Peter DeFazio

01/21/2022 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 01/21/2022 14:20

Congressman DeFazio Attends Sundance Film Festival Premiere of Downfall: The Case Against Boeing

Congressman Peter DeFazio (OR-04) today virtually attended the Sundance Film Festival for the premiere of Downfall: The Case Against Boeing. The documentary film captures the investigation by House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chair DeFazio into the causes of the Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashes in which 346 passengers were killed. The film is directed by acclaimed director Rory Kennedy.

"Downfall is an important film that unveils, in no uncertain terms, how Boeing's prioritization of profits above all else led to a tragic and unnecessary loss of lives," said DeFazio. "While we can't bring back those lost, we owe it to their loved ones and passengers across the world to ensure something like this never happens again. As Chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I'm committed to protecting the safety of the travelling public. I fought to uncover the truth in the most expansive investigation in my committee's history and I was dogged about passing a law to improve aviation certification and safety oversight to help ensure that a tragedy liked this never happens again."

Ahead of today's film premiere, DeFazio participated in an interview with TheWrap, an entertainment industry digital news outlet, to discuss the film and his work to investigate the crashes of the 737 MAX jets. You can watch the full interview here.

At 3:20pm PT, DeFazio will participate in a Q&A on the film. You can watch live here.

As Chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Congressman DeFazio led an investigation to ensure accountability. He was instrumental in crafting changes in federal aviation law that will allow more transparency in the certification process and most importantly, protect the safety of the traveling public.

Tickets must be purchased to watch the film through the Sundance Film Festival. More information is here. Downfall: The Case Against Boeing will be available to stream on Netflix February 18th, 2022.