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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.
Original Release
01/16/2019
US Release
01/16/2019
Links
Cast
| Name | Character |
|---|
| Astra Taylor | Self |
| Silvia Federici | Self - Feminist Scholar and Activist |
| Eleni Perdikouri | Self - Professor of Philosophy |
| Harrison Preddy | Self - NC State College Republicans |
| Hannah Niles | Self - NC State College Republicans |
| Cornel West | Self - Professor of African-American Studies |
| Mickey Michaux | Self - North Carolina General Assembly |
| William J. Barber II | Self - Raleigh Protest Speaker |
| Delaney Vandergrift | Self - Activist and Student |
| Efima Karakantza | Self - Professor of Ancient Greek Literature |
Directors
Writers
Cast
| Name | Character |
|---|
| Astra Taylor | Self |
| Silvia Federici | Self - Feminist Scholar and Activist |
| Eleni Perdikouri | Self - Professor of Philosophy |
| Harrison Preddy | Self - NC State College Republicans |
| Hannah Niles | Self - NC State College Republicans |
| Cornel West | Self - Professor of African-American Studies |
| Mickey Michaux | Self - North Carolina General Assembly |
| William J. Barber II | Self - Raleigh Protest Speaker |
| Delaney Vandergrift | Self - Activist and Student |
| Efima Karakantza | Self - Professor of Ancient Greek Literature |
| Eulalia Francisco | Self - Opportunity Threads Cooperative |
| Alfonso Gonzalez | Self - Opportunity Threads Cooperative |
| Walter Vicente | Self - Opportunity Threads Cooperative |
| Wendy Brown | Self - Professor of Political Science |
| George A. Papandreou | Self - Former Prime Minister of Greece |
| Aspasia Balta | Self - Activist |
| Zoé Konstantopoulou | Self - Former Speaker of the Hellenic Parliament |
| Emmy Koutsopoulou | Self - Clinic Volunteer |
| Angela Davis | Self - Scholar and Activist |
| Badili Jones | Self - Activist |
Producers
| Name | Role |
|---|
| Anita Lee | Executive Producer |
| Patricia Boushel | Producer |
| Isaac Linares | Producer |
| Lea Marin | Producer |
Editors
