My Account Log in

1 option

What is democracy? / the National Film Board of Canada presents ; produced by Lea Marin ; written and directed by Astra Taylor.

Van Pelt - Video Collection (ask at Circulation Desk) DVD 037 588
Loading location information...

Available This item is available for access.

Log in to request item
Format:
Video
Contributor:
Taylor, Astra, film director, screenwriter.
Marin, Lea, film producer.
Kennedy, Robert (Film editor), editor of moving image work.
Bankovic, Maya, director of photography.
McIntosh, Heather (Musician), composer (expression).
Brown, Wendy, 1955- onscreen presenter.
Federici, Silvia, onscreen presenter.
Papandreou, Giōrgos A., 1952- onscreen presenter.
National Film Board of Canada, presenter, production company.
Zeitgeist Films, publisher.
Language:
English
Subjects (All):
Democracy--History.
Democracy.
Political science.
Plato.
Social stratification.
Social classes--History.
Social classes.
Capitalism--History.
Capitalism.
Financial crises--Greece--History--21st century.
Financial crises.
Refugees--History--21st century.
Refugees.
social stratification.
Greece.
Genre:
documentary film.
Social problem films
Video recordings for the hearing impaired
Nonfiction films
Feature films
Documentary films
History
Feature films.
Social problem films.
Video recordings for hard of hearing people.
Documentary films.
Nonfiction films.
Physical Description:
1 videodisc (107 min.) : sound, color ; 4 3/4 in.
polychrome.
Place of Publication:
New York, NY : Zeitgeist Films, [2019]
Language Note:
English dialogue.
System Details:
DVD, NTSC, Region 1; widescreen (1.85:1) presentation; Dolby Digital 5.1; Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo.
digital
optical
surround stereo
Dolby digital 2.0
Dolby digital 5.1
widescreen
NTSC
video file
DVD video
region 1
Summary:
Director Astra Taylor's idiosyncratic, philosophical journey spans millennia and continents, from ancient Athens's 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.
Coming at a moment of profound political and social crisis, What Is Democracy? reflects on a word we too often take for granted. What does it mean for the people to rule-and is that something we even want? Director Astra Taylor's idiosyncratic philosophical journey takes us 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. Celebrated theorists Silvia Federici, Cornel West, Wendy Brown, and Angela Davis are joined by trauma surgeons, activists, factory workers, asylum seekers, former prime ministers, and others. This urgent film connects the past and the present, the emotional and the intellectual, the personal and the political, in order to provoke and inspire. If we want to live in a democracy, we must first ask what the word even means.
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, the emotional and the intellectual, the personal and the political, in order to provoke and inspire. If we want to live in democracy, we must first ask what the word even means.
Participant:
Featuring Wendy Brown, Silvia Federici, George A. Papandreou, and many others.
Credits:
Editor, Robert Kennedy ; director of photography, Maya Bankovic ; music by Heather McIntosh.
Notes:
Originally produced in 2018.
Title from disc label.
Wide screen.
Special features: deleted scenes; Q & A at the Jacob Burns Film Center; trailer interview with director Astra Taylor on The Dig, a podcast from Jacobin Magazine.
Includes public performance rights for University of Pennsylvania only. Streaming not allowed without a separate license.
OCLC:
1091058218
Publisher Number:
738329237936
K23793 Zeitgeist Films

The Penn Libraries is committed to describing library materials using current, accurate, and responsible language. If you discover outdated or inaccurate language, please fill out this feedback form to report it and suggest alternative language.

Find

Home Release notes

My Account

Shelf Request an item Bookmarks Fines and fees Settings

Guides

Using the Find catalog Using Articles+ Using your account