Broomfield's doc will get its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival this September alongside new works from Werner Herzog, Morgan Spurlock, and Frederick Wiseman. The film's synopsis, courtesy of TIFF:
"Nick Broomfield's quest for the real Sarah Palin involves battling the icy snows of Alaska in mid-winter to speak to the school friends, family, and Republican colleagues that in previous days gave their heart, soul and belief to the charismatic, charming, intoxicating ex-hockey mom. But it's not all plain sailing. People are frightened to talk; Wasilla makes Twin Peaks look like a walk in the park. It's a devout evangelical community - 76 churches with a population of only 6 thousand, and the Crystal meth capital of Alaska. Broomfield brings his celebrated wit and determination to cracking her story."
You Betcha sounds like a seedy, polar-opposite document of Palin's rise to prominence from the fawning conservative doc The Undefeated, so color me curious. With Broomfield's languid British accent to point out every semi-shady aspect of Palin's world, and his proven inclination toward thrusting himself into the film if only to provoke and poke around for the truth, it'll probably be much more entertaining, besides.
But here's the catch: Broomfield's not necessarily the documentarian you want on your side in a political fight, if only because his reputation and his methods make him an easy target for criticism. He is, after all, the filmmaker who alleged on film that Kurt Cobain's death was a murder arranged by Courtney Love (in Kurt and Courtney) and made a fascinating, if speculative documentary investigating conspiracy theories surrounding the unsolved murders of Christopher "Biggie Smalls" Wallace and Tupac Shakur (Biggie & Tupac).
Still: If there's any documentarian out there who'd take it to Palin like no filmmaker yet has, it's Broomfield. Release date is TBA.