I CAN BE PRESIDENT: A KID’S-EYE VIEW is the latest collaboration between director-producer Diane Kolyer and director-producer-animator Michael Sporn. Kolyer directed and produced the Peabody Award-winning HBO documentary “The Music in Me,” which spawned two more “Music in Me” specials for the network. Her other HBO credits include the Emmy®-winning “Happy to Be Nappy and Other Stories of Me,” the Emmy®-nominated “Rosie O’Donnell’s Kids Are Punny” and the interstitial series “My Favorite Book.” Kolyer was most recently a producer for the Peabody Award-winning “A Letter to Elia,” directed by Martin Scorsese.
The heartwarming special features interviews with elementary schoolers whose hopes and dreams — both hilarious and touching – come to life in animated sequences. One says that if kids could be president, there would be “free ice cream for all,” while another promises “macaroni and cheese every day!” One girl remarks, “I’d only be president if I could have weird hair like George Washington.” Though sometimes humorous, their observations offer a promising vision of the nation’s future.
The election of Barack Obama was an inspiration to the children featured in I CAN BE PRESIDENT: A KID’S-EYE VIEW. Despite their youth, they understand that barriers of discrimination have come tumbling down and see greater possibilities for themselves. In their own words, they explain that Obama has given them more than change – he has given them hope. One girl declares, “He was black and all the other past presidents were white. And even though he was different from the other past presidents, he still wanted to try because he wanted to do that job.”
Offering a young person’s view of civics and ethics, I CAN BE PRESIDENT: A KID’S-EYE VIEW has lessons for all ages, with simple yet profound observations on diversity, war, life, being a leader and becoming an adult. Says one child, “Being a better person right now can make you a president when you grow up,” while another notes that, if sworn into office, she would promise citizens kindness and lots of caring friendship in their lives.