11/4/08

Jeff Deutchman's documentary is comprised of video footage shot on November 4, 2008—the day Barack Obama was elected president—drawn from locales including New York, Chicago, New Orleans, and Austin, but also smaller towns like Portage, IN, and Homer, AK, as well as Abu Dhabi, New Delhi, Berlin, Paris, and Geneva. The scenes are arranged chronologically, from early morning through the euphoric celebrations that followed the declaration of Obama's victory. Despite occasional doubting or negative voices, the vast majority of participants shown here are supporters of the Democratic candidate, with many scenes filmed in local party offices where organizers encourage volunteers to get out the vote. 11/4/08 offers a historic snapshot of the zeitgeist on that momentous day, illustrating the high hopes for this particular landmark election. While the quality of the video, mostly taken with handheld devices, is understandably mediocre, and the sound is extremely variable, Deutchman's patchwork approach successfully captures a significant moment in time. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)