This Friday, the critically-acclaimed documentary “Weiner” will hit the Hippodrome State Theatre for the first time.
The film recaps the events that lead to former Rep. Anthony Weiner’s fall from political grace after a sexting scandal was publicized during his 2013 campaign for mayor of New York City.
In 2011, while Weiner was serving as a member of Congress, inappropriate photos surfaced on Twitter of Weiner in his underwear. Many New Yorkers were willing to look past Weiner’s embarrassment and give him a second chance, but in 2013, when online sexual activity was linked to that mayoral candidate once again, he suffered a harrowing loss with only 4.9 percent of the democratic vote.
Sarah Kunkler, the cinema director at the Hippodrome, said “Weiner” looked like a great documentary based on its reviews and recognition.
“At the Hipp, we always strive to bring in the latest indie films, hard-hitting documentaries and critically-acclaimed world cinema,” Kunkler said.
The documentary made its debut at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2016. After its premiere, the film made waves with critics and even earned a 95 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, an online film critiquing website, and has earned other accolades such as the U.S. Grand Jury Prize.
“‘Weiner’ looks like a great documentary and a hot topic that Gainesville will really enjoy,” Kunkler said.
