HBO invited us to the New York premiere of their documentary “Running With Beto”, the behind the scenes story of Beto O’Rourke’s inspiring campaign for Texas Senator!
On Monday, May 20th, HBO invited us to premiere the of the documentary, “Running With Beto”, the behind the scenes look at Beto O’Rourke’s monumental grassroots campaign against the sitting senator, Ted Cruz in Texas.
At the premiere were David Modigliani, the director of the documentary; producers Rebecca Feferman, Rachel Ecklund, and Greg Kwedar; subjects Amanda Salas, Marcel Mcclinton, and Shannon Gay, and special guests John Krasinski and Amanda Nguyen.
We got a chance to speak with David Modigliani and get his thoughts about making this documentary.
The Knockturnal: What inspired you to make a documentary about Beto’s story and campaign?
David Modigliani: Yeah, after the 2016 election, I felt so acutely how much we dehumanized each other through politics and was looking for a story that might re-humanize and make politics feel accessible. I met Beto through our sandlot baseball teams. His team from El Paso came and played my team from Austin and he seemed so magnetic, like a real generational political talent who was getting ready to go on this unique odyssey, going to every county in Texas and only taking money from other human beings and not to hire consultants or pollers. That sounded like some risk-taking that would be interesting to follow.
The Knockturnal: His campaign was really intense, was that same intensity there when you were following him around and what kind of challenges did you face while filming the documentary?
David Modigliani: We kept a very small and intimate crew. I had never used the camera myself before, I had always gotten to shoot with talented cinematographers, but it was clear that the smaller the team, the more intimate the moments we could capture would be, so I started shooting some of the film myself. When Beto became a national sensation, crews came from around the country and around the world, from South Korea, Australia, France, and the volume of attention around them started to make it feel difficult to maintain our access. It was really a testament to Beto, his wife Amy, and their team, to allow us into these vulnerable moments at the very end of the campaign, which you see in the film. You really see Beto and his family in a way they haven’t been seen before.
The Knockturnal: What part of this entire project are you most proud of?
David Modigliani: I’m most proud that people are leaving the theater feeling reinvigorated and re-inspired to engage in their democracy. I think the film shows that you don’t have to be perfect to run for office, you don’t have to be an expert to be a part of a political campaign, and it’s never too late or too early to get involved in the democratic process.
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“Running With Beto” follows Beto O’Rourke on his rise from virtual unknown to national sensation and his campaign as a liberal running against conservative Ted Cruz for Senate. The documentary also follows three people, Amanda Salas, Marcel Mcclinton, and Shannon Gay, who campaigned for Beto and liberalism in Texas on their own.
The most interesting part about the documentary is to see how Beto, his team, and his family are and react behind the scenes. Beto, who has always been shown to be kind, respectful, and humble, remains exactly the same behind closed doors. Driving from county to county, talking to small crowds and collecting donations in a plastic bag made his campaign seem incredibly earnest and honest. The small yet loyal team that surrounded him believed in him and although they struggled with the amount of work and pressure, they ultimately enjoyed all of it. He trusted them wholeheartedly and went along with small ideas like doing a 24hr live stream which made a huge difference in elevating the campaign and gaining supporters. But as his success on his campaign grew, his family became more affected. His wife, Amy, remained strong and supported him constantly, joining him on his campaign whenever she could. His three kids were also supportive, but the absence of their father was hard to live with. There was one touching scene where Amy was talking about how Beto’s absence was affecting the kids. She said that at night, Beto would video call them before bed and the kids would be excited to talk to their dad, but after the call ended, they would all start crying because of how much they missed him. These very personal details and hardships aren’t something that is usually touched upon when following a politician on the news, but this behind the scenes look gives a uniquely personal and intimate side of that year-long mission.
Outside of Beto’s campaign were three ordinary citizens trying to change the political landscape in Texas the best way they can. Amanda Salas, Shannon Gay, and Marcel Mcclinton together showed what Beto’s monumental campaign was doing to inspire regular people. Amanda Salas worked in her largely Hispanic city, a city with low voter turnout and a very low amount of registered voters, to register as many people to vote as possible and campaign for Beto at the same time. Marcel Mcclinton, a survivor of the Santa Fe High School shooting, organized marches in Washington D.C. for safer gun control and met with Beto to discuss gun regulation and him and his classmates’ experiences in a school shooting. Shannon Gay being the charismatic and undying supporter of Beto, going door to door campaigning for Beto, posting signs, and offering to cleanse the office of “Cruz Cooties” if Beto wins. Bot’s uprising as a popular and successful liberal politician in Texas, what is known to be a conservative state, inspired so many to work and lead this movement in the ways that they can.
Overall, the documentary is a great look into this monumental campaign and is full of highs and lows that will give you hope for the future of our democracy. It’s definitely an interesting film to watch so check it out on HBO on Tuesday, May 28th!
