Please join us for this special screening followed by a discussion with
MARK SIEGEL
Producer of the film and Benazir Bhutto's friend and speech writer
6:30 - 7:00 p.m. | Registration and Cash Bar
Screening begins promptly at 7:00 p.m.
The Tribeca Grand Hotel
2 Avenue of the Americas (between White and Walker Streets)
New York, NY
ADMISSION
UNA Members: $10
Guests and Non-Members: $15
Duane Baughman's BHUTTO is a documentary that chronicles the life, rise and tragic 2007 death of Benazir Bhutto. Hers is an epic tale of Shakespearean dimension, a harrowing, moving and even wrenching film about history, family and sacrifice for country. It is also a magnificent and artful effort to bring audiences up to speed on Pakistani history, from partition to present.
Benazir Bhutto was born into a wealthy landowning family that became Pakistan's dominant political dynasty. Often referred to as the "Kennedys of Pakistan," the Bhuttos share a painful history of triumph and tragedy, played out on an international stage. Educated at Harvard and Oxford, and with an eye on a foreign service career, Benazir's life changed forever when her father, Pakistan's first democratically elected president, chose Benazir to carry his political mantle over the family's eldest son. In the late 70's, when Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was overthrown and executed by his handpicked Army Chief, Benazir swore to avenge her father and restore democracy — or to die trying. Benazir Bhutto may have broken the Islamic glass ceiling, but she was wed in a traditional arranged marriage to then-Karachi playboy Asif Ali Zardari. Her two terms in power saw acts of courage and controversy as she eradicated polio and stood up for women, while fighting the male-dominated political elite, and a nervous military leadership, while battling accusations of corruption and scandal.
In 2007, with the South Asian country rolling in turmoil and under the thumb of yet another military dictator, Benazir was called back onto the world stage as Pakistan's best hope for democracy. With her assassination she transcended politics, but left a legacy of simmering controversy and undeniable courage that will be debated for years.
"It was like peeling an onion... as deep as possible to the myriad histories of the story — Benazir's personal history, the family's history and Pakistan's history. In her case, all these histories were all intertwined. She and her family ARE Pakistan, as much as Pakistan is her," said Duane Baughman, the film's director.
Guest Speakers
MARK SIEGEL
Dr. Mark Siegel is the producer of BHUTTO. He is a partner at Locke Lord Strategies in Washington, DC has a vast political résumé that includes serving as Deputy Assistant to President Jimmy Carter, Political, Director of the White House, Assistant to former Senator and Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey, Chief of Staff to Congressman Steve Israel of New York, and Executive Director of the Democratic National Committee.
Mark assisted Benazir Bhutto in updating her autobiography, Daughter of Destiny (2007), and with her he co-authored the international bestseller Reconciliation: Islam, Democracy, and the West shortly before her death. As her friend he served as Ms. Bhutto's speechwriter for twenty-five years.
Mr. Siegel, who holds a Ph.D. in political science from Northwestern University, has taught at George Washington University, The American University, and currently lectures at Columbia. He has appeared frequently on CNN, NBC, CBS, ABC and FOX as a political analyst and strategist and was a guest on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, where he was interviewed about his book and friendship with Ms. Bhutto.
During three Democratic National Conventions, Mr. Siegel served as political consultant to the late longtime CBS News anchor and newsman Walter Cronkite. A prominent speechwriter, he has written for Presidents, Vice Presidents, Senators, Congressmen and corporate executives as well as foreign heads of state and government. He lives in Washington and in New York, and is married to Dr. Judith Siegel, who is on the faculty of the graduate school of NYU.
From the Reviews
"BHUTTO is a feast for the heart, mind and soul... [Baughman's] documentary is vexing, dramatic and fascinating." The Huffington Post
"Contextualizing the prime minister's rise to power within a larger portrait of a nation under constant internal and external siege, BHUTTO conveys a forceful sense of tectonic social and geopolitical shifts, as well as the courageous, heartbreaking personal sacrifices its subject made in service to both her homeland and ideals." Village Voice
"A worthy portrait of a phenomenal woman, BHUTTO is as thorough a history of the late Pakistani prime minister and her country as one can imagine." Variety
"Rather than treat its subject as the sort of martyr to democracy that makes good copy in the West, BHUTTO digs deeper by drawing on a range of conflicting voices to suss out the ultimate legacy of this problematic figure." TimeOut
"The whole story has strong elements of a Greek tragedy." Tariq Ali
"What this film does best is offer a crash course in the ultra-turbulent history of Pakistan." The Los Angeles Times
Visit the official website for BHUTTO
Read: Bringing Benazir Bhutto's Story to Film by Baughman and Siegel
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UNA-NYC is grateful for the generosity of the Tribeca Grand Hotel, for allowing our organization the consistent booking of their state of the art screening room for our Film Talk series.
Nearest subway stations to access the Tribeca Grand Hotel area:
Canal Street station: A, E, C trains
Franklin Street station: No. 1 train
Also close, but requires a little walk:
Canal Street Station station: N, Q, R, W trains
View the Tribeca Grand Hotel neighborhood map and more directions