Gerrymandering

Anyone who has taken Political Science 101 will recognize the term, and the hard core politicos will not be shocked at anything in the movie, but Gerrymandering is an interesting exploration of an angle of American politics that few understand enough.

As state legislatures across the country prepare to redraw Congressional district lines and the areas they themselves will represent, writer/director Jeff Reichert tries to throw a spotlight on how politicians attempt to influence (and control or rig, depending on how strongly you feel about it) election outcomes by grouping like minded voters in the same districts by any means necessary. It's a tough assignment.

First, who cares? People who understand politics and redistricting already know about the abuses, so Reichert has to come up with some way to draw us in, and does so, for the most part, with some very entertaining, shocking and dastardly tales of gerrymandering to the extreme. He runs out of stories, or decides to focus on the serious stuff a little too soon, but Reichert has enough ammunition to keep even Karl Rove and James Carville interested.

Second, why care? For those who are not politicos at heart, Reichert makes the case for why this is important. If you never knew one iota about the subject, he takes you through the history, how it is done and the impact on government and elections (the example of President Obama's rise through Illinois politics is worth the price of a ticket on its own).

Gerrymandering is opening in DC at the new West End Cinema at the corner of 23rd and M Streets, NW, so you get to see the movie and check out DC's newest filmgoing experience.