Insider DC publication Roll Call covered the How Democracy Works Now DC tour recently.  Below, a few choice excerpts from the ‘Heard on the Hill‘ column:

When filmmakers Shari Robertson and Michael Camerini set out to shoot a documentary about the immigration reform effort in 2001, they thought they’d spend about a year on Capitol Hill tracking the process.

They wound up staying six years and making a dozen films (until the immigration effort ultimately fell apart). But with immigration issues again in the news, it seems fitting that the filmmakers are planning to screen eight of the movies from their series, “How Democracy Works Now,” starting May 12 at the Goethe-Institut.

Robertson and Camerini had incredible access to Capitol Hill, filming backroom negotiations, strategy sessions and casual conversations. They filmed Members, staffers, lobbyists, advocates and normal citizens. And they’d often jump between offices, sometimes knowing details the opposing sides didn’t know about each other…

Now that the project is complete, the filmmakers say they hope to use their dozen films to educate the public about the workings of Washington. They remain in touch with many of the staffers they filmed, Camerini says, noting many could take part in the next immigration debate.