English summary

Very many politicians have seen their careers derail, but rarely has the event been documented so well and with such brutal clarity as in the astute and painfully funny Weiner.

The American politician Weiner became the focus of scandal in 2011 when he was caught ‘sexting’. Having had to step down from the House of Representatives, he made an unexpected political comeback two years later when he joined the race to become the mayor of New York. Director Kriegman follows the dramatic resurrection and, when Weiner’s sexual exhibitionism rears its head again, the inevitable fall of this pig-headed politician. He makes grateful use of the unlimited access he has to Weiner, his family and his campaign team. With great humour and drama, the film shows the thin dividing line between political show and personal tragedy, as well as the merciless way in which the media make short measure of a public figure once they’ve scented blood.

The awards won by Weiner include the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary at the Sundance Film Festival 2016: “The best documentary about a political campaign ever made. A fast-paced verité film that unfolds like a modern Shakespearean tragedy.”