Join or Die (2024)
Director: Pete Davis, Rebecca Davis Run Time: 99 min. Rating: NR Release Year: 2024
Starring: Eddie S. Glaude, Hillary Clinton, Pete Buttigieg, Priya Parker, Raj Chetty
Country: United States
Language: English
About the film:
World Premiere, 2023 SXSW.
Join or Die is a film about why you should join a club—and why the fate of America depends on it. Follow the half-century story of America’s civic unraveling through the journey of legendary social scientist Robert Putnam, whose groundbreaking “Bowling Alone” research into America’s decades-long decline in community connections could hold the answers to our democracy’s present crisis.
“Underlines the importance of civic engagement to our communities and each other. It shows us what is possible when people and communities pull together.”
—Christopher Lane, Ph.D., Psychology Today
Flanked by influential fans and scholars — from Hillary Clinton, Pete Buttigieg, and Surgeon General Vivek Murthy to Eddie Glaude Jr., Raj Chetty, and Priya Parker — as well as inspiring groups building community in neighborhoods across the country, join Bob as he explores three urgent civic questions: What makes democracy work? Why is American democracy in crisis? And, most importantly… What can we do about it?
About the filmmaker:
Rebecca Davis is a director and producer based in New York City. She was a senior producer with NBC news for a decade, where her work focused on social movements, environmental and economic justice, and community innovators. She has produced for HBO, VICE, and A&E—and she was the supervising producer for season two of Vox’s hit Netflix show Explained. Join or Die (2024) is her debut feature film.
Pete Davis is a writer and civic advocate—and a former student of Robert Putnam’s. He is the author of Dedicated: The Case for Commitment in An Age of Infinite Browsing. He is the co-founder of the Democracy Policy Network, a policy organization focused on raising up ideas that deepen democracy. Join or Die (2024) is his debut feature film.
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