Dawn Porter’s documentary “The Way I See It” about President Obama and President Reagan photographer Pete Souza will air on MSNBC following its premiere as a selection of the Telluride Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival, Focus Features announced Tuesday.
“The Way I See It” will first premiere at TIFF and then will be released theatrically by Focus on Sept. 18. It will then debut three weeks later on MSNBC following Rachel Maddow’s show on Oct. 16 at 10 p.m. ET (moved originally from Oct. 9). The documentary will also re-air several times on MSNBC leading up to the November election.
“The Way I See It” gives a behind the scenes look at both Obama and Reagan as seen through the eyes of renowned photographer Pete Souza. As the official White House photographer, Souza was an eyewitness to the unique and tremendous responsibilities of being the most powerful person on Earth. The movie reveals how Souza transforms from a respected photojournalist to a searing commentator on the issues we face as a country and a people.
The documentary film is based on Souza’s two books, “Obama: An Intimate Portrait” and “Shade: A Tale of Two Presidents.” And the film comes on the heels of Porter’s other recent documentary “John Lewis: Good Trouble,” which focused on the life of the late Congressman and civil rights leader.
“The Way I See It” is produced by Porter alongside “Free Solo” producer Evan Hayes, as well as Laura Dern and her Jaywalker Pictures partner Jayme Lemons, in association with Platform One Media. The documentary is a co-presentation from Focus Features and MSNBC Films, a division of NBC News Studios.
Focus will next release Miranda July’s “Kajillionaire” in theaters on Sept. 25 prior to it debuting on PVOD. Check out the trailer for “The Way I See It” above.