democracy

A cautionary tale for these times of democracy in crisis - the personal and political fuse to explore one of the most dramatic periods in Brazilian history. Combining unprecedented access to leaders past and present, including Presidents Dilma Rousseff and Lula da Silva, with accounts of her own family's complex political and industrial past, filmmaker Petra Costa witnesses their rise and fall and the tragically polarized nation that remains. [Netflix]Rated: Not RatedRelease Date: Jun 19, 2019

Coming at a moment of profound political and social crisis, What Is Democracy? reflects on a word we too often take for granted. Director Astra Taylor?s idiosyncratic, philosophical journey spans millennia and continents: from ancient Athens? groundbreaking experiment in self-government to capitalism?s roots in medieval Italy; from modern-day Greece grappling with financial collapse and a mounting refugee crisis to the United States reckoning with its racist past and the growing gap between rich and poor. Featuring a diverse cast?including celebrated theorists, trauma surgeons, activists, factory workers, asylum seekers, and former prime ministers?this urgent film connects the past and the present,…