Going Upriver - The Long War Of John Kerry

Going Upriver: The Long War of John Kerry is an extraordinary inside look at a politician, where he has come from, and how these roots have driven him forward in his public life. As a Vietnam War hero and subsequent activist, his story is a worthy subject for an important film about a defining era in America's past, and how it influenced a man and his dedication to the democratic process. This is, therefore, also the story of an American generation that came of age in the war-torn sixties, and has now come to prominence at the beginning of this century-when issues of war, and their historic resonance for a new generation of leaders, hold center stage. Acclaimed director George Butler has known Senator Kerry since 1964 and in 1969 began photographing him, in an effort to document his life and career. Using his unique collection of images, the film weaves together Butler's photography with archival materia, interviews with Kerry's closest associates as well as contemporary footage of him at home and abroad. As with his films Pumping Iron and The Endurance, the filmmaker prove himself as a master at portraying American men affected by and effective history....