With innovative dark humor, DEMOCRACY UNDER SIEGE examines how the promise of an American multiracial democracy faces a renewed backlash, culminating in the very real fears of an actual authoritarian takeover.
SYNOPSIS
Punctuated by the sharp and witty political commentary of Pulitzer-prize winning editorial cartoonist Ann Telnaes (Washington Post) from her bird’s eye view in the cat seat of the United States capital, Washington D.C., top political analysts lay bare the complex history and challenges of the world’s most influential political system. Oscar-nominated Director Laura Nix trains her insightful lens on one of American democracy’s most extreme and vital moments in its nearly 250 years of existence. The film connects present-day crises with their roots in American history via commentary with A-list political observers who explore executive overreach, a crisis in judicial ethics, and a media environment saturated with disinformation, as the country grapples with fundamental challenges that transcend individual presidencies. With innovative dark humor, the film examines how the promise of American multiracial democracy faces a renewed backlash, culminating in fears of an actual authoritarian takeover.
Can the nation preserve its democratic ideals amidst severe polarization and a political party which has embraced extremism?
ABOUT FILMMAKER(S)
Director Laura Nix
Laura Nix is an Oscar and Emmy nominated, Peabody Award-winning director, writer and producer whose films include the upcoming DEMOCRACY UNDER SIEGE, the short documentary WALK RUN CHA-CHA; feature documentaries DELIKADO, INVENTING TOMORROW, THE LIGHT IN HER EYES, and THE YES MEN ARE REVOLTING; as well as the fiction feature THE POLITICS OF FUR, among others. Her films have premiered at Sundance, Toronto, Berlinale, and IDFA film festivals, and have been released theatrically, and on television in the US and multiple international territories via HBO, Arte, ZDF, VPRO, CBC, NHK, Canal+, and IFC. Her work in environmental storytelling garnered the 2017 Sundance Discovery Impact award. She was named a 2018 Chicken & Egg Breakthrough Filmmaker, honoring excellence in women documentary directors. Nix also serves as a film expert for the U.S. State Department’s American Film Showcase. Nix received her Bachelor’s degree in History from Reed College, and her MFA in Visual Arts from University of California San Diego. Based in Los Angeles, she’s a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences where she serves on the executive committee of the documentary branch.
Hanne Phylpo is a Belgian producer. Her latest productions DREAMING WALLS : INSIDE THE CHELSEA HOTEL (2022), YOUNG PLATO (2022) and BY THE NAME OF TANIA (2019) premiered at leading festivals and won multiple awards worldwide. In 2010 she founded Clin d’oeil films and has since then produced over 30 films. The company focuses on creative documentaries and author-driven films with a clear preference for films with a social or political statement by innovative filmmakers. Today, Clin d’oeil films is one of Belgian’s most prominent documentary production companies, famous for cinematic films, creative documentaries with a social or political statement, and local stories with a global impact.
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Women Make Movies (WMM), Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit media arts organization registered with the New York Charities Bureau of New York State and accepts charitable donations on behalf of this project. Your donation will be spent by the filmmaker(s) toward the production and completion of this media project. No services or goods are provided by Women Make Movies, the filmmaker(s) or anyone else associated with this project in exchange for your charitable donation.
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