Directed by Bob Hercules, Senator Obama Goes to Africa follows the presidential candidate on his 2006 trip through Kenya, South Africa, and the refugee camps of Darfur (located on the border between Chad and Sudan). In his fathers home village of Kisumu, he meets his half sister, Auma Obama, has an emotional reunion with his grandmother, and visits family gravesites. Evident in Africans reactions to his speeches is Obamas appeal as a populist. He meets with political leaders, middle-class entrepreneurs, and those who dwell in slums and shantytowns, all of whom are drawn to his charismatic oration and message. You can almost see here the genesis of his current stump speeches and campaign style. JACOB CASEY
Sat., April 26, 8 & 10 p.m., 2008
