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As the world continues to face the novel coronavirus pandemic, the first look at a new documentary aimed to examine the government’s response to the virus and “uncover the truth” has been released.
The first trailer for Alex Gibney‘s doc, Totally Under Control — a title quoting President’s Donald Trump affirmation that everything is “totally under control” with COVID-19 — was released Friday.
The documentary, from Gibney and co-directors Ophelia Harutyunyan and Suzanne Hillinger, was made in secrecy over the past five months, the trailer states, with the directors having interviewed “countless scientists, medical professionals and government officials on the inside” to give insight into how “the wealthiest and most powerful country in the world” managed “to fail so thoroughly in its response to a global pandemic.”
Rick Bright, the former director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, is one of the health officials featured in the trailer, blasting the government for failing to listen to scientists who knew what to do in response to the viral outbreak. “The plan was in front of us, but leadership would not do it,” he says.
“It is time to lay our careers on the line and push back,” he says. (Bright was removed from his position after testifying before Congress about Trump’s misleading statements regarding a vaccine.)
Throughout the trailer, behind-the-scenes footage from doctors and nurses caring for patients is shown, as well as media footage of Trump and government officials.
The film synopsis reads: “On Jan. 20, 2020, the U.S. and South Korea both discovered their first cases of COVID-19. However, nine months later, the novel coronavirus has claimed the lives of over 200,000 Americans and caused staggering economic damage, while in South Korea, there were no significant lockdowns and, in an urbanized population of 51 million, only 344 lives have been lost. Where did we go wrong?”
The doc teases that it will expose the “systemwide collapse caused by a profound dereliction of presidential leadership.” The trailer reads, “The truth will make you sick.”
Neon picked up Gibney’s latest documentary for an October release early last month.
The trailer arrives shortly after Trump and first lady Melania Trump were announced to have tested positive for COVID-19.
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