THE LAST ELECTION AND OTHER LOVE STORIES

USA 2021 - DCP - 72 minutes, in English

Director: Miguel Silveira

Screenplay, Producers: Miguel Silveira, Missy Hernandez

Cast: Khadim Diop, Xisko Maximo Monroe, Kimber Monroe

Print Courtesy: Miguel Silveira

Last year, Miguel Silveira, Missy Hernandez and other cast and crew came to central Maine as we world premiered their knockout first feature AMERICAN THIEF at MIFF. It included footage shot on the fateful presidential election night of 2016. A few months after the premiere, Silveira, Hernandez and company were in Times Square, shooting footage on another, very different presidential election night, 2020. THE LAST ELECTION is a documentary, a podcast, and a flash ethnography about the United States on that day. The framing story follows amateur podcaster Khadim Diop and his creative partner Xisko Monroe in the creation of a podcast titled “The Last Election.” They record interviews and observations from the streets of Times Square from sunrise November 3, 2020, to sunrise November 4, 2020, and focus on three primary questions they ask every interviewee, including “Could this be the last election?” Conflict arises between the podcasters when Xisko’s sister shows up to help and Khadim’s personal political choices are challenged. Yes, the old maxim “the personal is political” is very much in both background and foreground of THE LAST ELECTION, and we are thrilled to also be world-premiering it at MIFF this summer.

Wednesday, July 14 7:00 p.m. | WOH

Friday, July 16 3:30 p.m. | RR2