The Reagan Show

Directed by Sierra Pettengill & Pacho Velez

The Reagan Show is an all-archival documentary about the original performer/president’s role of a lifetime. Teasing apart the spectacle at the heart of finger-on-the-button global diplomacy, the film follows Reagan’s rivalry with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, tracing how the Communicator-in-Chief used his public relations expertise to overcome Soviet mistrust, the objections of a sceptical press corps, and the looming threat of WWIII. Brimming with wit and political irony, and told solely through 1980s network news and videotapes created by the Reagan administration itself, the film explores Reagan’s made-for-TV approach to politics as he faced down the United States’ greatest rival.

Duration:
74 minutes

Languages:
English

Country of origin:
USA

Year of production:
2017