Amanpour and Company

>>> IN THE UNITED STATES WITH A PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN UNDER WAY, A BIOPIC SPOTLIGHTS THE STORY OF A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE AND TRAILBLAZER OF YESTERYEAR.

SHIRLEY CHISHOLM WAS THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN ELECTED TO CONGRESS AND FIRST TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT IN 1972.

HER CAMPAIGN WAS MET WITH RESISTANCE BUT DOUBTS NEVER SLOWED HER DOWN.

HERE'S A CLIP FROM THE FILM.

>> I'M PAVING THE ROAD FOR A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE LIKE ME TO GET ELECTED.

>> FIRST BLACK REPRESENTATIVE.

>> YOU'RE ABOUT TO MAKE HISTORY.

>> PRESIDENT?

YOU AIN'T NO MAN.

>> MAYBE WE SHOULD FIND YOUR MOTHER.

>> ALL YOU'VE GOT, ONE VOTE.

>> SOUND JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER POLITICIAN.

>> DO I LOOK LIKE EVERY OTHER POLITICIAN?

FREEDOM >> YOU CAN'T WIN.

>> WHY CAN'T I WIN?

I HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

>> LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.

OSCAR AWARD WINNING ACTOR AND DIRECTOR REGINA KING TAKES ON THIS OPPORTUNITY AND IS TALKING ABOUT IT.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.

>> YOU'VE HAD THIS INCREDIBLE CAREER, OSCAR AND EMMY WINNER, ACTOR, PRODUCER, DIRECTOR -- ALL THE THINGS.

WHAT MADE THIS THE PROJECT YOU WANTED TO DO AT THIS TIME?

WHY THIS PROJECT, WHY NOW?

>> IT KIND OF WORKED OUT THAT THE NOW ENDED UP BEING PERFECT TIMING.

BUT MY SISTER AND I, WE STARTED OUR PRODUCTION COMPANY ABOUT 15 YEARS AGO, AND WHEN WE STARTED, WE WERE, YOU KNOW, JUST TALKING WITH EACH OTHER ABOUT WHAT STORIES WOULD WE WANT TO TELL, WHAT STORIES WHO ROYAL TIES PUT OUT INTO THE WORLD, AND SHIRLEY CHISHOLM KEPT COMING UP FOR BOTH OF US BECAUSE WE BOTH HAD EXPERIENCES WITH OTHER PEOPLE THAT DID NOT KNOW WHO SHE WAS.

AND WE JUST FELT LIKE SHE IS SO MUCH A PART OF THE AMERICAN FABRIC, HOW IS IT THAT NO ONE KNOWS WHO SHE IS.

AND IT SEEMS AS THOUGH EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW.

TO THINK THAT -- I'M SPEAKING OF A LOT OF BLACK PEOPLE.

NOT KNOWING, WE FELT THAT HER STORY WE NEEDED TO TELL.

AS WE STARTED DOING OUR RESEARCH SHE'S SO INTERESTING AND FASCINATING AND LIVED SO MUCH LIFE, HOW CAN WE GET IT ALL INTO A FILM.

>> HOW DO YOU KNOW ABOUT SHIRLEY CHISHOLM, A LOT OF PEOPLE DIDN'T KNOW AS YOU POINTED OUT?

>> I LEARNED ABOUT SHIRLEY, A TOUCH OF SHIRLEY, DURING BLACK HISTORY MONTH, LUCKILY I GOT A TEACHER, MAY HAVE BEEN IN THIRD OR FOURTH GRADE WHO FELT LIKE SHIRLEY CHISHOLM WAS AN INTERESTING PERSON TO TALK ABOUT.

I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND JUNIOR HIGH, BLACK HISTORY MONTH, WOULD BE ABOUT TWO MINUTES A DAY FOR A DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, BLACK PERSON THAT'S DONE SOMETHING GREAT.

AND I GOT LUCKY ONE YEAR WHERE SHIRLEY GOT TWO MINUTES ON THAT DAY.

FROM THERE, MY MOTHER ALLOWED US TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO KNOW MORE ABOUT HER THAN THAT SHE WAS THE FIRST WOMAN -- BLACK WOMAN IN CONGRESS.

