Writer and philosopher George Santayana wrote in 1905: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
That idea has clearly inspired filmmaker Connie Field. Her award-winning documentaries on politics, history, and social change help us understand today’s world by drawing vital lessons from the past.
When women from the Baby Boom generation were entering the workforce, her groundbreaking film The Life and Times of Rosie the Riveter revealed the powerful stories of women who worked in World War II factories.
As voter suppression became a growing issue in parts of the U.S., her Oscar-nominated Freedom on My Mind reminded us of the importance of voting rights by documenting voter registration struggles in Mississippi during the 1960s Civil Rights Movement.
Now, Connie Field turns her lens to Europe—examining the election, defeat, and return to power of Viktor Orbán in Hungary.
The result is DEMOCRACY NOIR — a timely and chilling look at how democratic institutions can be weakened and reshaped into tools of authoritarian rule.
Democracy Noir is an urgent, important film. And we’re honored to share our conversation with Connie Field about the film—and about the state of democracy— on Inside the Arthouse, starting now…