View source for Unprecedented: The 2000 Presidential Election

{{for|the 2022 documentary with the same name|Unprecedented (miniseries)}}
{{Infobox film 
  | name = Unprecedented:<br>The 2000 Presidential Election
  | image = Unprecedented- The 2000 Presidential Election poster.jpg
  | caption = 
  | director = [[Richard Ray Pérez]]<br>Joan Sekler
  | producer = Richard Ray Pérez<br>Joan Sekler
  | writer =   William Haugse<br>Richard Ray Pérez<br>Joan Sekler
  | starring = [[Danny Glover]] <small>(2004)</small>
  | narrator =[[Peter Coyote]]
  | music =[[Bobby Johnston]]
  | cinematography = Richard Ray Pérez
  | editing = William Haugse<br>Matthew Martin	
  | distributor = [[Shout! Factory]]
  | released = {{Film date|2002|09|17|U.S. premiere}}
  | runtime = 47 min. <small>(2002)</small><br>57 min. <small>(2004)</small>
  | language = English
  | budget = 
}}
'''''Unprecedented: The 2000 Presidential Election''''' is a 2002 47-minute documentary directed and co-written by [[Richard Ray Pérez]] and Joan Sekler,<ref name=variety>{{cite web | last= Klein| first= Andy| title=Review:'Unprecedented the 2000 Presidential Election' | publisher= Unprecedented | date= November 24, 2002 | url= https://variety.com/2002/film/reviews/unprecedented-the-2000-presidential-election-1200544683/ }}</ref> and narrated by [[Peter Coyote]],<ref name=chicago>{{cite web | last= Rosenbaum | first= Jonothan | title=Unpredented: The 2000 Presidential Election | date= 21 November 2003 | publisher= The Chicago Reader | url= http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/unprecedented-the-2000-presidential-election/Film?oid=1062179}}</ref> about the contested [[2000 United States presidential election|2000 presidential election]] in Florida.<ref name=laramie>{{cite web | last= Roten | first= Robert | title= Laramie Movie Review: Unprecedented: The 2000 Presidential Election | publisher= Laramie Movie Review | date= October 27, 2004 | url=http://www.lariat.org/atthemovies/new/flavote.html }}</ref>

It was re-released in an extended 56-minute<ref name=billsmedia>{{cite web | title= Unprecedented: The 2000 Presidential Election: Another Civics Lesson from Greenwald; Did the US Experience a Coup? | publisher= Bills Media Reviews | date= February 11, 2014| url= http://billsmediareviews.com/?p=134}}</ref> ''2004 Campaign Edition'' presented by [[Danny Glover]] to tie in with the [[2004 United States presidential election|2004 US presidential election]].<ref name=rhetoric>{{cite book | last1 = Benson | first1= Thomas | last2= Snee | first2= Brian | title= The Rhetoric of the New Political Documentary | publisher= Southern Illinois University | date= 2008 }}</ref>

A Public Interest Pictures Film, it was co-executive produced by [[Robert Greenwald]]  and Earl Katz.<ref name=variety/> Greenwald later made this the first of his "Un-Trilogy", which also includes ''[[Uncovered: The War on Iraq]]'' and ''[[Unconstitutional: The War on Our Civil Liberties]]''.<ref name=commondreams>{{cite web | last= Nichols | first=John | title= Filmmaker Takes Fox News to Task| publisher= Capital Times| date= September 16, 2004 | url= http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0916-02.html }}</ref> 

==Synopsis==

''Unprecedented'' chronicles irregularities in the [[2000 United States presidential election|2000 US presidential election]] in the swing state of Florida.<ref name=laramie/> 

