'Obama's America 2016' Movie Producer: People Need to Get Educated
Film producer Gerald R. Molen, best known for his Academy Award-winning Best Picture "Schindler's List," was so impressed with the premise for a movie aimed at showing how President Obama's past life has influenced his political worldview that he did something for the first time in his 55-year career: He produced a documentary.
"This has been kind of a new experience for me, but filmmaking is filmmaking," Molen told The Christian Post in an exclusive interview on Monday.
"Obama's America 2016," which is currently a limited release, examines the question: "If Obama wins a second term, where will we be in 2016?"
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This film is based on two books authored by conservative activist Dinesh D'Souza. One book, The Roots of Obama's Rage (2010), looks at the president's past and the other, Obama's America (released later this month), is about a "look into the future," D'Souza said. Whether the film will be a game-changer in this year's presidential election remains to be seen. However, many of those who have viewed the documentary-style movie are deeply moved, D'Souza told CP recently.
Molen considers himself a fiscal hawk conservative and knew about D'Souza before meeting with him to discuss the making of the movie. He highly respects D'Souza's intellect and fortitude as an immigrant becoming successful in America.
The film shows D'Souza "immersed in exotic locales across four continents" as he "races against time to find answers to Obama's past and reveal where America will be in 2016."
Filmmakers say that during D'Souza's journey "he discovers how Hope and Change became radically misunderstood, and identifies new flashpoints for hot wars in mankind's greatest struggle. The journey moves quickly over the arc of the old colonial empires, into America's empire of liberty, and we see the unfolding realignment of nations and the shape of the global future."
The movie is planned for a wider release within the next few weeks in August, says the film's marketing agency president.
Below is the exclusive interview with Molen.
CP: How did you become involved with the making of "Obama's America 2016?"
Molen: I was contacted by an attorney friend of mine to meet with Dinesh D'Souza. I got in contact with him and had some conversations. I was familiar with his books and totally agree with what he is trying to do, so I got on board.
CP: What kind of impact do you think this movie will make in general and in terms of the election?
Molen: As far as the election, I just don't know. I would like to think that it would have some kind of an impact. The impact that it has had so far on everybody that I've talked to is very complimentary. I've loved the comments that we've received. I think it has made an impact on a lot of people that have seen it. I just hope that we are not just preaching to the choir.
CP: What are your own feelings about the current president and the future election?
Molen: I don't know that the movie was designed to have a direct impact on the election. From a personal standpoint – I'm not speaking for the other filmmakers – yes, of course I hope it has some kind of effect on the election. I'm not happy with the direction that the country is headed in right now. If this film does have an effect – good.
CP: Do you believe in the premise of the movie?
Molen: Absolutely. The debt issue is terrifying. It's a major issue that has been bothering me for some time now. It's a failure of Congress, not just the president, for all this out of whack spending that we have going on. I'm concerned about the plans for the disarmament of the U.S. [In striving towards] a worldwide reduction in nuclear arms it seems that our government is aiming at disarming America. I'm adamantly opposed to that. I'm concerned about Israel and the Middle East and where that's going. I'm not happy about the fact that – from my opinion – Israel has been thrown underneath the bus by this administration. That bothers me. This administration has more support for the Palestinian position than it does the Israeli position.
CP: What political party are you registered to?
Molen: I'm registered as a Republican but I look at myself more as an Independent. In some cases you don't get all the information if you do register as something other than a Republican or a Democrat. I've always prided myself on the fact that I look at all the candidates. I have voted for Democrats in the past. Right now I'm pretty much a fiscal hawk when it comes to conservative values.
CP: Since you've never produced a documentary you must have felt strongly about making this movie. Is that right?
Molen: You are absolutely correct. I do feel very strongly about Dinesh. I'm totally taken by the man as a human being and as a speaker. His intellect is phenomenal. He's a great writer. I respect the fact that he came to this country and looked around and basically said, "Wow! Look at this country. Look at the freedom. Look at the opportunities." He was taken so hard that he's trying to protect it.
CP: What do you hope people who see the movie will come away with?
Molen: I hope that if nothing else they come away with enough desire to want to know more. Hopefully, I want people to walk out of the theater and say, "Wow, I didn't know that." And to just seek the truth, make their own decisions about what is going on in this country, but do the research. Know the facts. Get educated. And when they get educated they are going to get motivated to get involved. There is just too much going on in this country right now that people need to be aware of and need to get involved in the process.
On the Web: http://2016themovie.com.
