One Bright Shining Moment

Q&A w/director Stephen Vittoria after the 7 p.m. screenings on November 25th and 26th.

The film retraces George McGovern's bold and grassroots presidential campaign of 1972 – a campaign that fought to the bitter end for peace and justice… a campaign that positioned ideas and people first... and, for a myriad of reasons, it was a campaign crushed in workmanlike fashion by the Butcher from Whittier, Richard Nixon.

The tragedy of the '72 campaign is this: George McGovern might have been the only candidate to run for President in the 20th Century who truly understood what an incredible monument America could be to the human race. The film poses this central thought: The ultimate political defeat of the American Century may also be its high watermark. And if so, what does that say about the electoral process, the American government, and more importantly, what does it say about the forces at work on the American people – then and now? The cast is a patchwork quilt of historians, activists, as well as firsthand POVs – from the candidate himself to foot soldiers in the McGovern Army. Among others, the cast includes: George McGovern, Gore Vidal, Glor ia Steinem, Warren Beatty, Dick Gregory, Gary Hart, Frank Mankiewicz, Howard Zinn, Jim Bouton, Sen. Jim Abourezk, Rev. Malcolm Boyd, and Ron Kovic The film’s off-screen narrator is Amy Goodman – host of DemocracyNow! and author of the current bestseller “The Exception To The Rulers.”

In addition to an original music score and traditional folk ballads, the story incorporates songs from Leon Russell, Bob Dylan, Robbie Robertson, Donovan, and Elvis Costello.

“Its ferocity about the state of American politics could earn it substantial numbers among doc, arthouse and politically progressive audiences … an elegy for decency and true democracy in American politics.” - Variety

“Thoughtful interviews with an array of insiders (including Dick Gregory, Gloria Steinem, Warren Beatty, and Gary Hart) reflect back on the man who ran on a platform of fairness and compassion… Of the many political documentaries that have recently emerged, ONE BRIGHT
SHINING MOMENT resounds perhaps more strongly than any other.” - Hamptons International Film Festival

“The portrait of this honest, idealistic man driven by a sincere wish to help his country will make you weep for our current political state.” – IFC