Friday, January 07
Zürich, Switzerland
Re-United States
Re-United States
The film has been broadcasted nationally and has been shown at several festivals, and now the filmmakers are partnering with Democrats Abroad Global Black Caucus for this special screening event and live Q&A!
Join the live Q&A on January 7, 2022, at 7 PM CET / 1 PM EST with director Ben Rekhi and civil rights activist Susan Bro.
We encourage you to watch the documentary prior to attending the event!
You can watch the documentary for free during a 4 day period from January 4, 2022 - January 8, 2022 (The link for viewing the documentary will be sent prior to the watch periode.) and Join the live Q&A on January 7, 2022, 7 PM CET / 1 PM EST.
Consider making a donation to help get out the vote in 2022. Donate today at: https://www.democratsabroad.org/bc-donations
THE FILM
At a time when America is ripping apart at the seams, The Reunited States is a powerful and urgent documentary that follows four everyday heroes on the difficult journey of bridging our political and racial divides.
Susan Bro's daughter Heather Heyer was killed when a car drove through a crowd of counter-protestors at the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville. Now Susan dedicates her life to the issues of inequality and injustice that her daughter died for. Independent politician Greg Orman believes the way to break our gridlock is to create a third force in our politics but faces an uphill battle earning constituents' votes in his race to be governor of Kansas. Steven Olikara, the son of immigrants, founded the Millennial Action Project and worked tirelessly to build a coalition of bi-partisan lawmakers to transform the government. David Leaverton used to work in Republican politics as an operative fomenting division to win campaigns. Now, he and his wife Erin set off on a journey across all fifty states in an RV to find out what is causing our divisions… and how to heal from them.
Inspired by the book of the same name by Mark Gerzon, The Reunited States is a deeply moving portrait of the unsung heroes who have dedicated their lives to depolarization and are providing solutions for the rest of us to do the same. It urges us to consider that when it comes to polarization, we are all either part of the problem or part of the solution.
The Issue
Political and philosophical differences are normal in a healthy and free society. No citizen should be expected to violate his or her own conscience or compromise sacred principles. But the common values we share, and our shared desire to solve common problems, should also enable us to make reasonable and principled compromises for our mutual well-being. In some instances, the Left and the Right fundamentally agree on the desire to work through differences, yet political parties, media, and social media benefit from amplifying divisions as part of their engagement and business models. Therefore, dialogue amongst citizens is one of the strongest ways to overcome division.
ABOUT THE FILMMAKER
Ben Rekhi - Director
Ben Rekhi is an award-winning narrative and documentary filmmaker. After working with the Coen Brothers on O Brother, Where Art Thou? Rekhi was hired by George Clooney to shoot the behind-the-scenes for Confessions of a Dangerous Mind. Rekhi's debut feature film was SXSW Audience Award Winner Waterborne, about a fictional biological attack on LA's water supply, which was released by the Sundance Channel. His follow-up, The Ashram, starred Academy Award Winner Melissa Leo and Kal Penn. Rekhi then shifted gears and co-directed a documentary series for PBS called The Hidden Vote, which profiled minorities who support Trump. His third film, Watch List, set against the drug wars in the Philippines, was co-financed by Bron Studios (Joker), executive produced by XYZ Films (The Raid). The Reunited States, his documentary debut, is executive produced by Van Jones and Meghan McCain and released Feb 2021.
Susan Bro
Susan D. Bro honors the legacy of her daughter and civil rights activist Heather Heyer by empowering others to make a difference in the world by fighting for equal rights for all. Susan is the mother of Heather Heyer and the co-founder of the Heather Heyer Foundation (HHF). Susan launched the foundation to carry on the legacy of her daughter, Heather, a young paralegal for the Miller Law Group who had a love for all individuals regardless of race, religion, or creed. Heather was slain while standing up for social justice with her friends on August 12, 2017, in Charlottesville, VA. The Heather Heyer Foundation is a 501(c)3. Susan formed the HHF to help provide scholarships for students seeking degrees or certifications in careers that work with social justice issues, such as paralegals, social workers, lawyers, educators, and other individuals who want to make positive social change. Susan serves as the foundation president and board chair. Based on her daughter's motto, "If you're not outraged, you're not paying attention," Susan brings Heather's legacy alive by sharing a positive, non-violent message and call-to-action that inspires others to fight for social justice and civil rights issues while encouraging dialogue and understanding in our communities.
Director's Filmography
- The Reunited States (2021)
- Watch List (2019)
- The Ashram (2018)
- Fun Size Horror: Volume One (segment "Somebody's Watching You") (2015)
- Waterborne (2005)
"...The Reunited States shows us that, if we are going to heal this country's divisions, we all need to summon the power to change how we see and hear each other." - VAN JONES
WHEN
Friday, January 07, 2022 at 07:00 PM Zurich Time
CONTACT
Leedonal (Jazz) Moore
[email protected]