Members of the George Mason University community will get an advance look at a new documentary that examines the political and personal intrigue of the Obama administration’s last year in office when the Center for Security Policy Studies hosts a screening of HBO’s “The Final Year.” The 90-minute film, directed by Greg Barker, will screen Thursday, May 10, at Mason’s Founders Hall auditorium in Arlington at 6 p.m.
The screening will be followed by a discussion moderated by Mason’s Ellen Laipson, director of the Master’s in International Security program at Mason’s Schar School of Policy and Government. Featured panelists include Rumana Ahmed, former senior advisor to Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes, and others to be announced.
“This is a great opportunity to learn about presidential decision-making, and see how the Obama team dealt with pressing national security issues as they planned for the transition to a new administration. I think the topic is relevant to most, if not all, Schar students,” Laipson said.
The Center for Security Policy Studies, founded in 2015 at the Schar School and directed by Laipson, provides opportunities for Mason students and faculty engage with government, military, think-tank and private sector experts from a variety of fields to address today’s pressing security issues.
“We are also a platform for faculty research on emerging security issues,” Laipson said. “And we provide Mason students with extracurricular activities—from a distinguished speakers series, to Civil War battlefield staff rides and crisis management simulations—to prepare them for leadership roles as security scholars and practitioners.”
The screening is open to the public and admission is free. Registration is required at this site. The movie debuts on HBO on May 21.