John Kerry, Movie Producer?
Senator John Kerry is a lot of things. War hero, former presidential candidate...but a movie producer?
Apparently, Daily Variety confirms his plans to shoot the tentatively titled film "Keeping Faith," a documentary about Iraq War veterans.
In a March 16 letter to the FEC, Kerry outlined his plans for the financing of the film, including using a bulk of his campaign warchestabout $300,000to fund the documentary.
That has the Federal Election Commission concerned about possible conflicts of interest. The electoral body met Thursday to consider Kerry's request to use the campaign funds for the film.In addition to Kerry's request from the FEC, the Massachusetts Senator has also requested permission from the Senate ethics panel to film the documentary.
According to Kerry, his main role will be as a behinds-the-scenes guy, attracting private investors into the film as well as arranging subjects to be interviewed.
The real man behind the camera is George Butler, a friend of Kerry's and the documentary filmmaker behind 1977s "Pumping Iron," the bodybuilding film which shot Arnold Schwarzenegger to fame in the late 70s and early 80s.
Butler also directed "Going Upriver: The Long Story of John Kerry," a biographical campaign film that was shot during Kerry's 2004 run for the Oval Office. The film chronicled Kerry's military career, starting with his time in Officer's Candidate School in 1966 and following the former lieutenant junior grade throughout his Vietnam and post-Vietnam years.
It is not the first time the two have collaborated. In 1970, Butler and Kerry co-wrote a book, "The New Soldier," documenting Kerry's experience with the anti-war organization Vietnam Veterans Against the War in 1970-71. Included in the book is an infamous incident where Kerry and several others flung their medals on the steps of Congress, returning their medals because of their disagreement with the war in Vietnam. The book has since become a collector's item.
If successful, according to several of Kerry's aides, the politician plans to pursue more avenues as a documentary producer.