August in the Empire State is a film about division and defiance at the 2004 Republican National Convention. Following three outspoken individuals, the film captures the climate of conflict, confusion and confrontation that gripped New York City in the days leading up to the GOP Convention. Cheri Honkala, leader of the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign, comes face to face with police pressure and eventual arrest to bring attention to the plight of America's poor. Paul Rodriguez, a Latino Republican businessman, uses the convention and the increased media attention as a springboard for his run for Congress. Michelle Goldberg, an independent journalist, struggles to get past the political spin to capture perspectives from both sides of the Red State/Blue State divide. August in the Empire State is a snapshot of a country, a culture and a media waging a war abroad while at war with itself at home.