Ami Horowitz began his career as an investment banker, but his first love was politics. Keeping an eye on international relations, specifically those within the United Nations, Horowitz decided to bring his stance to the public eye, resulting in his film “U.N. Me.”

The film, which wrapped up production in 2009, highlights several controversies the U.N. has been involved in for the last few decades.  Horowitz screened this film for students at the North Lounge of the Billings Library November 28.

Inspired by documentary filmmaker Michael Moore’s “Bowling for Columbine,” Horowitz said he wanted to make his own documentary that was not only factual, but also interpretable for a wide-ranging audience. 

He and his team banned the term documentary, instead coining the term “docutainment,” according to an interview conducted by C-Span.

Horowitz described the filmmaking process as intense and overwhelming, using his film to depict the U.N. as flawed with accusations of sexual scandal, bribe taking and questionable international relationships.

Despite the labor and difficulty of investigating these issues, he added that he had the best documentary team he could have asked for.

The team collectively earned three academy awards before beginning the production of “U.N. Me,” ranging from writers who worked on “The Daily Show,” to the editor of the Metallica documentary “Some Kind of Monster.” 

In his post-screening discussion, Horowitz described many encounters throughout the production of the film as he navigated human rights issues. 

He interviewed ambassadors from countries accused of human rights atrocities, including genocide, widespread gang rapes and the execution of accused homosexuals.

He said he managed a fist bump from the Sudanese ambassador and a hug from the ambassador of Iran after questioning both men about their countries’ alleged human rights abuses. 

They responded with either justification or outright denial.

Even with a difficult subject, Horowitz said the film was written with a diverse audience in mind, weaving some comic relief into otherwise disturbing information.

For more information on “U.N. Me” and Ami Horowitz, visit the film’s website at http://unmemovie.com.