US Politics, Trip To Italy Set For Film Series

September 17, 2014

An award-winning documentary about a Barack Obama impersonator and a hilarious culinary road trip to Italy featuring comedians Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon will feature at the Weekend Film Series on September 21.

The Weekend Film Series takes place at the Tradewinds Auditorium of the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute

Bronx Obama, winner of a Best of Fest Award at AFI Docs this summer in Washington DC, tells the entertaining story of unemployed single parent Louis Ortiz, who shaved off his goatee one day in 2008 and found that he looked remarkably similar to the man who was soon to become President of the United States.

The charismatic and likable Ortiz began to make public appearances as the “Bronx Obama”, graduated to low-budget ads and music videos, then appeared in a Japanese film, and on HBO’s Flight of the Conchords.

Bronx Obama trailer:

Taken on by a hard-driving manager who demanded that he become more than a mere ‘lookalike’, Ortiz was soon on the ‘campaign trail’ with Bill Clinton, Mitt Romney, and Donald Trump impersonators.

At times warm, funny and heartfelt, the film is also thoughtful as it explores issues of personal identity, fatherhood, family, and racism in America, while delving deep into the question of what it means to be someone you’re not.

The film screens at 3.00pm on September 21.

At 5.15pm on the same day, The Trip to Italy features comedians Coogan and Brydon in the sequel to their hit film, The Trip. This time, the pair retrace the steps of the Romantic poets’ grand tour of Italy and indulge in some sparkling banter and impersonation-offs.

Official The Trip to Italy trailer:

They enjoy mouthwatering meals in gorgeous settings from Liguria to Capri as the camera captures the idyllic Italian landscape and the gastronomic treasures being prepared and consumed, while keeping the film centred on the crackling chemistry between the two leads.

The Trip to Italy effortlessly melds the brilliant comic interplay between Coogan and Brydon into quieter moments of self-reflection, letting audiences into their insightful ruminations on the nuances of friendship and the juggling of family and career.

Tickets for both films are on sale now at the Oceans Gift Shop, BUEI, or by calling 294-0204.

The Weekend Film Series, sponsored by Gosling’s, is a joint production of Bermuda Documentary Film Festival director Duncan Hall and the BUEI.

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