A CNN FILM
GABBY GIFFORDS WON’T BACK DOWN
Directed by Julie Cohen and Betsy West, and produced by Lisa Erspamer of Erspamer Entertainment and Sam Jinishian of Storyville Films, Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down tells the extraordinary story of former Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords: her relentless fight to recover following an assassination attempt in 2011, and her new life as one of the most effective activists in the battle against gun violence. The documentary features extensive verité footage of Giffords filmed by her husband, astronaut-turned-Senator Mark Kelly, during her recovery. Throughout, the film, Cohen and West blend exclusive interviews with friends, family, and colleagues of Giffords and Kelly, former President Barack Obama, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, U.S. Rep. James Clyburn, and more. The stunning video beginning in the weeks following her near-death, follows her physical recovery and extraordinary determination to reclaim her mission to serve. This film is the story of a rising star transformed by gun violence, and a close-up portrait of a mutually-sustaining marriage that sustains them.