Nat Bates For Mayor

Premiered on KQED's "Truly CA" Series

FEATURING BERNIE SANDERS AND ANDREW YOUNG

Nat Bates for Mayor tells the story of the outrageous 2014 mayoral race in Richmond, CA - home to the state's second largest refinery where Chevron spent more than $3 million to back 83-year-old African-American candidate Nat Bates.

Opening with footage of a 2012 fire at the Chevron oil refinery and a heated town hall where blue-collar employees clash with environmentalists, the film sets the groundwork for the election that shifted the balance of power in the city. Councilman Nat Bates makes a Faustian bargain with the corporate devil in hopes of keeping the waning working-class African-American community intact, as it deals with gentrification occurring throughout the Bay Area.

His biggest competition comes from the Richmond Progressive Alliance, an advocacy group who wants Chevron's influence out of the city's affairs. They rally behind Councilman Tom Butt, a man with his own history of dismissing the concerns of low-income residents of the city.

The guerilla-style documentary follows the candidates on the trail, captures revealing personal moments, and records audacious city council meetings as they campaign to take control of the Bay Area's overlooked oil town. Nothing is clear-cut as the film potently mixes issues of corporate influence, race, gentrification, homophobia, political self-determination, and humor -- all told through the lives of bigger-than-life small-town characters.

FILMMAKER'S STATEMENT: "Our approach was to bear witness to the election rather than advocate for one side or another. In that way, the story serves as a kind of political mystery, or Rorschach test, that forces viewers to figure out where their sympathies lie -- or if it can be placed anywhere in a town where race, corporate influence, gentrification, and homophobia create a toxic climate. The documentary reveals a reality beyond heroes and villains. The restrained sensibility allows the story to be taken as an account of Richmond politics, but also as a kind of litmus for regional and national politics, the current state of the Democratic party, and entrenched political camps that prevail in contemporary American politics."

-Bradley Berman and Eric Weiss

Preview link available upon request. Contact support@videoproject for more information

A Film by Eric Weiss and Bradley Berman

75 miutes and 57 minutes

Scene Selection • Closed Captioned

Grades 7 - Adult

Item #: NBM-1129

Tells the story of the outrageous 2014 mayoral race in Richmond, CA - home to the state's second largest refinery where Chevron spent more than $3 million to back 83-year-old African-American candidate Nat Bates.

Starting at $89

Licensing Options

K-12 Schools, Public Libraries, Community Groups - $89 K-12 DVD + Digital File - $139 Colleges, Businesses, Other Institutions: DVD - $295 Colleges (DVD with Digital Site License) - $445

Reviews and Festivals

"Film also highlights the often nasty city council meetings that at times broke down completely. Those with an interest in local politics will find much to glean from this film."
— Library Journal

"Expect outrage -- but also hilarity from the wild, guerilla-style documentary that reveals racism, class warfare and other ugliness at the heart of political ambition."
— East Bay Times

"It's like watching a year-long boxing match with no referee."
— East Bay Express

"Recommended. Giving a viewer something to think about on both sides, the documentary builds some suspense as the election outcome is awaited...The issues raised are faced in many other places in the country besides Richmond."
— Educational Media Reviews Online

"Recommended. Nat Bates for Mayor offers an often fascinating fly-on-the-wall view of small city politics and the frequent lapses into pettiness and tribalism that result in polarized communities."
— Video Librarian

"A fascinating history of that [Richmond] campaign...a timely reminder of the stakes involved in a key Left Coast battle against big money in politics that resonated nationally...Captures the defining moment of a campaign old-fashioned in many ways but hyper-modern because of its indirect business financing."
— Steve Early, author of Refinery Town: Big Oil, Big Money, and the Remaking of an American City

"Nat Bates for Mayor is the perfect documentary. It is as entertaining as it is informative and educational, and will have sitting at the edge of your seat. It is an excellent resource for educators teaching on the topics of politics, social movements, urban life, environmentalism, race relations, and corporate control. I cannot recommend it more highly."
— Clayton Childress, Assistant Professor of Sociology, University of Toronto

"Bradley Berman and Eric Weiss go behind the scenes of Richmond, CA citizens' ongoing struggle to breathe in the shadow of the Chevron oil refinery."
— Bay Area Reporter

"Shows us what happens when a multinational corporation gets involved. The microcosmic, local version of Citizens United at the national level, and a true harbinger of things to come...Serves as a document and an instruction manual as other towns and politicians find themselves taken over by corporate interests."
— CineSource Magazine

"Filmmakers do an excellent job of neither judging nor praising any candidate. Everyone has their flaws, everyone comes off looking a little dirty."
— Jason Watches Movies

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