A disgraced former congressman attempts to resurrect his political career in Weiner. Anthony Weiner was a seven-time congressman, who was forced to resign following a scandal involving him texting risque pictures to women. Two years later, Weiner tries to move on and run for mayor of New York City. Despite an early lead in the polls, things begin to go horribly wrong when a new sexting scandal arises.
Weiner is a documentary that begins about Anthony Weiner's political resurrection and turns into his own personal tragedy. As the victim of not one, but two sexting scandals, Weiner is turned into the punching bag by the media, though he stubbornly remains in the mayoral race, hoping that he can move past the controversy with his head held high. At the sidelines is his silently suffering wife Huma Abedin, an aide for Hilary Clinton, whose own career might be in jeopardy as a result of this scandal.
Weiner is a quite fascinating behind-the-scenes look at this disgraced politician. It is quite easy to feel sympathy for Anthony Weiner, as the media completely vilifies him and effectively destroys a run for mayor that surprisingly started off strong. However, Weiner's highly confrontational manner only results in worsening the situation he finds himself in, with both his wife and staff second-guessing their loyalty to him. It is quite amazing that the filmmakers were present to see this self-destruction take place, which is what makes Weiner a political documentary worth checking out.
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Screenings:
- Friday, April 29, 3:30 PM – Isabel Bader Theatre
- Saturday, April 30, 1:00 PM – Bloor Hot Docs Cinema
- Friday, May 6, 6:30 PM – Bloor Hot Docs Cinema
