Documentary “11/4/08” by Jeff Deutchman, a Review

Recently, I was sent a documentary “11/4/08” which pretty much is made up of a collective of every-day peoples’ videos of the past presidential election. I think it was very interesting to see footage from all parts of the world such as NYC, Chicago, St. Louis, Michigan, New Orleans, L.A, Dubai, Berlin, Texas, Geneva, Paris and New Delhi.

The documentary starts off with the few days before election, when people are urging others to vote. The day of election, people were discussing their feelings such as “it was history being made” and how long the lines have been. We can all agree, to those of us who did vote, there were long lines everywhere as if every one in your neighborhood voted.

There were a few things that really stuck out to me such as in Brooklyn, NY a middle-aged woman was discussing how she was voting for McCain and how she feels Obama will win the election because “people are voting for him because he’s black”. Many of those who were interviewed in the documentary mentioned they were voting for him because Obama “is a black man” but, I agreed more so with these French females who stated that “he is both a black and white man and if he is voted, America will change”. We all know that America is a very racist country, and like many people, feel that Obama’s election may have decreased tensions with in colored people also may move our future in a better way. We can all agree that Obama being elected, the changes he speaks of are not notions that will automatically occur but at least, he has started oiling the rigs, so to say.

When this little boy, Spencer was being interviewed, he adorably said he was “excited” and was “voting for Obama”. It is quite interesting that children were very aware of the election and said they we’re voting, when technically they are not of age. Does this mean that future generations are much more eager to register and vote? Also, another interesting snippet is when the person recording called their mother “mommy poo” on their cell. They were discussing her conversation that day she had with Bill Clinton. Also, she mentioned that Starbucks was giving away free coffee, the documentary forwards to a few younger white males going into Starbucks and when one guy says “I heard”; just as he said it, the counter fixes him free coffee. They also discussed that it isn’t really legal to give free things to people who voted but when trying to interview the Starbucks worker, he said that their company doesn’t let you film.

In Dubai, a female was first discussing how she feels that the election will not change anything in her life because “America already got what they wanted from Iraq”. In speaking with two other Dubai youth, one male and one female, they both stated they hope Obama is elected because they feel that he will make America “more sympathetic to Muslims and other cultures in the world”.

Footage continues after election, through the counting process and places all over the world celebrating the newly elected President of the United States, Barack Obama. I really enjoyed the footage of people dancing in the street and celebrating. In Brooklyn, NY there was such a huge crowd with police monitoring the people dancing and singing.

This documentary is not yet finished and the director is asking for your footage!

Pady Naidu