Skip to content

What is Democracy? takes another crack at Sooke

Awareness Film Night feature set for Feb. 28
15644156_web1_190206-SNM-T-Democracy
(Contributed)

Now that the snow (hopefully) has gone away, the documentary What Is Democracy? is rescheduled to run on Feb. 28 at EMCS community theatre.

Awareness Film Night and Transition Sooke cancelled the movie on Feb. 13 due to inclement weather.

Coming at a moment of profound political and social crisis, What Is Democracy? reflects on a word we often take for granted.

What is Democracy? (Trailer) from NFB/marketing on Vimeo.

“A word we say and hear all the time, but rarely reflect on, ‘democracy’ is both an ideal and a reality, a rousing aspiration and a devastating disappointment. Who are the people, especially in this moment of increasing hostility and division? And what about the fact that, as wealth and influence concentrate, the people are not very powerful at all? Can self-government live up to its promise of universal inclusion? Do we even want to rule ourselves?” said filmmaker Astra Taylor in a recent interview.

What Is Democracy? spans millennia and continents from ancient Athens, the birthplace of modern democracy to the U.S. today and its growing gap between rich and poor and persistent racism.

Featuring a diverse cast including celebrated theorists, surgeons, activists, factory workers, asylum seekers and former prime ministers, What Is Democracy? is an invitation to think about how well democracy as it has evolved is working for “the people.”

Filmgoers are invited and encouraged to be part of a short post-screening discussion on democracy facilitated by Transition Sooke’s co-president Michael Tacon.

Awareness Film Night is held at EMCS community theatre, beginning at 7 p.m. The film night will go from 7-9:15 p.m. Admission is by donation.



editor@sookenewsmirror.com

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter