FEDERALELECTIONCOMMISSION

Inthematterof:
JoelGilbert
DFMRF,LLC MURNo.6779
Highway61Entertainment,LLC

SUPPLEMENTALCOMMENTARYONTHEFILMDREAMSFROMMYREAL
FATHER

COMESNOW,Complainant,andprovidesthissupplementalcommentaryregarding
thecontentofthefilmthatisthesubjectoftheComplaint,DreamsFromMyRealFather.
Submittedinconjunctionwiththiscommentaryisatranscriptofthefilmaspreparedby
Complainant.
I. Transcript
Theprovidedtranscriptwasdrawnfromviewingsofboththeoriginalretailversionof
thefilmanditsmassmailedDVD,aswellasthestreamingversionofthefilmavailableon
Netflix.Complainantalternatedbetweentheseformatsatfirst,believingthemtobeidentical,
butthereappeartobesmalldifferencesbetweenthem,primarilyinthenarration.Complainant
hasnotedthesedifferencesinthetranscriptwhentheywereobserved,butdidnotrewatchthe
filmmultipletimestocatalogueallthepossibledifferences.BasedonComplainantsviewings,it
appearsthatthemassmailedandNetflixversionsarelikelyidenticaltoeachother.
Thefilmsdialogueconsistsofavoiceovernarration,interspersedwitharchivalnews
andinterviewclips.Complainantinitiallytranscribedthesearchivalclipsaswell,but
approximatelyhalfwaythroughthefilmelectedtotranscribeonlythescriptedvoiceover
narration,andtosimplynotewherearchivalclipsareinserted.
II. Interviews
AlthoughtheopeningDirectorsNoteandthesimilarclosingdisclaimersaythatthe
filmwasbasedonactualevents,interviews,andarchives,thereisnoevidenceinthefilmthat
JoelGilbertoranyotherpersoninvolvedwiththefilminterviewedanyoneinthecourseof
production.Therearenooriginalinterviewclipsthereareonlyvideoclipsborrowedfrom
other,earliersources.Norarethereanyquotationsthatareattributedtointerviewsconducted
bythefilmscreators.Rather,allquotationspresentedinthefilmappeartobeeithertakenfrom
existingsources,orwerecreatedwholesaleaspartofthespeculationreferencedinthefilms
disclaimer.
III. OnscreenImagery
Asthetranscriptfocusesonthewordsspokeninthefilm,particularlythevoiceover
narration,itdoesnotattempttocapturealloftheimagerythataccompaniesthedialogue.This
imageryoftenservestoillustratethefilmspoliticalandcampaignpurposeasmuchasthe
narration.
Forinstance,theimagesofredSovietflagsandRussianbuildingsappearwithinthefirst
thirtysecondsofthefilm.Whenthenarratorstatesthefilmsthemeintheopeningmoments,the
screenshowsstillimagesofPresidentObamaandFrankMarshallDaviswitharedSovietflag
flappingbehindthem.Throughoutthefilm,thereisrepeatedusageofCommunistandSoviet
imagery,fromflagsandsymbolsandSovietliteraturetopicturesofKarlMarxandVladimir
LenintovideofootageofSovietRussiaandofcommunistralliesintheUnitedStates.Eventhe
apostropheinthefilmstitle,andontheDVDcover,isreplacedwithaSoviet
hammerandsickle.
IV. FictionalizationandFalsehoods
AsnotedintheoriginalComplaint,aconsiderableamountofthecontentofthefilmis
notmerelyfalse,butiscompletelyfictional.Athoroughlistofallofthefilmsfalsehoodsand
fictionsisbeyondthescopeofthismemo,butseveralareworthnoting.
Thefirst,andmostobvious,isthatFrankMarshallDaviswasnotthefatherofBarack
Obama.Noristhereanyevidencetosuggesthewas.Thiswasanotionoriginallyentertained
byonlineconspiracytheoristsinthefallof2008.Such,however,isthepremiseofthefilm,and
DavisisexplicitlyreferredtoasObamasrealfatherapproximatelythirtytimesduringthe
filmsninetyminuteruntime.
Chapter2liesextensivelyaboutObamasfamily.StanleyDunhamwasnotamember
oftheCIAnordidheeverworkforAirForceIntelligencethatmaybeacreationofMr.
Gilbertsownmind.TheDunhamfamilyneverlivedinLebanonthatclaimwasoriginally
advancedonlinebecauseofapictureofyoungAnnwearingauniformthatsomeonededuced
hadthelogoofaLebaneseschool.AndStanleyDunhamwasnotinvolvedwithbringing