THAT'S WHAT I LEARNED IN THAT CLASS THAT DAY.

BUT SHE TOLD US ABOUT HER RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT, AND THAT I WAS ONLY 1 YEARS OLD WHEN IT HAPPENED.

AND SO YEAH, THAT'S WHAT MADE US FAMILIAR AND MADE HER NAME STICK IN OUR MINDS.

>> FIRST BLACK WOMAN ELECTED TO CONGRESS, FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN PERSON, FIRST WOMAN TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT ON A MAJOR PARTY TICKET.

JESSE JACKSON USED TO HAVE THIS SAYING, IF YOU'RE GOING TO TELL IT, TELL IT ALL.

YOUR FILM REALLY DOES, TELLS A LOT.

TALKS ABOUT SHE WAS NOT UNIVERSALLY LOVED AND APPLAUDED, SHE GOT A LOT OF RESENTMENT, NOT ALWAYS FROM THE PEOPLE YOU WOULD THINK.

HOW DID YOU FIGURE OUT HOW YOU WANTED TO PLAY HER?

AGAIN, ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT THE FILM THAT'S SO STRIKING, YOU SHOW THE COMPLEXITY, NOT JUST OF BEING THE FIRST OR FIRST OR ONE OF THE FEW OR ONLY, BUT ALSO A WOMAN IN A MALE SPACE.

HOW DID YOU DECIDE HOW TO CAPTURE ALL THAT?

>> HONESTLY, MICHELLE, I THINK IT WAS LIVING MORE LIFE BECAUSE 15 YEARS OLD, WHEN WE STARTED OUT KNOWING WE WERE GOING TO TELL SHIRLEY'S STORY, WHETHER IT WOULD BE A SLICE OF HER LIFE OR HER ENTIRE LIFE, I WAS NOT READY.

I HAD NOT LIVED ENOUGH LIFE.

I CAN SAY THAT NOW.

THEN I WOULD NOT HAVE EVER THOUGHT THAT.

IT WAS JUST WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS.

WE HAD EVEN GONE AS FAR AS TO DO A PHOTO SESSION WITH ME, PHOTOSHOPPED MY HEAD INTO IMAGES OF HER PUTTING TOGETHER THE PACKAGE TO GET FINANCING FOR IT.

BUT I WASN'T READY.

AND JUST IN THAT 15 YEARS, HAVING EXPERIENCED MORE LIFE HELPED ME TO UNDERSTAND THAT IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR THE WORLD TO SEE HER WITH ALL OF THE COMPLEXITIES, THE FATIGUE, THE LONELINESS.

YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU ARE A PERSON EMBARKING ON A JOURNEY LIKE THAT, WHERE THERE'S NO BLUEPRINT, NO ONE HAS DONE IT BEFORE YOU, THAT'S A REALLY LONELY PATH TO GO DOWN.

AND THE PEOPLE, REPRESENTATIVE WE GOT TO TALK TO, ROBERT GOTTLY, WHO LUCAS HEDGES PLAYS IN THE FILM, AND HER GODDAUGHTER, MARIA, WE GOT TO TALK TO PEOPLE WHO REALLY KNEW SHIRLEY.

ONE OF THE THINGS I DID TAKE AWAY FROM TALKING TO BARBARA AND MARIA IS THAT SHE ALWAYS PUT ON SUCH A GOOD, STRONG PRESENTATION, YOU KNOW, OF A POLITICIAN, OF A LEADER, BUT THEY ALWAYS FELT LIKE BEHIND THE SCENES THERE WAS A LONELINESS, AND THAT MADE SENSE TO ME, SEEING ALL THE THINGS SHE HAD ACCOMPLISHED AND THE SPACES SHE WAS MOVING.

SHE WAS THE ONLY ONE.

>> I AM RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT.

>> OF THE UNITED STATES?

HOLY -- THAT'S -- I MEAN THAT'S -- RIGHT THE HELL ON, MRS. C, THAT'S GREAT.

YOU WOULD BE THE MOST AMAZING PRESIDENT THIS COUNTRY HAS EVER SEEN.

