SLIFF: The Body Politic

The Body Politic
Directed by Gabriel Francis Paz Goodenough
U.S. | 2023 | Documentary
91 minutes

“The Body Politic” follows Baltimore’s idealistic young mayor into office where he puts his personal and political future on the line to save his beloved city from chronic violence. Mayor Brandon Scott grew up during Baltimore’s most troubling years and now sets out, with unyielding idealism, to change the course of his battered and beloved city. Scott is elected amid the George Floyd-inspired uprising, and he introduces an ambitious plan for violence reduction and police reform that he promises will lower the city’s murder rate. Pundits claim Brandon's political health and the city's health are tied to the number 348, the total murders Baltimore had the previous year. That number is more than New York City, a city 15 times Baltimore’s size. After entering office and barely getting a chance to enact his first safety reforms, violence surges to new highs. As the media & political foes attack his holistic approach, Brandon's commitment to his principles put his future as a politician at risk.