Truth by James Vanderbilt will be the opening film of the tenth edition of the Rome Film Fest, to be held October 16th to 24th 2015, under the artistic direction of Antonio Monda, produced by the Fondazione Cinema per Roma, chaired by Piera Detassis.
American screenwriter James Vanderbilt, well-known for his work on The Amazing Spider-Man 1 and 2 by Marc Webb, and Zodiac by David Fincher, got behind the camera to film his directorial debut, a story that borrows from the repertory of political and newsroom thrillers (such as All the President’s Men and The Insider), starring Oscar®-winning actors Cate Blanchett and Robert Redford.
The film is inspired by the book “Truth and Duty: The Press, the President, and the Privilege of Power” written by journalist and television producer Mary Mapes (played by Cate Blanchett) who worked for years on the CBS television programme “60 Minutes” with renowned anchorman Dan Rather (Robert Redford). The film focuses on the events that led to the controversial case known as “Rathergate”, which concerned the allegedly preferential treatment that George W. Bush received in being posted to the National Guard, to avoid deployment in Vietnam. This unconfirmed story aired in 2004 just two months before the American presidential elections, and brought about Rather’s resignation and Mapes’ layoff, leading the entire CBS News division just a step away from collapse.
Co-starring with the two Oscar® winners are Dennis Quaid (Far from Heaven, The Day After Tomorrow, Traffic), Topher Grace (Spider-Man 3, Predator, In Good Company), and Elisabeth Moss (star of the acclaimed television series “Mad Men”).
“Truth may be interpreted on two different levels – explains Artistic Director Antonio Monda – The first is the relationship between journalism and politics. The second is the relationship between truth and bias: how preconceptions can affect the way news is reported. Based on a true story, Truth is a powerful and effective debut by a director we will be talking about for a very long time.”