Political divisions in America are as bad as they’ve been since the Civil War. There may be no greater culprit in stoking the division among the denizens of the constitutional republic than Roger Ailes and the propaganda machine he oversaw for decades Fox News. Now the story of how a Republican strategist became the head of a divisive media empire which still stands despite his being ousted as the head of a culture of sexual harassment is the subject of a new documentary from director Alexis Bloom, Divide and Conquer: The Story of Roger Ailes. Today brings us the first trailer for Bloom’s documentary which will be released in theaters and on VOD platforms on December 7, 2018 by Magnolia Pictures.
The trailer teases a documentary comprised of archival footage as well as new interviews with those who knew Ailes, some of which love the man and other who loathe him. Ailes passed away in 2017 shortly after being removed as head of his propaganda network, but his legacy will continue to live on with a nation divided and the very nature of truth left in doubt by a sizable portion of the population.
It’s impossible not to look at the contentious political climate and wonder how we got here. Any set of answers must begin with the life’s work of Roger Ailes and Divide and Conquer looks to be the definitive cinematic portrait of a political actor who reshaped American media for the worst. Love him or hate him, love Fox News or hate Fox News, Divide and Conquer: The Story of Roger Ailes will be a must-see documentary for millions of Americans concerned about how we can get past these divisions.
The official synopsis for Divide and Conquer: The Story of Roger Ailes:
This is a story of serial cruelty, both on the public stage and in private life. Like a true Shakespearean figure, ambition and desire were Ailes’ undoing. He was finally toppled when victims of his sexual harassment stepped forward. The accounts of these women—raw and infuriating—are the axis around which Ailes’ story inexorably turns.