This sobering political documentary follows Joseph Cao, the first Vietnamese American elected to Congress, during his 2010 long-shot reelection bid to represent Louisiana’s predominantly African American 2nd district. Not only does Cao’s race mark him as an outsider in the district he represents, he’s also the first Republican to hold his seat since 1891. Despite the apparent mismatch between his party affiliation and his constituents’ political beliefs, Cao’s willingness to buck the party line in his first term (including proudly proclaiming his friendship with President Obama) earns him the kind of trust that appears to bridge ideological and racial divisions. Cao seems like the embodiment of Frank Capra’s mythical Mr. Smith: capable of effecting change through an appealing combination of earnest naiveté, integrity, and passion. But when his campaign gathers momentum, the specter of partisan politics reappears. Cao slowly recognizes that friendships in congressional politics come with a two-year lifespan and that bipartisanship is the stuff dreams are made of.  TW