A touching and intimate look at one mans search for his roots, Obama spreads his contagious spirit everywhere he goes. Chicago Intl Documentary Festival Barack Obama returns to his familys roots on an emotional journey to Africa the vast continent that is gaining increasing importance in this age of globalisation. Part personal odyssey and part chronicle of diplomacy in action, this timely documentary follows Senator Obama as he travels to the land of his ancestry. In South Africa we accompany Senator Obama and his wife Michelle on a trip to Robben Island the infamous prison where Nelson Mandela was jailed for 21 years.

At a Darfur refugee camp in Chad, we see, through Obamas eyes, the devastating effects of genocide, and listen in to Senator Obamas discussions with victims of the crisis, U.N. officials, and other aid workers as he explores ways in which the United States can lend support to the victims.

The heart of the film is Obamas emotional homecoming to Kisumu, Kenya his fathers home where thousands of people turn out to greet him. It was completely overwhelming, says Michelle Obama, the Senators wife. Its hard to describe unless you were there to see hundreds and thousands of people lining the streets of this very small town to greet my husband. Throughout it all, Senator Obama narrates the film, giving his own perspective on the journey and the significance of Africa to U.S. interests. Additional perspective is included through interviews with experts on African affairs as well as with U.S. political commentators.