It was a weekend that made headlines at the Kelly-Giffords household in Tucson, Arizona.
The couple celebrated Friday’s news that Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly was re-elected to his first full term as Arizona’s representative, winning a close race with Republican Blake Masters. That bulletin was followed by today’s announcement that CNN is going to premiere Gabby Giffords will not budgethe critically acclaimed documentary about the former congressman, this Sunday, November 20.
The film by Oscar nominees Julie Cohen and Betsy West (RBG, Julia, My name is Pauli Murray), documents Gifford’s arduous rehabilitation after a near-fatal shooting in January 2011, a tragic event that halted her rise as a rising star in the Democratic Party.
Directors Julie Cohen and Betsy West reveal incredible new, personal perspectives on the assassination attempt and recovery of former U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords after a devastating shooting that left 13 wounded and six dead in Tucson. . “The film focuses on the extraordinary access to the former congressman; her husband, US Senator Mark Kelly; their family members; eyewitnesses to the shooting; and the Giffords medical team, backed by producer Lisa Erspamer.”
The gunman’s gunshot wound severely damaged Giffords’ left brain and caused aphasia, a condition that affects speech and language.
“I learned to speak again,” Giffords said in a story published by brain & life Magazine. “Even after hours of hard work, ‘chicken’ was sometimes the only word that came out of my mouth… It was hard to put my thoughts into words, but I was able to sing my favorite songs. Even as I struggled with simple words, I was able to sing parts of “American Pie”, a tune that will always hold a special place in my heart… I never realized how important singing would be to my recovery – – and it’s powerful since you’ve lost a lot of your speech.”
The film shows Giffords’ return to activism, efforts pushing for gun reform and mental health legislation passed by Congress and signed by President Biden in June. She is also co-founder of the non-profit Friends of Aphasia.
“We’ve had the privilege of telling the stories of some extraordinary American women, but Gabby Giffords’ story surprised us more than any other,” West and Cohen said in a statement. “We can’t wait for viewers to learn about this bright, joyful and inspiring force of nature.”
Senator Kelly plays a key role in the documentary, and the film includes footage he took of the early days of his wife’s rehabilitation.
“In the days after filming, Kelly in an interview for Gabby Giffords will not budge, says he knew his wife would have questions about what happened to change her life so dramatically,” CNN noted. “He decided to film her journey through her recovery, her surgeries, her first words, a visit from the President of the United States and her grueling physical and speech therapy on home videos.”
The news network added, “Cohen and West expertly blend Kelly’s footage with their own, showing Giffords’ progress through her recovery. The documentary captures moments of nagging frustration and moments of joy as Giffords and Kelly come back to life. And West and Cohen follows Giffords as she begins work at GIFFORDS, an organization she founded to improve gun safety.
The documentary contains new interviews with ex-pres. Obama, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), US Rep. James Clyburn (DS.C) and Gifford’s speech therapist Dr. Fabi Hirsch.
Gabby Giffords will not budge is nominated for Best Documentary and Best Political Documentary at the upcoming Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards and has a rare 100% critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
“Former Rep. Giffords and her husband, Senator Mark Kelly, fought back from tragedy to support each other in their recovery and their new mission together,” said Amy Entelis, executive vice president of talent and content development at CNN Worldwide. . , commissioned by CNN Films. “Julie and Betsy have revealed another amazing woman-centered story that reminds us all of the power of love.”
Gabby Giffords will not budge Executive producers are Entelis and Courtney Sexton for CNN Films, Alexandra Johnes and Ian Orefice for TIME Studios, and Oren Jacoby for Storyville Films. Lisa Erspamer of Lisa Erspamer Entertainment is producing with and Sam Jinishian of Storyville Films. CNN Films previously teamed with West and Cohen for the Oscar-nominated, Emmy-winning film RBGand the award-winning documentary, Juliaabout chef Julia Child.
Writer: Matthew Carey
Source: Deadline
