Director of Obama-Backed Oscar Winning Doc Once Nominated for Film About Communism

Julia Reichert, left, and Steven Bognar accept the award for best documentary feature for
AP Photo/Chris Pizzello
Alana Mastrangelo

The director of a Netflix documentary backed by Barack Obama’s production company, Julia Reichert — who quoted Karl Marx’s Communist Manifesto during her acceptance speech at the Oscars on Sunday — had also once been nominated for a film about communism. The Irony.

Reichert — who quoted Marx’s famous “Workers of the world unite” chant during her acceptance speech at the Oscars on Sunday — was also once nominated for an Acadamy Award for a film about communism, according to a report by Daily Mail.

In 1983, Reichert was nominated for Best Documentary for another one of her films, entitled, Seeing Red. The film is about the American Communist Party.

On Sunday, the director won Best Documentary for her film, American Factory — a film about a Chinese company’s purchase and repurposing of an American factory in Ohio.

The documentary had been backed by President Obama, who tweeted out his congratuations regarding the documentary’s win.

“Congrats to Julia and Steven, the filmmakers behind American Factory, for telling such a complex, moving story about the very human consequences of wrenching economic change,” tweeted President Obama.

“Glad to see two talented and downright good people take home the Oscar for Higher Ground’s first release,” he added, referring to his and Michelle’s new production company, Higher Ground.

During her acceptance speech at the Oscars on Sunday, Reichert proclaimed a popular rallying cry from the Marx’s Communist Manifesto, as well as the Soviet Union.

“Working people have it harder and harder these days,” she said. “And we believe that things will get better when workers of the world unite.”

You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Twitter at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.

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