WOW, IF THERE'S ANYTHING I CAN DO TO HELP.

>> WELL, THERE IS.

I NEED YOU TO BE MY NATIONAL STUDENT COORDINATOR.

>> I'M -- >> OVERSEEING ALL THE STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS AFFILIATED WITH THE CAMPAIGNS IN ALL THE STATES I'M ON THE BALLOT, PUTTING TOGETHER CAMPUS RALLIES.

>> MRS. C -- I CAN'T.

>> I DON'T LIKE THE WORD CAN'T.

>> I KNOW, BUT I -- >> ROBERT, THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR 18-YEAR-OLDS WILL BE ABLE TO VOTE IN A NATIONAL ELECTION.

TO GET THEM TO VOTE, THEY NEED TO KNOW THAT USING THEIR VOTE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

>> IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU REALLY STRUGGLED WITH THAT YOU THOUGHT THAT'S REALLY CRAZY, I CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE WHAT THAT WAS LIKE?

>> WHEN I LEARNED THAT DURING HER RUN FOR CONGRESS THAT SHE WON SHE WAS IN THE HOSPITAL WITH -- HAD TO HAVE A TUMOR REMOVED.

AND THERE WAS A LOT OF TALK FROM HER OPPONENT THAT HE WAS TRYING TO MAKE HER SMALL BY SAYING WHERE IS SHE, LITTLE TEACHER FROM BROOKLYN, WE DON'T SEE HER, WE DON'T HEAR FROM HER, THIS IS WHO YOU WANT TO REPRESENT YOU.

AND SHE NEVER SPOKE ABOUT WHY SHE HAD TO STEP BACK FROM THE CAMPAIGN, BUT SHE PULLED HERSELF UP, STILL RECOVERING, CAME BACK IN, FOUGHT THE GOOD FIGHT, AS SHE SAYS, AND WON.

AND NO ONE KNEW THAT, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?

THAT WAS NOT PART OF HER NARRATIVE, THAT WAS NOT PART OF HER CAMPAIGNING BECAUSE IF THAT WAS A MAN IN THAT SAME POSITION AND HE -- AND THE WORLD KNEW, THE DISTRICT KNEW, IT WOULD BE LIKE OH, MY GOD, HE IS SO STRONG.

BUT HER, IT WOULD BE LIKE OH, THE FEMININE THINGS HAPPENING WITH HER, WE -- YOU KNOW?

>> GIRL PROBLEMS, WOMAN PROBLEMS, CAN'T TALK ABOUT THAT.

>> AT THAT TIME WOMEN COULDN'T OPEN A BANK ACCOUNT WITHOUT A MAN AND HERE SHE IS RUNNING FOR CONGRESS.

THAT WAS MIND BLOWING FOR ME.

>> THE FILM DEPICTS SHE HAD SUPPORT FROM HER HUSBAND, KONRAD, AT LEAST AT THE BEGINNING, BUT THAT HER SISTER RESENTED HER.

AND YOU SHOW THAT.

>> I DON'T BLAME YOU.

>> NO.

YOU BLAME OUR FATHER.

>> HE HAD FOUR DAUGHTERS.

FOUR.

BUT WHEN HE DIED HE LEFT YOU THE LITTLE MONEY HE HAD.

YOU WERE TREATED DIFFERENTLY.

AND NOW YOU THINK, NOW YOU THINK YOU'RE SPECIAL.

THAT'S HOW PAPA WAS WITH YOU, HE MADE YOU BELIEVE THINGS.

THEY AREN'T TRUE.

>> HE MADE ME BELIEVE IN MYSELF, REGARDLESS OF WHAT PEOPLE THINK.

>> YOU HAVE NO REGARD WHAT THIS CAMPAIGN DOES TO YOUR FRIENDS -- >> I CAN DO WHAT IS NECESSARY.

>> THAT'S WHAT PAPA WOULD WANT?

YOU'RE PUSHING US AWAY OVER NOTHING.

>> TALK ABOUT WHY YOU THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO INCLUDE THAT.

