Doug Anastos and Peter Eirikson are two Canadian-Americans who have been Obama-fied. They support Senator Barack Obama’s campaign for the American presidency.

Doug moved to Canada from Boston soon after President George W. Bush was elected. Peter has never lived in the United States, despite having dual citizenship.

Having experienced one of Senator Obama’s rallies, and after following his campaign from Canada, they are confident that it is a movement that transcends borders. He is turning out young people like no other political figure at the current time, or in the recent past. The type of energy that he generates comes along once in a generation, and it is this that they are responding too.

The documentary will examine Canadians’ attraction to this movement. Doug and Peter’s story as Canadian-Americans for Obama will drive this narrative, as they hit the road to explore their own dual identities and talk to other Canadians living in Canada and the United States about why Barack Obama appeals to Canadians.

As a further aspect of this Canadian-focused examination, Doug and Peter will engage with other Canadians we have met who are both working and volunteering on Senator Obama’s campaign. One question they all share is why there is no contemporary Canadian parallel to Barack Obama in Canada, a question that Doug and Peter believe will resonate throughout Canada should a federal election be called during this US primary season or a presidential election. 

The Canadian national narrative is very different from the American one, just as Canadian identity is very different from American identity in form and content. A Canadian political parallel to Barack Obama would have to speak to Canadians in a way that reflects these differences. The nearest Canadian equivalent to Barack Obama is Pierre Trudeau. This film will document Doug and Peter’s journey as they crisscross Canada and the United States comparing and contrasting political leaders who define a generation. 

Additionally, the documentary will focus on Senator Obama’s appeal to young people in and beyond America, specifically the movement surrounding him – what led to it, what feeds it, and who is caught up in it. Part of this story will be Senator Obama’s growing place in global popular culture, as a political symbol with a significant grassroots appeal that manages to embody hope and optimism in a way that a politically cynical and disengaged young population finds appealing and authentic.

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