted – was his first experiment with this . He assembles a vast array of media, manipulating and subtly altering it to act as a continuous background illustration of falsified history – and then employs the conventional, after-the-fact of History Television and its ilk as narration.

But it’s a long leap from Britain’s trains to a gunned-down Commander-in-Chief. Range is up to the task: collaborating with some of the finest special effects wizards in the world, he inserts his characters seamlessly into existing footage. His narrative is also airtight. Cautionary tales are too often flights of fancy; as they push the envelope of credibility, the lessons gleaned from dark speculation become somehow tarnished. Not here, every moment is completely believable, every comment is somehow appropriate – to the point of chilling, horrifying certainty.

As one might expect, Range is ultimately interested in addressing today’s political issues through the lens of the future. Xenophobia, the hidden costs of war and the nature of civil liberties in a hyper-media age all come under the microscope. The film is never a personal attack on Bush; Range simply seeks to explore the potential consequences that might follow from the President’s policies and actions.

It is the very technique of D.O.A.P., finally, that poses the most haunting questions of all. Not only do we feel the authenticity of mass media imagery slipping away, but Range suggests that his manipulation is merely a more radical example of what we encounter every day.

-- Noah Cohen

(http://www.e.bell.ca/filmfest/2006/films_schedules/ )

Excerpts from ABC News and Reuters report, “UK drama paints fictional assassination of Bush,” September 1, 2006

British public broadcaster Channel 4 is courting controversy with what it calls a "shockingly real" drama about the fictional assassination of President George W. Bush.

"Death of a President," shot in the form of a documentary examining the assassination, will use a blend of archival footage and computer-generated special effects to portray Bush in October 2007 arriving in Chicago during an anti-war rally.

In the film, Bush is killed by a sniper, and the investigation quickly focuses on a Syrian-born man.

"It's a pointed political examination of what the war on terror is doing to the American body politic," said More4 boss Peter Dale at a press conference on Thursday.

Promotional materials described the program as "a thought-provoking critique of the contemporary U.S. political landscape."

Dale acknowledged that the program will be controversial, but maintained that it was a sophisticated work meant to spur debate.

"I'm sure there will be people upset by it," he said. "I hope people will see the intention as a good one."

* * *

More4's autumn schedule also includes "The Trial of Tony Blair," a satirical program about the future resignation of the British Prime Minister.

(http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory?id=2378382 )

Excerpts from The Daily Mail, “President Bush 'Assassinated' in New TV Docudrama,”by Nicole Lampert, 31 August, 2006

Held up by a secret service bodyguard in his dying moments after being shot in the stomach, this is President Bush being assassinated.

* * *

In “Death of a President,” which will premiere at the Toronto Film Festival later this month before being shown on Channel 4's satellite channel More4 in October, the assassination is a starting point for a retrospective fictional documentary about what happened next.

This scene, which was created by putting the President's face onto an actor with digital wizardry, shows him being gunned down just hours after driving past an anti-war demonstration while doing a talk in Chicago.

The two hour drama, in which events are 're-created' by the use of footage and interviews, shows the media storm around the War on Terror as Muslims are fingered as the culprits before there is any evidence.

In the wake of the assassination, authorities focus on a Syrian-born man in the search for the culprit.

“In the hunt for the killer, this will show how America has been affected by the War on Terror,” said a spokesman. “It is about the polarization of America in all the events post 9/11.”

* * *

[A] White House spokesman said: 'This does not dignify a comment (sic).'

The film, which Channel 4 describes as 'a thought-provoking critique of contemporary America' has been written and directed by Gabriel Range.

His previous work includes two docudramas for the BBC; The Day Britain Stopped, a fictional documentary on two planes colliding above London and The Man Who Broke Britain about a city trader who causes a national recession.

“Death of a President” is not the only way More4 will be exploring the impact of the War on Terror, the channel announced at a launch yesterday.

