How Democracy Works Now: Twelve Stories
{{Infobox film
| name = How Democracy Works Now
| image = How Democracy Works Now - Twelve Stories.jpg
| caption =
| director = Shari Robertson
Michael Camerini
| producer = Shari Robertson
Michael Camerini
Series Coordinating Producer:
Rachel Salmon
Senior Associate Producer:
Jeni Morrison
| music = Mark Suozzo
| cinematography = Michael Camerini
| editing = "Senior Series Editor:"
Mark Juergens
Editors: Jane Rizzo
| studio = The Epidavros Project Inc.
| country = United States
| language = English
}}
How Democracy Works Now is a 10-part, feature documentary film series that examines the American political system through the lens of immigration reform during 2001–2007. The films were directed and produced by award-winning filmmaking team Shari Robertson and Michael Camerini.
How Democracy Works Now premiered on HBO with the broadcast debut of the first five films produced, including The Senators' Bargain on March 24, 2010. A directors' cut of The Senators' Bargain was featured in the 2010 Human Rights Watch Film Festival at Lincoln Center, with the theatrical title Last Best Chance. The second story in the 10-part series, Mountains and Clouds, opened the festival in the same year. The films toured the United States as part of the Human Rights Watch traveling film festival, and have been exhibited in special events at Columbia University, the Five College Consortium, Georgia College and State University, CUNY and numerous other universities.
The remaining five films were completed in 2013 for a 3-day series debut at the 51st New York Film Festival. The full series of 10 feature-length films was streamed on Netflix in 2014. [https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/immigration-battle/ Immigration Battle], another film that is a capstone to the series, premiered on PBS Frontline in October, 2015. Since its debut, How Democracy Works Now has become an important resource for advocates, policy-makers and educators, while Forbes described it as "without question...the best documentary film series on government ever produced."{{cite web|last=Anderson |first=Stuart |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/stuartanderson/2013/08/13/the-greatest-films-on-government-ever-made/?sh=3aae65ab42e3 |title=The Greatest Films On Government Ever Made |newspaper=Forbes |date=August 13, 2013 }}
Release schedule
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+How Democracy Works Now Production Status ! !! Status !! Premiere Platform !! Festivals |
| Story 1: The Game is On
| Released || HBO || Goethe-Institut || 2010 |
|---|
| Story 2: Mountains and Clouds
| Released || HBO || Human Rights Watch |
| Story 3: You Never Know
| Not in Production || || || N/A |
| Story 4: Sam in the Snow
| Released || HBO || Goethe-Institut || 2010 |
| Story 5: The Kids Across the Hill
| Released || NYFF || Goethe-Institut || 2013 |
| Story 6: Marking Up The Dream
| Released || HBO || Goethe-Institut || 2010 |
| Story 7: Ain't the for Nothin'
| Released || NYFF || || 2013 |
| Story 8: The Road to Miami
| Not in Production || || || N/A |
| Story 9: Protecting Arizona
| Released ||| NYFF || || 2013 |
| Story 10: Brothers and Rivals
| Released || NYFF || || 2013 |
| Story 11: The Senate Speaks
| Released || NYFF || Goethe-Institut |
| Story 12: Last Best Chance AKA The Senator's Bargain | Released || HBO (as "The Senators' Bargain") || Human Rights Watch |
Reception
How Democracy Works Now films have received a positive response. It also received positive reviews from The New York Times,[https://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/24/arts/television/24senator.html A Grand Pact Goes Wrong]
The Boston Globe,{{cite web|last=Aucoin |first=Don |url=https://www.boston.com/ae/tv/articles/2010/03/24/hbo_documentary_focuses_on_kennedy_as_a_fighter_for_reform/ |title=A focus on Kennedy as fighter for reform |newspaper=The Boston Globe |date=March 24, 2010 |accessdate=2011-08-18}} Reuters,{{cite web|last=Kearney |first=Christine |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE62M5IK20100323 |title=Film shows Kennedy battle for immigration reform |publisher=Reuters |date=March 23, 2010 |accessdate=2011-08-18}} Congress.org, New American Media{{cite web|url=http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=57ce3db9edf7a3365471b256682fe7e9 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100324163957/http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=57ce3db9edf7a3365471b256682fe7e9 |url-status=usurped |archive-date=March 24, 2010 |title=HBO Film Delves into Immigration Reform's 'Grand Bargain' - NAM |publisher=News.newamericamedia.org |date= |accessdate=2011-08-18}} and Newsweek.{{cite web |url=http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/thegaggle/archive/2010/03/25/hbo-documentary-highlights-tough-battle-for-immigration-reform.aspx |title=HBO Documentary Highlights Tough Battle for Immigration Reform |publisher=The Daily Beast |date=March 25, 2010 |accessdate=2011-08-18 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100421212553/http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/thegaggle/archive/2010/03/25/hbo-documentary-highlights-tough-battle-for-immigration-reform.aspx |archivedate=April 21, 2010 }} Publications have cited the films as important resources for advocates and policy makers. Variety said the films had the potential to "help change hearts and minds".{{cite web|last=Johnson |first=Ted |url=https://www.variety.com/article/VR1118018576.html?categoryId=1064&cs=1 |title=Hollywood turns focus to immigration |newspaper=Variety |date=May 1, 2010 |accessdate=2011-08-18}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|http://www.howdemocracyworksnow.com/home}}
- {{IMDb title|1827547|Story 1: The Game is On}}
- {{IMDb title|1831713|Story 2: Mountains and Clouds}}
- {{IMDb title|1832451|Story 4: Sam in the Snow}}
- {{IMDb title|1833809|Story 5: The Kids Across the Hill}}
- {{IMDb title|1832399|Story 6: Marking up the Dream}}
- {{IMDb title|1833819|Story 11: The Senate Speaks}}
- {{IMDb title|1615886|Story 12: Last Best Chance AKA The Senators' Bargain}}
{{Shari Robertson and Michael Camerini}}
{{Immigration to the United States}}
Category:Documentary films about American politics
Category:Documentary films about immigration to the United States