Join or Die
JOIN OR DIE is a film about why you should join a club — and why the fate of America depends on it. In this feature documentary, follow the half-century story of America’s civic unraveling through the journey of legendary Harvard 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. Flanked by influential fans and scholars — from Hillary Clinton, Secretary 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?
Director
Pete Davis and Rebecca Davis
Producer
Pete Davis and Rebecca Davis
Runtime
87 minutes
Rights Represented
International
Captions Available
English
Language
English
Press
“Our democracy needs us to be joiners! …[an] urgent message.”
- Hillary Clinton
“The film, like Putnam’s work, is engrossing and, ultimately, convincing. It’s hard to watch without feeling the personal impact of Putnam’s ideas in your own life – the social disconnection, the apathy, the cynicism – and as the credits roll you might just find yourself wanting to join a bowling league.”
- Archer Parquette, Milwaukee Magazine
“The seeming irreparable divisions in our country have been a hot topic of this year’s SXSW entries, but one documentary is preoccupied with finding solutions.”
- Austin Monthly, The Films We Loved Most at SXSW
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