The Trial of Tony Blair, by the makers of the farce A Very Social Secretary, will take a 'darkly humorous' look at what will happen to the Prime Minister after he leaves office. Starring Robert Lindsay as Blair, a role which he also took in A Very Social Secretary about David Blunkett's affair with Kimberly Quinn the show will focus, the drama will kick off with his resignation.

The channel said: 'With Iraq still in turmoil and Gordon Brown in Number 10, The Trial of Tony Blair imagines how political events - now beyond his control - may shape both his future and his place in history….'

(http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/ )

Excerpts from The Daily Kos, “Info on ‘Death of a President,’ British TV Program on Bush Murder,” by route66, Aug 31, 2006

The tricky part is writing the title; just reporting an interesting news story, not advocating, so Freepers, just chill... (Wouldn’t the result put Cheney in charge anyway?)

...even typing the word 'assassination' in the tag search conjures up an image of a sweating John Poindexter poring over internet search records...

Anyhow, here's the story: Channel 4, a competitor of the BBC has produced a television program depicting the assassination of President Bush.  Set in the Fall of 2007, the show features realistic looking footage of an attack by a gunman in the lobby of a Chicago hotel.

[From] http://www.timesonline.co.uk/...

The producers of the show are interested in selling the rights to a US broadcaster and that's where the controversy is headed.  Freedom of speech meets head on with what is most likely one of the most taboo subjects, although the United States has seen its fair share of both completed and attempted Presidential assassinations during its history, most recent being the attempt on President Reagan by John Hinckley.

“Death of a President” uses digital trickery, archive footage and actors to imagine the murder of President Bush and the descent into national paranoia which follows.

* * *

The film is set next autumn, when "US foreign and domestic policies have polarized the country's electorate". Arriving in Chicago to make a speech to business leaders, the President is confronted by a large anti-war demonstration.

Unperturbed, the President goes ahead with his visit. But as he leaves he is gunned down by a sniper. While a nation mourns, the "state apparatus" turns its attention to the hunt for his killer. A Syrian-born man is identified but the truth may lie closer to home.

* * *

So, the question is, can the US handle this bit of creativity at this point in time? ….

(http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/8/31/162818/807 )

Excerpts from Scotland on Sunday President Bush is an easy target for assassination by Alex Massie, September 3, 2006

WHAT'S less surprising? The fact that many Americans are upset by a film depicting the assassination of President George W Bush or the fact that the film is being broadcast by More4, an offshoot of Channel 4, the home of "radical", "edgy" and "dangerous" thinking that very oddly so often matches the conventional wisdom parroted at London's most fashionably predictable dinner parties?

* * *

In any case, the hysterical fear of 'copycat' killing would require one to condemn and support a ban on J D Salinger's Catcher In The Rye - a favourite of John Hinckley, who attempted to assassinate Ronald Reagan - or the book that Bush, somewhat surprisingly, has been reading this summer, Albert Camus' The Outsider. We have, in any case, been here already. Nicholson Baker's 2004 novel Checkpoint featured a protagonist who spends his waking hours fantasising about assassinating Bush. Admittedly, I'm not sure anyone still bothers to read Baker but presumably some nut might get an idea into his head from doing so.

More4's Peter Dale says the film "raises questions about the effects of American foreign policy, and particularly the war on terror". I think we know what those "questions" are: Would America have brought this upon itself? Isn't a bully with a bloody nose still a bully? Wouldn't the killing be justified or, failing that, wouldn't it be understandable?

The film is, says Dale, "a pointed political examination of what the war on terror did to the American body politic. I'm sure that there will be people who will be upset by it but when you watch it, you realise what a sophisticated piece of work it is".

There is nothing wrong with partisan or provocative film-making. But it is interesting to note what subjects are chosen for this sort of agit-prop. Can you imagine, for instance, Channel 4 commissioning a movie in which Hamas or Hezbollah leaders were shot dead by an Israeli civilian sniper? Would that sort of film "raise questions" or be a "pointed political examination" of the "effects" of terrorism and the anti-semitic pathology afflicting much of the Arab world? If you can imagine Channel 4 or the BBC broadcasting such a film then I'm afraid you may be a fantasist.

