APT Clinches New Deals for Obama Doc

BOSTON, April
2: APT Worldwide has closed new deals in North America, Denmark, Africa and
Germany for its documentary Senator Obama Goes to Africa, which follows the U.S. Senator and
Presidential hopeful Barack Obama as he journeys to the land of his ancestry.

CBC’s
Newsworld has picked up the rights to the television premiere of the film in
North America for its Passionate Eye showcase. Meanwhile, the film was also picked
by DR TV in Denmark, and SABC has secured the African broadcast rights. In
addition, ZDF has acquired some of the exclusive footage from Senator Obama Goes to Africa for use in its documentary
Yes We Can—Das Phänomen Barack Obama (Yes We Can—The
Phenomenon Barack Obama).

From
Bob Hercules, the director of Forgiving Dr. Mengele, the documentary film
chronicles Obama’s journey from Kenya to South Africa to a Darfur refugee camp
in Chad. The heart of Senator Obama Goes to Africa is Obama's homecoming to
Siaya, Kenya—his father's hometown—where thousands of people turn
out to greet him. The documentary also follows Obama as he takes a trip to
Robben Island, the South African prison where Nelson Mandela was jailed for 21
years. Throughout it all, Obama narrates the film, giving his own perspective
on the journey and Africa's significance in the world today. Additional
perspectives are included through interviews with Obama's family members,
experts on African affairs, U.S. political commentators and African citizens.
The film was produced by Chicago-based
Media Process Group.

—By Irene
Lew