'Going Upriver: The Long War of John Kerry'; Kerry Documentary

[The Straight Story]

'Going Upriver: The Long War of John Kerry'; Kerry Documentary Defines Vietnam Era and the Role of John Kerry

9/9/2004 1:07:00 PM


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To: National Desk, Entertainment, Film and Political reporters

Contact: Ken Sunshine or Keleigh Thomas, 212-691-2800 both of Ken Sunshine Consultants

NEW YORK, Sept. 9 /U.S. Newswire/ -- With the election fast approaching and political documentaries flooding the market place, one film stands out among the rest -- Going Upriver: The Long War of John Kerry. Helmed by award-winning Director George Butler, best known for the Arnold Schwarzenegger documentary "Pumping Iron", "The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition" and a close personal friend of Kerry's for over 40 years, "Going Upriver" shows John Kerry in a manner unseen by the general public until now.

Set to make its Worldwide Premiere on Tuesday Sept. 14, at the Toronto Film Festival, the film will be released stateside in select theaters nationwide by THINKfilm on Oct. 1. "I encourage everyone -- Republican or Democrat -- to see this film," said George Butler, director of the film. "This film is as much about an era and the role a devastating war played in dividing our country, as it is about one man. Given our current political climate and involvement abroad, the film is extremely timely and, in my opinion, will resonate on many different levels with the general public, despite political affiliation."

"Going Upriver: The Long War of John Kerry" traces Kerry's early life as a young man who chooses to enlist in the Navy, eventually volunteering to go to Vietnam. The film reveals intimate, first person accounts of Kerry's war service through his own private letters, his journal, and the words and images of the men who served with him. When Kerry came home disillusioned by the war, he and his fellow Vietnam Veterans challenged Congress and the Nixon administration. As Kerry became a nationally known anti-war activist, the Nixon White House plotted to discredit his leadership, but significantly could find "nothing on him," as Colson reveals via Watergate tapes, which are heard in the film. These highly public forays into social activism might have undermined any hope Kerry had of entering the political arena. And yet, John Kerry is now running for President of the United States after a long and active political career.

The film, which also includes previously unheard excerpts of an interview Butler did with Kerry in 1970, was privately financed by a number of individuals comprised of both Democrats and Republicans, and was the vision of George Butler who began photographing and filming Kerry when both were young men in school.

It was the striking impression Kerry made on Butler that influenced him to begin covering his life, as he was convinced Kerry would one day be president. Much of this material is present in the film and has never before been seen by the general public.

Distributor THINKFilm is well poised to release the film just having come off of distributing last year's documentary sensation, "Spellbound" garnering the company its first Oscar nomination and becoming one of the highest grossing documentaries of all time. In addition to THINK, Palisades Pictures and Executive Producer, Vin Roberti, have committed upwards of $1,000,000 to support the P & A fund for the film.


http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=35920