Still, I hope “Death of a President” is shown in the US (though, alas, the media and political harpies that thrive on this sort of thing may bully any broadcaster from buying the film). If nothing else such a screening would be a welcome endorsement of the First Amendment. Try getting a distributor in Cairo or Damascus for a film "understanding" the murder of Hosni Mubarak or Bashar Assad.

http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/opinion.cfm?id=1300832006

Excerpt from The Times of India, “Death of a President.” 1 Sept 2006:

LONDON: British television channel More4 plans to broadcast a dramatic film, documentary-style, about a fictional assassination of US President George W. Bush, the network's head said Thursday.

The program uses actors and digital manipulation of real footage to show a fictional account of Bush being gunned down after delivering a speech in Chicago, Peter Dale, the head of More4, told a news conference.

* * *

``It's an extraordinarily gripping and powerful piece of work, a drama constructed like a documentary that looks back at the assassination of George Bush as the starting point for a very gripping detective story,'' Dale told reporters.

``It's a pointed political examination of what the war on terror did to the American body politic,'' he said.

Dale said he expected the film would upset some, but defended it as a sophisticated piece of work.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articlesshow/1947976.cms

Excerpt from The Evening Standard, “President Bush ‘Assassinated’ in New TV Docudrama,” August 31, 2006

Held up by a secret service bodyguard in his dying moments after being shot in the stomach, this is President Bush being assassinated.

Surrounded by a crowd of panicking onlookers, the American leader is pictured just seconds after being gunned down by a sniper following an anti-war demonstration.

But rather than a repeat of JFK's shooting or Ronald Reagan's attempted assassination, this shocking image is part of a new Channel Four show.

The dramatic scene, which has caused outrage among Americans, has been created by a British film company for a programme about the effect of the War on Terror.

In “Death of a President”, which will premiere at the Toronto Film Festival later this month (SEPT) before being shown on Channel 4's satellite channel More4 in October, the assassination is a starting point for a retrospective fictional documentary about what happened next.

This scene, which was created by putting the President's face onto an actor with digital wizardry, shows him being gunned down just hours after driving past an anti-war demonstration while doing a talk in Chicago.

The two hour drama, in which events are 're-created' by the use of footage and interviews, shows the media storm around the War on Terror as Muslims are fingered as the culprits before there is any evidence.

In the wake of the assassination, authorities focus on a Syrian-born man in the search for the culprit.

'In the hunt for the killer, this will show how America has been affected by the War on Terror,' said a spokesman. 'It is about the polarization of America in all the events post 9/11.'

The film, which Channel 4 describes as 'a thought-provoking critique of contemporary America' has been written and directed by Gabriel Range.

* * *

“Death of a President” is not the only way More4 will be exploring the impact of the War on Terror, the channel announced at a launch yesterday.

The Trial of Tony Blair, by the makers of the farce A Very Social Secretary, will take a 'darkly humorous' look at what will happen to the Prime Minister after he leaves office.
Starring Robert Lindsay as Blair, a role which he also took in A Very Social Secretary about David Blunkett's affair with Kimberly Quinn the show will focus, the drama will kick off with his resignation.

The channel said: 'With Iraq still in turmoil and Gordon Brown in Number 10, The Trial of Tony Blair imagines how political events - now beyond his control - may shape both his future and his place in history.'

Other shows will include a real documentary on Iraq starring Saddam Hussein's daughter Raghad and Pamela Stephenson conducting 'psychological interviews' with the Duchess of York and Stephen Fry.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/

Excerpt from The Guardian, “More4 risks US ire with Bush assassination film,” by Jason Deans, August 31, 2006

Digital channel More4 will court controversy once again this autumn with a fictional piece, shot as a documentary, about the assassination of the US President, George Bush.

