Pelosi, Other Luminaries Gather to Celebrate Bhutto

Dennis Palmieri is director of communications for ITVS, and led the team that produced the Washington D.C. premiere of Bhutto at the headquarters of the National Geographic Society on June 29th. He reports from the event:

Last night, ITVS hosted the Washington D.C. premiere of the landmark new documentary Bhutto, about the life, career, and tragic death of one of the world’s most dynamic leaders — and the first woman ever to lead an Islamic nation — Benazir Bhutto.

The film debuted at Sundance 2010 to rave reviews and Independent Lens series producer Lois Vossen quickly moved in to secure Bhutto for next season; it will air in March 2011 in celebration of Women’s History Month.

But last night, Bhutto belonged to official Washington. Nearly 400 invited guests, members of Congress and the Washington diplomatic corps, journalists, and other notables were regaled with reflections and remembrances of Ms. Bhutto’s life and work.

The pinnacle of the evening though, was a surprise appearance by another dynamic woman leader, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who took the podium during introductory remarks to share memories of her friendship with Benazir (watch the Speaker’s remarks below).

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Tags: Benazir Bhutto, CPB, documentary, ITVS, Judy Woodruff, NewsHour, Pakistan, PBS