Film Screening: What is Democracy?

Join Philly DSA for a screening of the film What is Democracy? directed by Astra Taylor. 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, 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.

The event is organized by CINÉSPEAK, a Philadelphia-based organization that engages diverse audiences through independent, repertory and foreign film programming. Following the film, Director Astra Taylor will be in-conversation with Peabody Awards-winning Uncivil podcast's Chenjerai Kumanyika, Philly DSA's very own Dustin Guastella, and members of Reclaim Philadelphia.

Tickets: 

$10 General Admission
$8 Lightbox Members
$6 Seniors / Students