The Candidate is an American film released in 1972, starring Robert Redford. Themes of the film include that of how the political machine corrupts, and the pointlessness of politics. There are also parallels between John F. Kennedy and Redford's character Bill McKay. The film serves mainly to show how a race for a seat in the Senate develops.

The film was shot in Northern California in 1971. Peter Boyle plays the political consultant Marvin Lucas. The screenplay was written by Jeremy Larner, a speech-writer for Senator Eugene J. McCarthy during McCarthy's campaign for the 1968 Democratic Presidential nomination. The film won a Best Writing Oscar and was also nominated for Best Sound.

Tagline: Nothing matters more than winning. Not even what you believe in.

Californian lawyer Bill McKay fights for the little man. His charisma and integrity get him noticed by the Democratic Party machine and he is persuaded to run for the Senate against an apparently unassailable incumbent. It's agreed he can handle it his own way, on his own terms. But once he's in the race and his prospects begin to improve, the deal starts to change. Written by Jeremy Perkins

Idealistic young lawyer Bill McKay (Robert Redford), thoroughly involved with civil rights, legal aid and ecology, agrees to run for the U.S. Senate - not to win, he tells himself, but to bring vital issues before the voters. He despises political deals and compromises, but when the possibility of victory overshadows what seemed like certain defeat, his integrity begins to weaken. A fascinating and dynamic character study showing all the inner conflicts of a decent man torn between his ambition and his conscience. It tells what it costs - emotionally, morally, financially - to run for public office, and conveys all the doubts, all the self deceptions and ultimately all the cynicism of a man who knows he has sold out for something he isn't sure he really wants. Oscar-winning screenplay by Jeremy Lardner. Written by alfiehitchie

Gudrún Pétursdóttir ran for Iceland's presidency in 1996. Even though she had no political background, she started off by riding high in the polls. We follow as she tours the country, in a tense and exciting journey for the presidential contender. Written by Ulvrik Kraft