August in the Empire State Part One

The 2004 presidential election was one of the most politically divisive moments in recent American history. Amidst the division, the Republican Party held its first ever convention in New York City, a potent symbol for both President Bush and the local progressives energized to defeat him. Using the convention and the animated reaction of New Yorkers as its backdrop, "August in the Empire State Part One" delves into the forgotten debate over the growth of poverty in America. The film follows two characters in the months leading up to the convention: Paul Rodriguez, a conservative Republican Congressional candidate, and Cheri Honkala, the National Spokesperson for the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign, the largest grassroots organization of poor people in the U.S, taking the viewer behind the scenes, exposing the people and the very personal stakes at the heart of what divides us as a country.