“Death of a President” seems certain to cause a furor on the other side of the Atlantic when it is premiered at the Toronto film festival next month.

* * *

The drama takes the form of a fictional documentary looking back at the assassination of Mr. Bush in October 2007, after he has delivered a speech to business leaders in Chicago.

Actors play the fictional secret service agents and other aides who are with Mr. Bush when he is shot and recall the incident in interviews recorded for the retrospective documentary.

“Death of a President” also looks at the differing viewpoints of the pro- and anti-Iraq war lobbies and the impact of Mr. Bush's war on terror on the US.

"I'm sure there will be people who are upset by it. But when you watch it, you realize what a sophisticated piece of work it is," said Peter Dale, the head of More4.

"It's not sensational or simplistic, it's thought provoking."

“Death of a President” has been made by Borough Films. It has been produced by Gabriel Range, Simon Finch and Ed Guiney.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,,1862190,00.html#article_continue

Excerpt from The Los Angeles Times, “Death of a President Comes to Britain,” by Tina Daunt, September 4, 2006

A British cable network plans to broadcast a controversial new film that depicts the fictional assassination of President George W. Bush.

The head of More4 says it will air "Death of a President," by British filmmaker Gabriel Range, on Oct. 9. The film makes its premiere at the prestigious Toronto Film Festival on Sept. 10. So far, no one has picked up the rights to show the 90-minute movie in the U.S. The film combines archival footage of Bush as well as computer generated images, and does so in a way that, some say, makes the assassination scene look shockingly real.

"It's an extraordinarily gripping and powerful piece of work, a drama constructed like a documentary that looks back at the assassination of George Bush as the starting point for a very gripping detective story," Dale told reporters in London. "It's a pointed political examination of what the war on terror did to the American body politic." He said the movie is "not sensationalistic or simplistic but a very thought-provoking, powerful drama." Dale added: "I hope people will see that the intention behind it is good."

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/

Excerpt from Canada Free Press, “Death of a President,” by Judy McLeod, September 1, 2006

Reality rarely, if ever, drops in on the folks in the glitzy film industry.

In a myriad of modern day terrorist attacks, not a single movie star got the final curtain call, or was ever maimed.

On the same day we plebes got to hear about the death of Quebec-born movie giant Glen Ford, another shock-u-mentary was being announced. The British inspired “Death of a President” will be shown next week at the Toronto Film Festival. It is also set to be aired on TV in October 2007. Since the crowning drama of “Death of a President” is the assassination of President George W. Bush, legions will tune in when it's released overseas, and it's all but a guarantee that the left-leaning Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) will televise plenty of re-runs.

Brit Peter Dale, head of More4, which is due to air the film on Oct. 9, describes the drama as a "thought-provoking critique" of contemporary U.S. society. (Evening Standard, Aug. 31, 2006).

"It's a pointed political examination of what the War on Terror did to the American body politic."

In real time in real life, George Bush is still in the White House and in the peak of good health. And he's going to be in the White House for the next two years.

But if that's too much to take, you can always stop pouting, ditch your shrink and watch him get blown away in “Death of a President”. . . .

http://www.canadafreepress.com/2006/judi-mcleod090106.htm

Excerpt from The San Francisco Chronicle, “Britain abuzz over film depicting killing of Bush 'Death of President,'”by Kenneth Sullivan, September 2, 2006

Nearly every British newspaper Friday carried photos of the assassination of President Bush -- or at least the eerily realistic depiction of it from a new documentary-style television film that is causing uproar in Britain.

* * *

"It's a disturbing film," said Peter Dale, head of More4, the television channel that will broadcast the film next month, after its Sept. 10 premiere at the Toronto Film Festival.

"It raises questions about the effects of American foreign policy, and particularly the war on terror," said Dale, who denied criticism that the film made an anti-Bush or anti-American political statement. "It's a fairly attention-grabbing premise, but behind that is a serious and thought-provoking film."

