During Richard Nixon's first term (1969-1973), Chief of Staff H.R. “Bob” Haldeman, Domestic Affairs Advisor John Ehrlichman and Legal Counsel Dwight Chapin - later all sentenced to prison for their involvement in the Watergate scandal - twisted around 500 rolls of Super 8 film. This material was confiscated in the course of the investigation into the scandal, but unlike the notorious White House tapes, it contained no incriminating evidence and disappeared into the archives for decades. These are the home movies of three young men, ready for duty, who diligently document the exciting life in the White House and the president's circle of influence: from the marble toilet bowl in Paris to the historic visit to China, from the wife embarrassingly escaping from the picture to Nixon's phone call with the men on the moon, not forgetting the squirrel burying a nut in the garden.
The silent footage in Our Nixon, Penny Lane's first feature-length documentary, comes to life in the careful montage of tape recordings, news footage and interviews. She combines everyday life and world history, the private sphere and politics into a dense fabric that demands independence and impact beyond those restrictive categories.
