Man From Plains

Embarking on a national publicity tour to promote his new book, "Palestine Peace Not Apartheid," former US president Jimmy Carter ignites an international firestorm of controversy when he argues that only Israel's complete withdrawal from the occupied territories can bring lasting peace to the Middle East. Directed by Academy Award®-winner Jonathan Demme (The Silence of the Lambs Best Director, 1991; Philadelphia, 1993), JIMMY CARTER MAN FROM PLAINS is a candid portrait of a Nobel Prize-winning humanitarian and statesman whose compassion and steadfast sense of justice remains undiminished by time. Intimate, informative and altogether engrossing, this documentary captures the blaze of controversy that followed publication of Carter's book Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.

No other American president in recent history has had as significant a public profile after leaving office as Jimmy Carter, but public profile isn't all good--as Jimmy Carter, Man from Plains demonstrates. As Carter launches his book tour, the rounds of interviews make clear that much of the hubbub was sparked simply by the use of the word "apartheid" in the title. But Man from Plains isn't just a series of media debates, it's also a portrait of Carter--a man lauded for his fundamental decency and criticized for his deep-rooted stubbornness--and a glancing but not simplified discussion of the Palestinian occupation itself.

Most of the movie tracks the former president as he travels from city to city, but scenes at events in Plains and footage from Carter's tenure in office give the depiction of Carter some scope. Demme captures Carter's generosity, his earnest spirituality, and--undeniably--his ego, which (as with anyone who's risen to public office) is not small, despite Carter's sense of humility. This well-rounded documentary is essential viewing for anyone who yearns for the day when our elected officials had integrity.

Beyond Jimmy Carter Man from Plains, Carter has authored several other books, including Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid and Beyond the White House: Waging Peace, Fighting Disease, Building Hope. These works further showcase his enduring commitment to humanitarian causes and his unwavering pursuit of justice and peace, even in the face of controversy and criticism.

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