When Barack Obama was elected President of the United States, it was an unexpected boon to an unemployed Puerto Rican father in the Bronx. Louis Ortiz had recently discovered something amazing: when he shaved off his goatee, he unveiled an uncanny resemblance to the President.
The bizarre and unlikely story is the subject of Ryan Murdock’s acclaimed documentary Bronx Obama. Follow Ortiz’s transformation into President Obama’s impersonator, following him through Obama’s first term and the 2012 election season.
The strange tale of a hustler trying to take advantage of the ‘look of a lifetime’ shines a light on the American dream, and what it means to be someone you’re not.
Bronx Obama premieres Friday 28 September at 9pm on PBS America. It’s available on Freeview 94, Freesat 155, Virgin Media 276 and Sky 160.
