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SFFILM Festival

Weiner

Directed by Josh Kriegman, Elyse Steinberg

USA | 96

25 Apr
Mon, Apr 25, 2016 at 3:45 pm PT

Description

He was a political firebrand and up-and-coming MVP in the Democratic Party—until underwear selfies and provocative texts to women not his wife turned Congressman Anthony Weiner from a serious contender to a late-night talk show punch line. Fast-forward two years, and the now ex-US representative from New York’s 9th District is planning a run for mayor. His former chief of staff-turned-documentarian Josh Kriegman tags along with a camera to capture the campaign, as Weiner begins to win back the public’s trust and surge in the polls. Then along come revelations of further sexting incidents, and what started as a chronicle of an unlikely comeback becomes a portrait of a political car wreck in progress. Kriegman and co-director Elyse Steinberg (The Trial of Saddam Hussein) drop the viewer right into the eye of the storm as aides scramble to control the spin of this media-fueled scandal and an increasingly combative Weiner keeps hitting the self-destruct button. The longer one watches the candidate grimace through jokes about his online persona “Carlos Danger” while his resolute spouse—Clinton power-player Huma Abedin—goes into Good Wife mode, the more Weiner serves as a reminder that, in the age of 24-hour news cycles, there really are no second acts in American life. —David Fear

Director Josh Kriegman, Elyse Steinberg

A political consultant and the former chief of staff for Congressman Anthony Weiner, Josh Kriegman has produced episodes of the public-television news program Need to Know and MTV’s Made. Weiner is his directorial debut.

Elyse Steinberg has produced episodes of the docuseries The First 48 for A&E and the public television news program Need to Know and directed the TV documentary The Trial of Saddam Hussein (2008). She’s the co-founder of Edgeline Films with Mr. Kriegman.

Film Details

Language English

Year 2016

Runtime 96

Country USA

Director Josh Kriegman, Elyse Steinberg

Producer Josh Kriegman, Elyse Steinberg

Editor Eli Despres

Cinematographer Josh Kriegman

Music Jeff Beal