HBO Max is bringing you the story of the 2020 presidential election, as seen through the eyes of CNN’s female journalists with the new documentary film “On the Trail: Inside the 2020 Primaries.”
The project, which launches Thursday, Aug. 6, “will take viewers on a journey following a team of female journalists as they report on the presidential election that will define a generation.”
Here’s a synopsis of the documentary, a collaboration between CNN Films and HBO Max (both of which are owned by WarnerMedia):
The cinema verité feature reveals the lives and personal grit of veteran journalists and intrepid first-timers, Dana Bash, Kaitlan Collins, Jessica Dean, Daniella Diaz, Annie Grayer, Kyung Lah, MJ Lee, Abby Phillip, Arlette Saenz, and Jasmine Wright, against the backdrop of the volatile 2020 race. Beginning just days prior to the Iowa caucuses, viewers see the journalists pack up and leave their families to fan out across the country, to report on the president and his would-be rivals, as the candidates launch (and end) campaigns, and contend for voters. The film is punctuated with intimate interviews with these journalists, detailing the lives they put on pause back home. They bring their training and life perspectives to the job, while demonstrating what it takes to be a top political reporter in the arena.
Per HBO Max, “With exclusive access to CNN’s political correspondents and embedded campaign journalists, the film reveals a 360⁰, rare view of the intensity and determination essential to pushing through challenges on the road, and manage demands at home. And despite a political season unlike any other, ultimately capped off with a pandemic, these 10 women get the job done.”
“We are incredibly proud to partner with CNN Films to showcase these fearless and impressive female journalists as they navigate the unpredictability of life on the road during the unprecedented 2020 Presidential Primary,” Sarah Aubrey, head of original content for HBO Max, said in a statement. “This is our first CNN Films documentary on the platform and a powerful representation of our commitment to create thought-provoking and deeply meaningful content together.”
“From the beginning, the content teams of HBO Max and CNN Films came together with a strong sense of shared mission,” Amy Entelis, EVP for talent and content development for CNN Worldwide, added. “Katie Hinman and Toby Oppenheimer have made a remarkable film that offers a unique and compelling experience for the viewer, delivering on our goal to make high quality documentaries for HBO Max.”
“On the Trail: Inside the 2020 Primaries” is an HBO Max original documentary produced by CNN Films and executive produced by Amy Entelis, Katie Hinman, Toby Oppenheimer and Courtney Sexton.