The Candidates

Since 1996, the students of a Queens public high school have staged an elaborate mock presidential election for an entire semester, simulating the American electoral process against the backdrop of the real one. In 2016, Ukranian-American Daniel hams it up as a cocky Donald Trump, while Pakistani-American Misbah, an observant Muslim, portrays Hillary Clinton, with also-rans like earthy Jill Stein thrown in for good measure. As the students reenact the rigors of the divisive political campaign, hard truths about politics are revealed, yet hope lives on.

Documentary

The Candidates

Recomendation Films

  • Birth of the Living Dead
  • Drew: The Man Behind the Poster
  • The Class of ‘92
  • Spider-Man: All Roads Lead to No Way Home
  • Doc of the Dead
  • Champs
  • Fuck
  • A Decade Under the Influence
  • Halloween: 25 Years of Terror
  • Tabloid
  • Mitt
  • Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson
  • Get Me Roger Stone
  • Sidney
  • Seduced and Abandoned
  • A Plastic Ocean
  • Ex Libris: The New York Public Library
  • LA Originals
  • Directed by John Ford
  • Black Sheep

NextFilm 2026