Colour of Money

Monday October 27 at 10 pm ET/PT on CBC Newsworld

"Money is the mother's milk of politics." - Robert A. Mosbacher, veteran Republican fund-raiser and former Commerce Secretary

Cold, hard cash has never been more important to winning the American presidency. The price tag this year - a whopping one and a half billion dollars, the highest in U.S. history. This documentary takes us inside the Republican and Democratic presidential campaigns to see who's dishing out the money and how much. From corporations, unions, Wall Street, Hollywood to private citizens. The financial sector has kicked in $115 million. Lobbyists: $75 million Energy industry: $10 million. A lot of money has passed hands.

In the Republican camp, supporting John McCain, are big donors with big pockets. Not surprisingly, corporate America is writing a lot of cheques; a slew of private U.S. firms like Johnson & Johnson, Union Pacific, and Lockheed Martin. U.S. law doesn't allow them to make direct donations, but there is no limit on gifts for underwriting conventions. Business as usual. And as for private citizens, the film reveals the various ways people can skirt the legal limit of a $2,300 donation to any candidate.

In the Barack Obama camp, a never-before-seen strategy has been revolutionary and successful. Obama has flexed his impressive fundraising muscles by tapping into a pool of smaller donors, especially those wired to new technologies, the Internet and their cell phones. Small amounts have quickly added up to huge sums. And then there are the big donors like Wall Street, which has been handing over a staggering $800,000 a month (pre-crisis). This in addition to the star-studded - and now star-struck - Hollywood with all its clout and its cash to boot.

Two presidential candidates. Two fund-raising strategies. One and half billion dollars later, on Nov. 4, one president. This documentary takes you inside both the Republican and Democratic presidential campaigns, and lets you see the machinery of political fund-raising in the U.S., who's financing who, and how both Obama and McCain are using that money in their bid to win.

Colour of Money is a film by Philippe Lagnier.