Nat Bates for Mayor tells the story of the outrageous 2014 mayoral race in Richmond, CA - home to the state's second largest refinery where Chevron spent more than $3 million to back 83-year-old African-American candidate Nat Bates.
Opening with footage of a 2012 fire at the Chevron oil refinery and a heated town hall where blue-collar employees clash with environmentalists, the film sets the groundwork for the election that shifted the balance of power in the city. Councilman Nat Bates makes a Faustian bargain with the corporate devil in hopes of keeping the waning working-class African-American community intact, as it deals with gentrification occurring throughout the Bay Area.
His biggest competition comes from the Richmond Progressive Alliance, an advocacy group who wants Chevron's influence out of the city's affairs. They rally behind Councilman Tom Butt, a man with his own history of dismissing the concerns of low-income residents of the city.
The guerilla-style documentary follows the candidates on the trail, captures revealing personal moments, and records audacious city council meetings as they campaign to take control of the Bay Area's overlooked oil town. Nothing is clear-cut as the film potently mixes issues of corporate influence, race, gentrification, homophobia, political self-determination, and humor -- all told through the lives of bigger-than-life small-town characters.
"Film also highlights the often nasty city council meetings that at times broke down completely. Those with an interest in local politics will find much to glean from this film." — Library Journal
"Expect outrage -- but also hilarity from the wild, guerilla-style documentary that reveals racism, class warfare and other ugliness at the heart of political ambition." — East Bay Times
"It's like watching a year-long boxing match with no referee." — East Bay Express
"Recommended. Giving a viewer something to think about on both sides, the documentary builds some suspense as the election outcome is awaited...The issues raised are faced in many other places in the country besides Richmond." — Educational Media Reviews Online
"Recommended. Nat Bates for Mayor offers an often fascinating fly-on-the-wall view of small city politics and the frequent lapses into pettiness and tribalism that result in polarized communities." — Video Librarian
"A fascinating history of that [Richmond] campaign...a timely reminder of the stakes involved in a key Left Coast battle against big money in politics that resonated nationally...Captures the defining moment of a campaign old-fashioned in many ways but hyper-modern because of its indirect business financing." — Steve Early, author of Refinery Town: Big Oil, Big Money, and the Remaking of an American City
"Nat Bates for Mayor is the perfect documentary. It is as entertaining as it is informative and educational, and will have sitting at the edge of your seat. It is an excellent resource for educators teaching on the topics of politics, social movements, urban life, environmentalism, race relations, and corporate control. I cannot recommend it more highly." — Clayton Childress, Assistant Professor of Sociology, University of Toronto
"Bradley Berman and Eric Weiss go behind the scenes of Richmond, CA citizens' ongoing struggle to breathe in the shadow of the Chevron oil refinery." — Bay Area Reporter
Citation
Main credits
Berman, Bradley (screenwriter)
Berman, Bradley (film director)
Berman, Bradley (film producer)
Weiss, Eric (screenwriter)
Weiss, Eric (film director)
Weiss, Eric (film producer)
Other credits
Cinematography, Bradley Berman; editors, Bradley Berman, Byron W. Thompson; music, Jerry Kennedy.
