Nancy Pelosi documentary Pelosi in the House debuts on HBO December 13. Pelosi’s daughter, Alexandra Pelosi, directed the film.

Alexandra Pelosi’s films include Journeys with George, Homeless: The Motel Kids of Orange County and Diary of a Political Tourist. She’s done 14 documentaries for HBO.

HBO promises “a candid, behind-the-scenes chronicle of the life of her mother and Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, through her career milestones leading up to the inauguration of President Joseph Biden in January 2021. Filmed in a cinéma vérité style over the course of three decades, Pelosi in the House provides a unique, longitudinal window into the life of a longstanding Democratic politician and history in the making.”

The film tracks Pelosi’s life in public office, from her election to Congress in 1987 and becoming the first female Speaker of the House in 2007 through the 2020 election and President Biden’s inauguration. “The film offers a unique look at American politics through her efforts on the Affordable Care Act, the COVID-19 relief package, two impeachments as well as a record of the events of January 6, 2021, following Pelosi and other lawmakers at a secure location as the crisis unfolded,” added HBO. 

IndieWire gave Pelosi in the House a so-so mark. “The director is (understandably) too protective of her subject to risk making a film that leaves the Speaker vulnerable to attack or arms her mouth-foaming enemies on the fascist side of the aisle with any free ammunition. Or maybe the problem is that — even though her mom is now 82 — Alexandra can’t keep up with her,” it reads. 

Alexandra Pelosi produced the film. Nancy Abraham and Lisa Heller executive produce for HBO. ■

Democrats and Republicans may be divided over the Mueller report and health care and immigration and climate change and campaign finance and, well, you get the idea. But one thing they can agree on is that C-SPAN is something of a national treasure.

That point was made clear in a bipartisan anniversary celebration on the House floor Tuesday (March 26) from both Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).

C-SPAN, the public service suite of networks funded by cable companies, is celebrating its 40th anniversary—it launched with House coverage—of unfiltered coverage.

Speaker Pelosi, who noted it was also her birthday, celebrated C-SPAN's birthday with warm words of praise for what she said was its "enduring contributions to the public debate and to our American democracy."

She said the founders had envisioned a transparent and accountable People's House and that she "rose to honor an institution that powerfully honors that legacy." She said it ensured their sessions could be a national town hall.

Pelosi praised its unblinking eye trained on Congress and the campaign trail, "presidents and parliaments and so much more. She called it a pillar of public discourse and a beacon of unbiased reporting." Pointing out that the channel's founder had never mentioned his own name on air, she did not follow suit. "Thank you Brian Lamb for your service to our democracy," she said, to applause from the gallery. She even led a cheer for the C-SPAN bus, the mobile civics education effort.

McCarthy called the anniversary a "milestone in open and accessible government" and C-SPAN an irreplaceable tool in accomplishing James Madison's vision of representative government as refining and enlarging "the public view of the common good."

McCarthy said the rise of the internet and new media "has only reinforced the need for C-SPAN's unfiltered coverage and unbiased programming."

"Now, more than ever, people must be able to form their own opinions. They need objective coverage, access to balanced analysis and the opportunity to debate their views with others of good faith. C-SPAN does just that."