Dale said the assassination scene, which comes about 10 minutes into the 90-minute film, is a glimpse rather than "a gratuitously lengthy-gazing kind of scene." He said it was "very small in comparison to the blood and death we see daily in the news" from Iraq.

"We know some people are going to be offended," Dale said. "But you always risk offending people when you open people's eyes to the way the world is. Sometimes the truth is a bit unpalatable."

Britons awoke Friday morning to see their morning newspapers carrying a black-and-white promotional photo, with a sort of Dallas-in-1963 feel, showing a mortally wounded Bush dying in a Secret Service agent's arms. Other agents draw guns, cameras flash, and people dive for cover in the photo, which was an actual filmed scene with Bush's head added later to an actor's body by computer.

Dale defended the use of Bush's image, rather than a fictional President, because using a fictional character "wouldn't have the same kind of resonance."

"It's absolutely legitimate to deal with contemporary named figures," he said. "I would urge people to see the film and see if they think it is fair."

More4 is one of three satellite channels affiliated with Channel 4, a major independent television channel in Britain.

The channel has made a name for itself with controversial films, such as last year's "A Very Social Secretary," a biting satire about former cabinet minister David Blunkett's affair with a British magazine editor.

Prime Minister Tony Blair will get a roasting of his own in November, when the channel plans to air the comedy, "The Trial of Tony Blair." Dale said the film was a satire depicting Blair's life after he leaves office, including an arrest on charges of waging an illegal war in Iraq.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/09/02/MNGL5KU7MO1.DTL

Excerpt from CTV News, “Bush 'whacked' in edgy British documentary,” by Mary Nersessian, September 1, 2006

An edgy British film about the fictional assassination of U.S. President George Bush is kicking off a firestorm of controversy ahead of its screening at the Toronto International Film Festival.

The listing of “Death of a President,” which has not been screened for the press, has been posted on the festival website under the low-key acronym of D.O.A.P.

The film is shot in the form of a documentary, using a blend of archival footage and computer-generated special effects to tell the tale of a President's assassination.

In the feature-length film, Bush is confronted by a large anti-war rally when he arrives in Chicago in October 2007 to make a speech to business leaders.

Bush is unperturbed by the demonstration and goes ahead with the visit, and is gunned down by a sniper as he leaves the venue.

The ensuing hysteria is further inflamed when the investigation by the "state apparatus" quickly turns its attention on a Syrian-born man.

* * *

"It's a pointed political examination of what the war on terror is doing to the American body politic," More4 boss Peter Dale said at a press conference on Thursday.

Promotional materials described the film as "a thought-provoking critique of the contemporary U.S. Political landscape."

Dale conceded that the program will be controversial but maintained that it was a work meant to provoke debate.

"I'm sure there will be people upset by it," he said. "I hope people will see the intention as a good one."

Director Gabriel Range denied charges of sensationalism.

"The film is based on meticulous research and interviews with FBI agents and people on the other side of the war on terror," he told The Times.

"It is a serious and sensitive film. There is no way it would encourage anyone to assassinate Bush and usher in Cheney's America," said Range, whose 2003 television movie "The Day Britain Stopped" showed what might happen if the country's transportation network ground to a halt.

Festival co-director Noah Cowan praises the film in a posting on the TIFF website.

"This is easily the most dangerous and breathtakingly original film I have encountered this year," he writes.

But he contends that the film does not launch a personal attack against Bush.

"Range simply seeks to explore the potential consequences that might follow from the President's policies and actions," Cowan says.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/

Excerpt from The Hollywood Reporter, “Brits to Premiere ‘Death of A President’ this Month,” by Robert Falconer, September 1, 2006

A new fictional documentary that portrays the assassination of President George W. Bush in 2007 is stirring up quite a controversy. UK broadcaster Channel 4, who made the mock documentary, said it explores the effects of the War on Terror on U.S. society.

"Death of a President" uses digital trickery, archive footage and actors to imagine the murder of Mr. Bush and the descent into national paranoia that follows.

