SECRETARY RICE'S PARTICIPATION IN A DOCUMENTARY FOR FRENCH

UNCLAS PARIS 003921

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT PLEASE PASS TO THE FOREIGN PRESS CENTER

DEPARTMENT FOR R/ K. HUGHES, EUR/ D. FRIED


E. O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KPAO PREL FR
SUBJECT: SECRETARY RICE'S PARTICIPATION IN A DOCUMENTARY FOR FRENCH
TELEVISION



1. Summary: Embassy Paris was approached by one of our best press
contacts to seek Secretary Rice's participation in an hour-long
biographical documentary series. The Embassy strongly endorses this
request, and requests favorable consideration. We are ready to
provide additional information should it be necessary. End Summary.



2. France-3 television correspondent Christian Malar and
collaborator Bernard Vaillot recently launched a new hour-long
series called "A Visage Decouvert." Each program is essentially an
authorized biography of a contemporary world leader, tracing
personal history, career path, influences and challenges. Beginning
this fall, the programs will run monthly on France TV-5 and LCP, the
C-Span equivalent. DVDs of the program will also be available to
universities and schools throughout France and in other Francophone
countries.


3. This new series got off to a promising start with the first
program spotlighting King Abdullah II of Jordan. It aired to
excellent reviews at a packed premiere screening where the Jordanian
Ambassador spoke, and it later ran on both TV channels. President
Hosni Mubarak's story will kick off the fall 2006 season in
September. Malar and Vaillot would like to feature Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice for a program to air after the Mubarak
documentary.


4. They would like the Secretary to agree to participate in the
project, by recommending people for them to interview in Birmingham,
Denver, Palo Alto, and Washington, then herself sitting down for a
45-minute interview. With appropriate permission, they envision
interviewing the Secretary's relatives, neighbors, former teachers,
and colleagues. In Washington, they would like to interview former
President George H. W. Bush, Brent Scowcroft, and perhaps some
former Secretaries of State.


5. They would also like to shoot Secretary Rice playing with her
chamber music group. Ideally, they would make a reconnaissance trip
this summer and return in late August or early September for the
final interviews.


6. Embassy Paris strongly supports this project. The White House
chose Christian Malar to interview President Bush in June 2004, and
he is one of our best contacts. Malar also interviewed former
Secretary Powell four times, and he appears frequently as a guest

SIPDIS
commentator on CNN-International and the BBC.


7. This documentary presents an opportunity to show France and the
Francophone world the best aspects of AMERICA through the biography
of Secretary Rice, whose February 2005 appearances in Paris ignited
the post-Iraq War thaw in French public opinion toward the U.S.
With the DVDs available to high schools and universities, we can
count on reaching the successor generation through this program.


8. Embassy Paris stands ready to provide additional supporting
information, and if the Secretary agrees, to provide contact
information and other assistance to get the documentary project
launched.

STAPLETON