Director focuses on the power of Palin

"The Undefeated" could be considered an interesting title for a film about Sarah Palin, a woman who lost the 2008 presidential campaign as Sen. John McCain's running mate.

To filmmaker and Laguna Beach resident Stephen K. Bannon, the title is far from ironic.

"The reason I wanted to make it was that I was tired of people on Wall Street and in Washington calling her 'Caribou Barbie'," he said.

The documentary, which opened in theaters July 15, follows Palin's entry into the American political landscape — her time as the mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, her stint as governor, her designation as the first Republican woman nominated for the vice presidency and her popularity within the tea party movement.

A former investment banker, Bannon is no stranger to film or to conservative politics.

The co-founder of the National Tea Party Federation, he wrote and directed "Fire from the Heartland," a film about Rep. Michele Bachmann, and "Generation Zero," which is about the financial collapse in America.

Rebecca Mansour, an aide who works for Palin, reached out to Bannon regarding video production. Bannon told Mansour he didn't do commercials, but he did have an idea for a film.

The first few minutes of the film show the way Palin has been crucified by the media and the public, Bannon said, and it may be hard for some to watch.

"I wanted to grab the audience by the throat and shake them out of their complacency," he said.

Bannon feels Palin is dismissed by detractors because of her gender.

Democrats and even many Republicans don't take the former Alaska governor seriously, he said.

"I really dug down and got to the roots of what a successful executive she'd been. I get irritated that people treat them like bimbos," Bannon said, also referring to Michele Bachmann.

Gerrie Schipske, executive director of the Democratic Party of Orange County, said that although she doesn't agree with Palin's politics, she believes that women politicians struggle to get the same respect as their male counterparts.

"The bottom line is that I do not support her or her huckster antics and misguided views on public policy, but I will concede that a portion of her vilification stems from her being female," Schipske, a Long Beach city councilwoman, said in an email. "We are still not comfortable in this society with women who have the 'ovaries' to take power. There are many who feel that women need to be in the background and not take the spotlight."