>> I THINK WHEN YOU'RE ESPECIALLY TELLING A STORY THAT'S A SLICE OF LIFE, A SLICE OF HISTORY, IT'S -- I KNOW AS AN AUDIENCE MEMBER, I WANT TO WALK AWAY FEELING LIKE I HAVE LEARNED SOMETHING ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE THAT I COULDN'T HAVE RECEIVED JUST WHEN I LOOKED IT UP ONLINE, YOU KNOW.

AND IT'S THOSE LITTLE THINGS, WE CALL THOSE NUANCE, IT'S THE NUANCE THAT MAKES YOU FEEL AS THOUGH OH, I REALLY HAVE GOTTEN INTO THE INTERIOR OF THIS PERSON THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SITTING TO TAKE IN FOR A COUPLE HOURS.

AND EVERYTHING THAT WE READ, EVEN IN SHIRLEY'S BOOKS, SHE DID NOT JUST SAY IT OUTRIGHT, BUT SHE DOES ALLUDE TO NOT HAVING THE SUPPORT FROM HER MOTHER AND HER SISTERS.

NOT QUITE UNDERSTANDING THE NEED FOR -- TO BE SHIRLEY CHISHOLM, BUT HER FATHER DID BEFORE HE PASSED AWAY.

AND IT'S LITTLE MOMENTS LIKE THAT THAT YOU DON'T -- YOU CAN'T FIND ON GOOGLE OR READ ABOUT.

SHIRLEY IS A STRATEGIST, UNDERSTOOD IF I WROTE THAT, I COULD POSSIBLY LOOK WEAK -- THAT'S MY THOUGHT.

I THINK THE VULNERABILITY WAS IMPORTANT TO SHOW SO THAT YOU CAN APPRECIATE THE STRENGTH.

VULNERABILITY IS A FORM OF STRENGTH TO ME.

WHEN WE ALLOW OURSELVES TO SHOW IT.

BUT IT'S NOT ALWAYS LOOKED AT AS A FORM OF STRENGTH FOR WOMEN IN POSITIONS THEY'RE OPERATING AND DEALING WITH MOSTLY OR ONLY MEN.

>> YOU DO SHOW SO MANY ASPECTS OF HER LIFE.

ONE OF THEM IS HER MENTORSHIP OF OTHER WOMEN.

SHE WAS FAMOUS FOR, AS A MEMBER OF CONGRESS, GIVING WOMEN JOBS THEY HAD NOT HAD BEFORE.

>> BOURGEOIS POLITICS.

>> ALL YOU'RE DOING IS YELLING AND SCREAMING, THAT'S ALL YOU'LL BE, A YELLER AND SCREAMER.

YOU HAVE TO BE PART OF THE PROCESS.

>> THE PROCESS DOESN'T EXIST IN POLITICS FOR BLACK WOMEN.

YOU'RE DIFFERENT.

>> I SAW WHAT NEEDED TO BE DONE, AND I DID IT.

THAT'S NOT DIFFERENT, THAT'S NECESSARY.

I WANT YOU TO WORK FOR ME.

>> ON YOUR CAMPAIGN?

>> IS THAT TOO BOURGEOIS FOR YOU?

>> WHAT DO YOU THINK SHIRLEY CHISHOLM MIGHT THINK OF THE CURRENT MOMENT?

CURRENT POLITICAL MOMENT.

ON THE ONE HAND, FIRST WOMAN OF COLOR AS VICE PRESIDENT, OTHER HAND, LEGISLATIVELY, WOMEN ARE FIGHTING BATTLES THEY THOUGHT THEY HAD WON.

I'M WONDERING IF YOU HAVE THOUGHTS ABOUT THAT.

YOUR FILM LANDS AT SUCH AN INTERESTING TIME.

>> YEAH.

THERE'S A PART OF ME FEELS LIKE IF SHIRLEY WAS RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT DURING THESE TIMES, SHE MIGHT HAVE VERY WELL WON.

YOU KNOW?

CAN YOU IMAGINE A SHIRLEY GOING TOE-TO-TOE WITH A DONALD TRUMP?

OH, MY GOD, I DON'T THINK IT WOULD HAVE GONE DOWN QUITE THE SAME.