The film begins with claims that African Americans and other likely Democratic voters were disenfranchised by a resurrected 1868 law that prevented felons from voting. <ref name=bostonglobe>{{cite web | last= Burr | first=Ty | title= Unprecedented: The 2000 Presidential Election| publisher=Boston Globe | date= October 31, 2003 | url= http://www.unprecedented.org/Unprecedented_Boston_Globe.html }}</ref> This law was originally intended to keep blacks from the polls, in the wake of the [[American Civil War|Civil War]].<ref name=progressive>{{cite book | last=Rampell | first= Ed| title=Progressive Hollywood | publisher= The Disinformation Company Ltd. | date=2005 }}</ref> In 2000, Florida Secretary of State [[Katherine Harris]] used the original law to create a computerized list of supposed ex-cons. The list had the vaguest parameters, and included as many as 57,000 to 91,000 non-felons, who were overwhelmingly people of color.<ref name=rhetoric/> On election day, these people were turned away at the polls.<ref name=billsmedia/> Since 90% of African Americans vote Democratic, this effectively reduced the number of votes for Democratic candidate [[Al Gore]].<ref name=rhetoric/>

''Unprecedented'' also examines the Florida recount and the [[hanging chad]] controversy.<ref name=billsmedia/> It faults Gore for demanding a recount of only certain counties, instead of the whole state;<ref name=chicago/> and also presents evidence that the Republican Party paid staffers to create a disturbance and end the recount prematurely.<ref name=bostonglobe/>

The film then takes aim at the December 2000 [[Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court]] decision that gave [[George W. Bush]] the presidency.<ref name=billsmedia/> The film documents  conflicts of interest that should have resulted in the recusal of two of the SCOTUS justices.<ref name=bostonglobe/>

Finally, it explores the problems with electronic voting machines.<ref name=rhetoric/> It argues that the companies that make these machines do not allow audits of the machines (allegedly because of copyright and trademark issues), which leaves them wide open for fraud.<ref name=billsmedia/> The machines also do not give paper receipts, so there is no physical evidence in case of the need for a recount.<ref name=bostonglobe/>

== Distribution ==

In the festival circuit, the film won eleven awards, including the Grand Festival award at the Berkley Film and Video Festival; the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary, and the Director's Award at the New York International Film Festival.<ref name=rhetoric/> It enjoyed a limited theatrical release<ref name=progressive/> and was broadcast internationally on cable.<ref name=unprecent>{{cite web |lang=en |publisher=Unprecedented.org | url= http://www.unprecedented.org/UnprecedentedBroadcast.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031015031617/https://www.unprecedented.org/UnprecedentedBroadcast.htm |archive-date=2003-10-15 |title=Broadcast |access-date=2023-04-10}}</ref> The DVD sold extremely well on [[Amazon.com]], coming in at 68 on their 2004 sales rank.<ref name=progressive/>  Liberal advocacy group [[MoveOn]] sold 25,000 copies in three days.<ref name=moviemaker>{{cite web | last=Thompson | first= Rustin| title=Robert Greenwald | publisher=MovieMaker | date= September 23, 2004 | url= http://www.moviemaker.com/articles-directing/robert-greenwald-2919/ }}</ref> ''Unprecedented'' was also viewed at screenings in homes and communities across the country, and was available streaming on the Internet.<ref name=moviemaker/>

This multi-tiered distribution model was revolutionary at the time. Executive Producer [[Robert Greenwald]] called it a "breakthrough", and has honed it in his subsequent films.<ref name=moviemaker/>

''Unprecedented'' is said to have "jumpstarted" Greenwald's documentary filmmaking career.<ref name=progressive/> 

After this film, Sekler went on to produce ''[[Unconvention: A Mix-Tape from St. Paul, RNC '08]]'', a documentary about the [[2008 Republican National Convention]] in [[Saint Paul, Minnesota]].

==See also==
* ''[[Bush Family Fortunes]]'' (2004)
* ''[[Fahrenheit 9/11]]'' (2004)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.unprecedented.org/ Filmmakers homepage]
* {{IMDb title|0346091}}

{{United states presidential election and recount, 2000}}
{{Brave New Films}}

[[Category:2000s English-language films]]
[[Category:Documentary films about elections in the United States]]
[[Category:Films about the 2000 United States presidential election]]
[[Category:Documentary films about Florida]]
[[Category:Films scored by Bobby Johnston]]