In a democracy, the authority of the government derives solely from the consent of the governed. The way that consent is transformed into governmental authority is the holding of free and fair elections. Leading up to an election, there is a campaign. 

 

Following a riveting US Election in 2020 and looking towards the German elections in 2021, we will look at campaigns - what works and what doesn’t, what needs to happen in a healthy democracy, and what is dangerous. What makes a successful political campaign in today’s world?

 

Arun Chaudhary is an American political operative and filmmaker. After serving on President Barack Obama's presidential 2008 campaign, he was asked to become the White House Official Videographer, a new role developed specifically for him. Known as the “First Cameraman,” Arun followed the former President within the White House and beyond, capturing moments of public grandeur and instances of human intimacy. During his tenure, he wrote, produced, shot, and edited over 63 episodes of West Wing Week, the first-ever online video diary of the White House, documenting the President through his rigorous weekly agenda. 

 

He left in August 2011 to join mobile-messaging startup Revolution Messaging as senior vice president of communications. Since then, he has continued to work as a filmmaker in politics and in roles such as creative digital director of Bernie Sanders' 2016 presidential campaign. Currently residing in Berlin, Germany, he has started a small creative company called Committee, focused on countering the narratives of the far-right globally. He is working on elections in the Netherlands, Italy, and Kosovo.

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Follow Arun Chaudhary's work:

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Twitter: @ArunChaud

Facebook: Arun Chaudhary