The 90-minute film shows Mr. Bush being targeted by a sniper during an anti-war rally in Chicago in 2007.

He is confronted by a demonstration when he arrives in the city to deliver a speech to business leaders and is shot as he leaves the venue.

The ensuing investigation focuses on a Syrian-born man.

* * *

There will be people who will be upset by it but when you watch it you realize what a sophisticated piece of work it is Peter Dale, head of More4, described it as a "thought-provoking critique" of contemporary US society.

He said: "it's an extraordinarily gripping and powerful piece of work, a drama constructed like a documentary that looks back at the assassination of George Bush as the starting point for a very gripping detective story.

"It's a pointed political examination of what the War on Terror did to the American body politic.

"I'm sure that there will be people who will be upset by it but when you watch it you realize what a sophisticated piece of work it is.

"It's not sensationalist or simplistic but a very thought-provoking, powerful drama. I hope people will see that the intention behind it is good."

Producers of the film, which is directed by Gabriel Range, hope to sell the broadcast rights to the US.

"Inevitably there will be people offended by the premise," Range said. “But anyone who does see the film will recognize that it's not a personal attack on Bush but an oblique way of exploring the direction his foreign policies has taken us” . . . .

http://www.hollywoodnorthreport.com/article.php?Article=3437

Excerpt from The Times (UK), “US networks offered UK drama on Bush assassination,” by Adam Sherwin, August 31, 2006

It was the shot that echoed around the world - President Bush is assassinated by a fanatical sniper in the bowels of a Chicago hotel.

“Death of a President” uses digital trickery, archive footage and actors to imagine the murder of President Bush and the descent into national paranoia which follows.

* * *

The film is set next autumn, when "US foreign and domestic policies have polarized the country’s electorate". Arriving in Chicago to make a speech to business leaders, the President is confronted by a large anti-war demonstration.

Unperturbed, the President goes ahead with his visit. But as he leaves he is gunned down by a sniper. While a nation mourns, the "state apparatus" turns its attention to the hunt for his killer. A Syrian-born man is identified but the truth may lie closer to home.

The assassination scene explicitly recalls the attempt on President Reagan’s life in 1981. John Hinckley fired six shots at close range as the President left the Washington Hilton hotel.

The film is directed by Gabriel Range, who made the acclaimed BBC drama The Day Britain Stopped, which imagined a chain of events which could paralyze the UK’s transport infrastructure.

Mr. Range told The Times: "We studied hours and hours of footage of Bush. The scenes are created by a mixture of special effects, stock footage and digitally compositing our actors onto the archive of Bush."

Mr. Range secured permits to film the murder scene on location in a Chicago hotel.

He denied charges of sensationalism. "The film is based on meticulous research and interviews with FBI agents and people on the other side of the war on terror," he said.

"It is a serious and sensitive film. There is no way it would encourage anyone to assassinate Bush and usher in Cheney’s America."

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2336960,00.html

Excerpt from The Telegraph, “How Channel 4 assassinated President Bush,” by Robert Colville, September 1, 2006.

Channel 4 was criticized last night over a "docudrama" that shows George W Bush becoming the fifth President of the United States to die at the hands of an assassin.

The channel's programme, “Death of a President”, looks back on the events of October 2007, when America has become even further polarized by the President's policies and the War on Terror.

* * *

The 90-minute film mixes archive footage with staged scenes. For the assassination, President Bush's head has been grafted on to an actor's using computer-generated imagery. It will be shown on Oct 9 on the digital channel More4, after a premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sept 10. Peter Dale, the channel's controller, said it would use the assassination as a way to examine the effect the War on Terror has had on American – and British – society.

He said: "It's quite clear from the film that the story is a reaction to American foreign policy, in particular the War on Terror and how it's subtly, or quite dramatically, changing the politics and internal culture of America. I'd like people to think at the end of the film about what, domestically, could be the consequences of our involvement in the Middle East."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/09/01/nbush01.xml

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