Toronto festival looks at figures in US politics

With global attention trained on the looming US election, the Toronto film festival looked back this week at American political figures Jacqueline Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson and a young Barack Obama.

Filmmakers are "looking backward to discover some of the lessons of the past that are relevant today," said Piers Handling, co-director of North America's largest film festival, often seen as a good predictor of the US Academy Awards.

Natalie Portman received a standing ovation on Sunday for her intimate portrayal of Jacqueline Kennedy in Chilean director Pablo Larrain's Jackie.