537 Votes

The documentary describes what happened in Florida in the American presidential election of 2000. The result was decided in one state by a very small margin. The narrative does not begin on election day; it goes back months. A large crisis over custody of a Cuban boy took place in Miami and the decision of the federal government caused great anger among Cuban voters in the city. The documentary builds how that anger connects to the result. Then come the count, the legal process and the protests in the street. Billy Corben directs. The documentary dates from 2020. Its method is archive and interview; politicians, lawyers and journalists who held office at the time speak. The real claim it builds is that none of it was coincidence; the narrative shows step by step how the events connect. The crowded protest at a building during the count is described in detail and who took part is shown. The register is fast and sardonic, in the same manner as Corben's other films about Miami. Its limit is partiality; the film argues a particular political reading and does not hide it. It was made for an American television channel and released during an election period. Who it is for: anyone curious about political documentary and recent American history. Who it is not for: the narrative is partisan, the pace tiring, and it asks for knowledge of the subject.