AND YOU KNOW, MAYBE THAT'S ME JUST WITH POLLYANNA DREAMS OR WHATEVER, BUT I DO KNOW THERE'S AN INTERVIEW I HAD SEEN THAT SHIRLEY HAD DONE, I WANT TO SAY IT WAS IN THE '90s, MAY HAVE BEEN IN THE '80s.

BUT SHE WAS ASKED, YOU KNOW, DID SHE THINK SHE'D SEE A WOMAN PRESIDENT IN HER LIFETIME, AND SHE SAID ABSOLUTELY NOT.

AND SHE SAID, BUT YOU KNOW, THERE WILL BE A VICE PRESIDENT, A WOMAN VICE PRESIDENT BEFORE A PRESIDENT.

AND I JUST THOUGHT THAT WAS SO FASCINATING, WITH EVERYTHING THAT SHE HAD -- THE FIGHTING CHISHOLM, EVERYTHING THAT SHE HAD DONE, ALL SHE WAS UP AGAINST, SHE -- THIS WAS AFTER SHE HAD RETIRED, NO LONGER IN POLITICS AT ALL AT THIS POINT, JUST GIVING SPEECHES -- BUT ALL THAT SHE HAD SEEN IN HER TIME, ALL THE TERMS SHE HAD SERVED.

SHE KNEW WITHOUT A DOUBT WE AS A PEOPLE WERE NOT EVOLVED ENOUGH TO HAVE A WOMAN IN THAT -- IN THAT POSITION.

AND I THINK ABOUT WHEN TRUMP WON AND THAT MEANT THERE WERE A LOT OF WOMEN THAT VOTED FOR HIM.

I THINK SHE'D BE DISAPPOINTED, YOU KNOW?

I MEAN WE ARE DISAPPOINTING.

BUT I WOULD SAY THAT I HAVE FAITH IN THE YOUNGER GENERATION HAVING THE DESIRE TO BECOME MORE INVOLVED, TO ACTIVATE.

BECAUSE WE DO NEED YOUTH, SMART, YOUNG, PASSIONATE PEOPLE TO WANT TO BECOME INVOLVED IN THE POLITICAL PROCESS.

AND THAT'S ONE OF SHIRLEY'S GIFTS, ONE OF HER SUPERPOWERS, TO JUST SEE IN PEOPLE WHAT THEY DID NOT SEE IN THEMSELVES AND IGNITE SOMETHING IN THEM TO THINK BIGGER AND WANT TO GO OUT AND SEEK THE KNOWLEDGE AND THINK MORE GLOBALLY, IF YOU WILL.

>> CONGRATULATIONS ON THE FILM.

>> THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TALKING WITH US ABOUT IT.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE PEOPLE WILL GET FROM IT?

>> JUST WHAT I WAS JUST SAYING, I HOPE THAT PEOPLE FEEL ACTIVATED, AND I HOPE THAT -- AGAIN, ALTHOUGH I'M NOT SHIRLEY, ONE OF THE BIG MESSAGES THAT SHE ALWAYS SPOKE ABOUT THROUGHOUT THE CAMPAIGN IS THE IMPORTANCE OF THE YOUTH, YOU KNOW.

WE'RE MAKING DECISIONS FOR THEIR FUTURE.

AND I HOPE THAT YOUNGER PEOPLE FEEL THAT THEY MEET THE CRITERIA.

THEY HAVE THE CRITERIA THAT'S NEEDED TO WANT TO RUN FOR THOSE LOCAL OFFICES BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF THE DECISIONS THAT ARE MADE THAT AFFECT OUR DAY-TO-DAY LIVES, YOU KNOW, CITY COUNCIL, REPRESENTATIVES IN YOUR DISTRICT, YOUR MAYORS AND GOVERNORS.

THEY MAKE REALLY HUGE CHOICES THAT AFFECT YOUR DAY-TO-DAY.

AND THAT THEY ARE INTERESTED IN IT, IN THE FUTURE, THAT'S WHAT I HOPE.

YOU KNOW?

>> REGINA KING, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TALKING WITH US.

CONGRATULATIONS.

>> THANK YOU.

>> WE CAN ALL WATCH IT NOW ON NETFLIX.