Duane Baughman, producer and director of the documentary “Bhutto,” spoke via Skype to a women’s and gender studies class Monday afternoon.
Baughman is the owner and founder of Yellow Pad Productions. His documentary “Bhutto” focuses on the life and assassination of Pakistan’s first female prime minister, Benazir Bhutto.
“Bhutto” was featured at Sundance Film Festival and the Sonoma International Film Festival, where it won the Special Jury Prize for Outstanding U.S. Historical Documentary.
“This is the first time I’ve ever Skyped in my life. … I want to thank you guys for having me and breaking my Skype cherry,” Baughman joked.
Students were curious what Baughman’s initial goals were in making the documentary and if those changed throughout the filmmaking process.
“You never end up making the film you start out to make,” Baughman said. He later commented that his initial goal was to keep Bhutto’s legacy alive.
Baughman described his day job as being an American political consultant where he has had contact with prominent politicians like current Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. He said his job and contacts gave him the funding and proximity to make a successful film.
Baughman emphasized the gender and political barriers Bhutto broke by getting elected.
“Imagine this: Not only was Benazir an Islamic woman elected to run an Islamic country, but she was the youngest woman to ever do so. She was also the first to ever give birth as a prime minister,” Baughman said.
Bhutto’s election was hugely groundbreaking and completely unheard of in Pakistan, according to Baughman.
Adria Porch, political science and international studies junior, was curious if Bhutto was as prophetic about her own death as Martin Luther King Jr. was.
“I would imagine probably more so,” Baughman said.
Baughman went on to explain that both Bhutto’s father and brothers had been assassinated and that appearing in public was always a life-threatening risk for her.
“Benazir was raised with the spectre of death all around her, and I think that MLK kind of grew into his acceptance of what his fate was going to be,” Baughman said.
“Bhutto” is the first U.S.-produced American documentary to be shown in Pakistan, Baughman said.
“Bhutto” is available on DVD.
 
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Contact Parker Cramer at [email protected]