Set your DVRs! MSNBC is set to air one of the best documentaries we’ve ever seen on Friday (10/16) at 10pm EST.
If you’ve been following President Barack Obama’s White House photographer Pete Souza on Instagram, it’s an absolute MUST that you tune in for his Focus Features documentary “The Way I See It,” which follows his journey as a photo journalist who also worked for Ronald Reagan and internationally before capturing some of the most memorable images of Obama of all time. Perhaps most importantly, the film follows Souza after the end of Obama’s term, when he gained fame for the way he’s artfully shaded the current administration.
Check out the trailer below:
We can’t say enough about how this film really speaks to the emotional strength of Obama and his ability to relate to others. One of the most moving parts was watching Souza talk about documenting the Obama’s love story and capturing the romance between Barack and Michelle. When we spoke with “The Way I See It” director Dawn Porter, she agreed that one of the most interesting facts she learned about Obama while working on the project was that he really enjoyed getting couples together. You’ll have to tune in to see the important role Obama had in Souza’s own love story.
It wasn’t lost on Porter either that Souza, who is of Portuguese descent, recognized the importance of Obama’s achievements and marriage to his community.
“[He] saw up close and personal their love story, their family strength,” Porter told Global Grind. “So many Black people, we are trying so hard to be seen and there was something so interesting to me about that dynamic. Here it was, this non-black person with a lens on this black family. When Pete says, and he gets choked up, what it meant for Black people to see Barack Obama in the Oval Office and that he felt that. It was so remarkable that you couldn’t help but feel the emotion, and he would see it over and over and over. If you were a black person you would get it right away, but for him to be outside of that ethnic group and appreciate that, I found that very moving.”
And to see, not to put too fine a point ont it, this white man saw up close and personal their love story, their family strength. So many Black people we are trying so hard to be seen and there was something so interesting to me about that dynamic. That here it was this white (of Portuguese descent), this non-black person with a lens on this black family. When Pete says, and he gets choked up, what it meant for Black people to see Barack Obama in the office and that he felt that. It was so remarkable that you couldn’t help but feel the emotion and he would see it over and over and over. If you were a black person you would get it right away but for him to be outside of that ethnic group appreciate that, I found that very moving.
“The Way I See It” is playing now in select theaters and will air on MSNBC, beginning Friday at 10 PM EST with multiple replays over the weekend.
We highly suggest you check it out.