British public broadcaster Channel 4 is courting controversy with what it calls a "shockingly real" drama about the fictional assassination of President George W. Bush.
"Death of a President," shot in the form of a documentary examining the assassination, will use a blend of archival footage and computer-generated special effects to portray Bush in October 2007 arriving in Chicago during an anti-war rally.
In the film, Bush is killed by a sniper, and the investigation quickly focuses on a Syrian-born man. It will air in October on Channel 4's More4 digital channel, as well as at the Toronto Film Festival in September.
"It's a pointed political examination of what the war on terror is doing to the American body politic," said More4 boss Peter Dale at a press conference on Thursday.
Promotional materials described the program as "a thought-provoking critique of the contemporary U.S. political landscape."
Dale acknowledged that the program will be controversial, but maintained that it was a sophisticated work meant to spur debate.
"I'm sure there will be people upset by it," he said. "I hope people will see the intention as a good one."
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