“America’s trying to find itself but it’s too late,” we’re told in Alexandra Pelosi’s new documentary. “It’s over, baby.” A trailer has arrived for “American Selfie: One Nation Shoots Itself,” a film shot throughout 2020, a frightening, volatile year in history, American and otherwise. The Showtime project “raises critical questions about the stark divisions in how Americans feel, and asks if it’s possible to ever find a way to a more perfect union,” according to its press materials.
In the spot, we see a young Black activist who admits he’s “more afraid of cops than corona,” and an older white lady who is adamant that the COVID-19 pandemic has been “orchestrated to bring America down.” At one point, she snaps at passersby to remove their masks. Another woman, in tears, wonders where “all those Christians that talk about helping people” are.
“American Selfie’s” trailer also shines a spotlight on performative activism. Over a montage of people taking — you guessed it — selfies at demonstrations, someone explains that “everybody is here because they want people to know on their Instagram.” Sharing images of oneself at a protest is apparently just as important as the actual protest.
Pelosi has previously directed and produced several titles for HBO Documentary Films, such as “Outside the Bubble: On the Road with Alexandra Pelosi,” “The Words That Built America,” and “Meet the Donors: Does Money Talk?” She received four Emmy nominations for “Journeys with George,” her 2003 doc delving into George W. Bush’s 2000 presidential campaign.
“American Selfie: One Nation Shoots Itself” premieres October 23 on Showtime. Sheila Nevins executive produced.
