Edward Norton and his production company are developing a documentary about Barack Obama. Directors Amy Rice and Alicia Sams have been shooting footage since 2006, before Obama's declaration of candidacy when Norton and his group of collaborators approached Obama and he welcomed the idea. They've been steadily filming ever since.

According to Variety, "Norton said the motivation behind the film was not to glorify its subject." The idea for the project came after Obama gave a speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, which struck him as exciting, fresh and unique. For more of these insights from Norton, read more.

We were all so struck by Barack’s speech and talked about how exciting it was to see someone from our generation, not our parents’, make his presence felt in such an inspiring way. It was akin to the way I remembered my dad describing how he felt when Kennedy gave his inauguration speech . . . It was more this generational experience, of seeing someone we felt represented us in a very unique and fresh way, and the desire to explore what would happen to the first person our age who staked a claim to national leadership.

Norton goes on to say that they already have hours of footage and plan to continue shooting through Obama's presidential run, but that "the film has to say something about politics in America, and just because you have access doesn’t mean you have insight." It's obviously not the first documentary to come out of a politician's election campaign — Alexandra Pelosi's Journeys With George is an interesting peek into the current president's 2000 campaign, for example — but I'm curious to find out what Norton and the two directors (both women, which is neat) will produce.

What do you think about this news? Given Norton's enthusiasm for Obama, do you think he will be able to avoid "glorifying" the subject?

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