A forthcoming documentary will trace the ascent of openly socialist politician Zohran Mamdani from a 2023 activist figure to his eventual election as Mayor of New York City, raising fresh questions about the growing influence of the far-left in Americas largest city.
According to Breitbart, the film is being directed by Julia Bacha, who also serves as creative director of the nonprofit Just Vision, an organization that reportedly highlights stories that shine a spotlight on the Israel-Palestine conflict, per TheWrap. It was her interest in Israel and Palestine that led Bacha to Mamdani three years ago, noted the outlet, adding that The Brazil-born filmmaker heard in 2023 about a group of New York activists who were calling for charities to stop using tax-deductible donations to fund Israeli settlements.
Bacha initially set out to document whether Mamdani and his cohort of pro-Palestinian lawmakers could retain their assembly seats through New Yorks next election cycle, but the project evolved into a chronicle of his climb to City Hall. She reportedly amassed more than 200 hours of footage and was particularly struck by the role of his mother, acclaimed filmmaker Mira Nair, in shaping his public persona and political discipline.
Hes the son of a filmmaker, Bacha told the New Yorker. Hes also a very disciplined person, so I think he felt pretty confident that he could have a camera around. Her curiosity intensified as Mamdani launched an aggressive door-to-door campaign across New York, a ground game that helped propel his hard-left platform into the citys political mainstream.
I kept asking him, Whats going on? Youre working really hard. What are your ambitions? Bacha recalled. He kept saying, No, theres no ambition. This is just what we do for each other. Yet even as his profile rose, Bacha observed that So many of the attacks that were made against him were around his Palestinian advocacy, adding, That thread continued throughout the mayoral election.
Login