Anthony Fauci, the longtime director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease who became the top U.S. medical official addressing the coronavirus pandemic, is getting the feature documentary treatment.
National Geographic Documentary Films said Monday that Emmy winners John Hoffman and Janet Tobias will direct Fauci, which through exclusive access promises to offer a glimpse into the career and life of the public servant who has advised seven U.S. presidents beginning with the AIDS pandemic in the 1980s and through SARS, Ebola and now Covid-19.
The film will be produced by Alexandra Moss. For Story Syndicate, executive producers are Icarus Oscar-winner Dan Cogan, What Happened, Miss Simone?‘s Liz Garbus, and All In: The Fight for Democracy’s Jon Bardin.
Fauci is the longest-serving public health leader in Washington, DC, and has testified before Congress more than any other single person in U.S. history. The film will trace his career with a focus on his work on HIV/AIDS, through to now, when he has become the public face of the fight against Covid-19. Interviews include President George W. Bush, Bill Gates, Bono, former HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell, former national security advisor Susan Rice, NIH director Dr. Francis Collins, former CDC director Dr. Tom Frieden, key AIDS activists and organizers, as well as family, friends and former patients.
Here is an early look:
“There is only one Dr. Fauci, and it is an incredible privilege to bring his inspiring, lifelong quest to cure disease and prevent outbreaks, to viewers around the world,” said Hoffman and Tobias in a release announcing the project. “This film will be an unprecedented, intimate portrait of our nation’s greatest public servant, whose relentless pursuit of truth and devotion to science has never been more important.”
Nat Geo has a strong track record with documentaries, having released the Oscar- and Emmy-winning Free Solo and the Oscar-nominated The Cave among titles including Science Fair and Sea of Shadows and Emmy winners LA 92 and Jane. Its latest pic is Ron Howard’s Rebuilding Paradise.
“Dr. Fauci has become a household name because of COVID-19, but what people may not realize is the heroic and integral role he has played in shaping our national response to serious health crises for more than 50 years,” said Carolyn Bernstein, EVP scripted content and documentary films for National Geographic. “We couldn’t ask for better partners than John, Janet, Dan and Liz to bring audiences this inside look at the man behind the legacy, and we hope his remarkable story will inspire a new generation to pursue public service with the same commitment and verve.”
