Product Description

Embarking on a national publicity tour to promote his new book, "Palestine Peace Not Apartheid," former US president Jimmy Carter ignites an international firestorm of controversy when he argues that only Israel's complete withdrawal from the occupied territories can bring lasting peace to the Middle East. Intimate, informative and altogether engrossing, Jimmy Carter Man From Plains is a candid portrait of a Nobel Prize-winning humanitarian and statesman whose compassion and steadfast sense of justice remains undiminished by time. Directed by Academy Award winner Jonathan Demme (The Silence of the Lambs Best Director, 1991; Philadelphia, 1993).

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #23077 in DVD
• Brand: Unknown
• Released on: 2008-03-25
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• ESRB Rating: Teen
• Formats: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, French
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .25 pounds
• Running time: 125 minutes

Amazon.com
No other American president in recent history has had as significant a public profile after leaving office as Jimmy Carter, but public profile isn't all good--as Jimmy Carter, Man from Plains demonstrates. This documentary, directed by Jonathan Demme (The Silence of the Lambs, Philadelphia), captures the blaze of controversy that followed publication of Carter's book Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid. As Carter launches his book tour, the rounds of interviews make clear that much of the hubbub was sparked simply by the use of the word "apartheid" in the title. But Man from Plains isn't just a series of media debates, it's also a portrait of Carter--a man lauded for his fundamental decency and criticized for his deep-rooted stubbornness--and a glancing but not simplified discussion of the Palestinian occupation itself. Most of the movie tracks the former president as he travels from city to city, but scenes at events in Plains and footage from Carter's tenure in office give the depiction of Carter some scope. Demme captures Carter's generosity, his earnest spirituality, and--undeniably--his ego, which (as with anyone who's risen to public office) is not small, despite Carter's sense of humility. This well-rounded documentary is essential viewing for anyone who yearns for the day when our elected officials had integrity. --Bret Fetzer

Stills from Jimmy Carter Man from Plains (click for larger image)

Beyond Jimmy Carter Man from Plains

Audio CD

Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid

Beyond the White House: Waging Peace, Fighting Disease, Building Hope

Customer Reviews

Great man being lost on partisan times
Having read a lot on Jimmy Carter, including books by people who helped create Delta Force and their interactions with President Carter and why they have always voted republican their entire life except for Jimmy Carter due to his selfless action of taking 100% credit for the failed Iranian mission. A time when everyone in the operation was ashamed and saddened for having let Carter down when he gave them full operational and strategic control. Carter refused to let any of his generals or special ops take the fall and insisted on 100% blame and was a major factor that cost him his presidency.

He was and still is a great man, following him through his tour of the US was interesting, I am still amazed that such a great and moral person who actually cares for people and isn't blinded by race or religion ever got elected.

I actually felt a bit saddened watching a man freak out on Carter, love him or hate him you can't help but respect him and all that he has accomplished, and for the record, I have been a life long republican myself, minus my first vote for Mr. Carter when he was defeated by Regan.

Don't Criticize It If You Haven't Seen It
Anyone who had access to television news in 2006 will remember the storm of controversy following the publication of former President Jimmy Carter's book, "Palestine: Peace, Not Apartheid." This film recalls those days in great detail and reminds us that many of the book's critics had not even bothered to read it before denouncing it.

I predict that many of the same critics of that book and Carter's even-handed position on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict will return to denounce Jonathan Demme's film without ever bothering to see it. They will continue to assert that Israel is completely innocent of creating anything that could be considered an apartheid situation. Their hope is that people will ignore Carter's simple request that everyone take the time to look at the facts on the ground before automatically taking the Israeli side in this long-standing dispute. Anyone who does so can at least then agree that the walls constructed by Israel encroach in many places onto long-held Palestinian lands.

Carter points out in several instances in the film that Israel certainly has the right to defend itself and its borders against terrorist attacks; his objection is to the locations where the walls have been built and the manner in which they have been used to house the Palestinians as virtual prisoners. It is much easier for the critics to simply assume that Carter is anti-Israeli. I submit that any honest viewer of the film cannot maintain such an opinion of him.

Even those who might disagree with Carter's positions would have to be amazed at the sheer level of energy shown in the film on the part of this eighty-three year old man who seems willing to speak anytime, anywhere in defense of his views. In viewing the film, I was encouraged to see the respectful response that he received when speaking before what might have been expected to be a hostile audience at Brandeis. On the other hand, my hopes were tempered by the young street protestor in the film who took great delight in shouting to Palestinians and their supporters that, "Nobody cares about you."

Many People Bashing This Film Have Not Seen It Or Read the Book.
This is a great film and like the book that ignited the debate, almost all of the people on here condemning it have clearly not seen it. Jimmy Carter is the only president who has made real preogress in bringing peace to Israel and Palestine and yet all of a sudden he is labeled as this racist because he dares to call a spade a spade. If you read the book you will quickly see that although not a Zionist, Carter is FAR from being anti-semetic. There isn't a US leader out there with more friends in Israel or who has spent as much time and energy there. And it is truly horrific to see these insults being unfairly hurled at such a man of peace.

It is fascinating to watch the events unfold throughout his tour to promote his book- Palestine, Peace Not Apartheid. Let's face it- if he hadn't dared to use that word in the title noone would have read it. To say that there are no commonalities between Israeli policy toward the Palestinians and Apartheid in South Africa is ridiculous.