BarackObamaSr.tostudyinHawaii.Thissegmentalsomakesthelaughableclaimthat
StanleysFrenchcourseincollegeisevidenceofhisCIAservice.
VirtuallyeverythinginChapter3ofthefilmiscompletefiction,creatinganimaginary
romanticrelationshipbetweenAnnDunhamandFrankMarshallDavis.Thefilmshowsseveral
picturesitclaimstobephotosofAnnDunhamtakenbyDavis,althoughComplainantsown
researchfoundthesephotosbeingpublishedbeforetheDunhamsmovedtoHawaii.Allofthe
supposedconversationsbetweenAnnandStanley,betweenStanleyandFrank,andbetween
StanleyandObamaSr.arenothingmorethanfabricationsofMr.Gilbertsownmind.
Chapter4issimilarlyfictional,asitsentirelypremiseduponthenotionthatObamas
fatherisFrankMarshallDavis.
Chapter5doesnotdealdirectlywithDavis,butitissimilarlyfictional.Here,Gilbert
manufacturesanalternaterealitywhereObamametBillAyersinNewYorkwhilehewas
collegeinreality,thetwodidntmeetuntilthe1990sinChicago.Gilbertthenspinsawildtale
abouthowBillAyersandtheAyersfamilyweredirectlyresponsibleforObamashigher
educationandhisearlypoliticalaspirations.Again,allofthisiscompletelymadeup,and
contrarytoObamasactualhistory.
Chapter6isshort,andprimarilyrevolvesaroundtheclaimthatObamawasinvolved
withtheprogressiveMidwestAcademyinChicago.AsfarasIcantell,thisisalsountrue.The
AcademyapparentlyindirectlyfundedsomeofObamasearlyorganizingefforts,buttheredo
notappeartobeanysources,outsideofGilbert,whoclaimthatObamawaspersonally
involvedwiththeMidwestAcademy.
Chapter7returnstotheconspiracistovertonesofhavingtheAyersfamilydirect
Obamaslife.Here,thefilmfalselyclaimsthattheAyersfamilywasresponsibleforhisfirstjob
inChicago,andalsoresponsibleforintroducinghimtoMichelleObama.TheChapteralso
endswithacompletelyfakequote,claimingthatObamareferstohiswifeashisbitterhalf(a
phrasethatactuallycomesfrompunditMichelleMalkin).
Chapter8continuestheAyersconspiracyclaims,creditingtheAyersfamilyfor
virtuallyeverycareermoveinObamaslife.ItalsobrieflytangentsfromBirtherconspiracy
theoriesto9/11Trutherconspiracytheories,whenitreferencesthefalseclaimthateightof
thenineteen9/11hijackerswereregisteredunderMotorVoter.Itadvancesatlengththefalse
claimchampionedbyconspiracytheoristJackCashillthatObamasbookDreamsFromMy
FatherwasghostwrittenbyBillAyers.
Chapter9appearstohaveeditedoutoneofthefilmsbiggestfactcheckingblunders
(asopposedtothemyriadconspiracytheories,whichareentirelyunconcernedwithfacts),that
ObamaadvisorDavidAxelrodisCommunistroyalty,thegreatgrandsonofLeonTrotsky.In
fact,LeonTrotskydidhaveagrandsonnamedDavidAxelrodonlyheisadifferentmanthan
theDavidAxelrodwhoworkedintheWhiteHouse.Thissectionofthefilmalsoconcoctsthe
falseclaimthatObamahadanosejobbeforethe2008election,andfurtherallegesthatthis
nonexistentrhinoplastywastohidehisrelationshiptoDavis.
Chapter10mostlyleavesbehindthefictionalconspiracytheoriesaboutObamaslife,
infavorofprovocativewarningsaboutwhathispoliticalgoalsareforAmerica.Accordingto
thefilm,ObamawantstoemulatetheMarxistmodelbyhavingagovernmenttakeoverofthe
economy.Hewantstoredistributewealthandnationalizeenergyproduction.Thefilmbriefly
returnstoconspiracytheoriestoclaimthatObamaforgedhisbirthcertificate.Obamasoverall
politicalstrategyisdescribedasunleashingadeadlyMarxistagendauponthemiddleclass,
wheremyfriendsandItransferwealthfromsuccessfulbusinessestofailingunionenterprises,
andtaxpayermoneyisgiventoirresponsibleindividuals.Andhisultimategoalisdescribedas
MiddleAmericasretirementwillevaporateintoabankruptsocialiststate,andthemiddleclass
willdisappear.Americawillhavejustonelowerclass.Politicaleliteswillrunthegovernment
andcontrolthewealth.AndAmericawillbeirreversiblysocialist,withouteverrealizinghowit
happened.