Eight evenings for For people who love politics & CINEMA
A new film series dedicated to the good, the hilarious, the bad and the ugly of political life.
REEL Politics is an innovative 8 film series of evenings designed to bring people together at the intersection of politics, culture, and storytelling.
Designed to spark conversation and inspire curiosity, the eight films selected offer a mix of fun, earnest, and borderline surreal perspectives on political life. Each evening will feature special guest observations on the themes or production of the film.
Profits from this series will be used to support the Jaimie Anderson Internships and Scholarships at the Carleton University Graduate Program in Political Management. Our goal support young Canadians who are eager to get involved in public life, equipping them with the tools, experience, and networks they need to make a meaningful impact.
Whether you're a politico, wonk, or just love a good story, REEL Politics invites you to join us for eight nights that will entertain, inform, and (hopefully) inspire. Come for the movie (and the free popcorn!), and help encourage young people and stimulating conversations.
REEL Politics is organized by local volunteers including Mollie Anderson, Jennifer Robson, Kathleen Davis, Isobel Haddow, Samantha Wilkie, Erica Martin, Chris Schlesak and Bruce Anderson. We are grateful for support from a diverse group of generous sponsors, and help in promotion from National Newswatch, Politico, Hill Times and Spark Advocacy.
Current Lineup
Explore our current film lineup. New titles are added regularly, so check back often.
ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN
Directed by Alan J. PakulaTwo green reporters and rivals working for the Washington Post, Bob Woodward (Robert Redford) and Carl Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman), research the botched 1972 burglary of the Democratic Party Headquarters at the Watergate apartment complex. With the help of a mysterious source, code-named Deep Throat (Hal Holbrook), the two reporters make a connection between the burglars and a White House staffer. Despite dire warnings about their safety, the duo follows the money all the way to the top.
Burn After Reading
Directed by Ethan and Joel CoenBurn After Reading (2008) is a dark comedy film directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. The story follows a pair of dim-witted gym employees who stumble upon what they believe are classified government documents and try to profit from them, leading to a series of chaotic and absurd events.The film stars George Clooney, Frances McDormand, Brad Pitt, John Malkovich, and Tilda Swinton.
LES ORDRES
Directed by Michel BraultDrawing on the testimonies of some 50 civilians who were detained after the War Measures Act was invoked in Quebec in October 1970, Les ordres (Orders) blurs the line between documentary and drama to tell the story of five fictional characters (three men and two women) from their arrest through to their release. The film won the award for Best Director at the 1975 Cannes Film Festival.
A face in the crowd
Directed by Elia KazanAmbitious young radio producer Marcia Jeffries (Patricia Neal) finds a charming rogue named Larry "Lonesome" Rhodes (Andy Griffith) in an Arkansas drunk tank and puts him on the air. Soon, Rhodes' local popularity gets him an appearance on television in Memphis, which he parlays into national network stardom that he uses to endorse a presidential candidate for personal gain. But the increasingly petulant star's ego, arrogance and womanizing threaten his rise to the top.
bEANS
Directed by Tracey DeerTwelve-year-old Beans is on the edge: torn between innocent childhood and reckless adolescence; forced to grow up fast and become the tough Mohawk warrior she needs to be during the Oka Crisis, the turbulent Indigenous uprising that tore Quebec and Canada apart for 78 tense days in the summer of 1990.
tHE death of stalin
Directed by Armando Lanucci When tyrannical dictator Joseph Stalin dies in 1953, his parasitic cronies square off in a frantic power struggle to become the next Soviet leader. Among the contenders are the dweebish Georgy Malenkov, the wily Nikita Khrushchev and Lavrenti Beria -- the sadistic secret police chief. As they bumble, brawl and back-stab their way to the top, the question remains -- just who is running the government?
tHE Battle of Algiers
Directed by Gillo PontecorvoParatrooper commander Colonel Mathieu (Jean Martin), a former French Resistance fighter during World War II, is sent to 1950s Algeria to reinforce efforts to squelch the uprisings of the Algerian War. There he faces Ali la Pointe (Brahim Haggiag), a former petty criminal who, as the leader of the Algerian Front de Liberation Nationale, directs terror strategies against the colonial French government occupation. As each side resorts to ever-increasing brutality, no violent act is too unthinkable.
Prime Minister
Directed by Michelle Walshe and Lindsay UtzPrime Minister (2025) is a documentary co-directed by Michelle Walshe and Lindsay Utz, chronicling the five-year tenure of New Zealand’s 40th Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern The film explores Ardern’s rise to leadership in 2017, her handling of pivotal crises such as the Christchurch terrorist attack, Whakaari/White Island eruption, COVID‑19 pandemic, and her decision to become only the second world leader to give birth while in office. It blends public and deeply personal moments—home life, emotional reflections, journal audio diaries—and aims to humanize political leadership and emphasize empathy, resilience, and authenticity
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