Democracy Noir

See this powerful and timely new documentary on the fight for democracy in Hungary one day only at the Circle, Sat 7/19. Presented with community partner Indivisible Tulsa County, including a post-film zoom Q&A with Connie Field, director and producer of the film! A portion of all ticket proceeds will be donated to Indivisible Tulsa County.

The mission of Indivisible Tulsa County: to be a force uniting Democrats, Republicans, and Independents to support the Constitution and the rule of law.

About the film: 1h56min - Doc - Not Rated - Hungarian and English
Amidst the brazen rise of 21st century authoritarianism, few politicians have proven as corrupt and adept at undermining democracy as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. A hero to his country’s Christian conservative population and a role model to the right-wing political movement in Europe and to Donald Trump and the Republicans in United States - Orbán takes carefully crafted, methodical steps to chip away at Hungarian democratic institutions while maintaining popularity with a majority of citizens.

"Democracy Noir" follows three courageous women - opposition politician Timea, journalist Babett, and nurse Nikoletta (Niko) - who fight relentlessly to expose the lies and corruption embedded in Orbán's government.

However, they face a well-financed and sophisticated opposition in Orbán’s ultra conservative Fidesz party, which commands a powerful sway in the electorate and has already altered key democratic constitutional laws to further cement one-party rule. With each step Orbán makes towards autocracy, these women - representing many in Hungary - trail close behind in their fight, organizing and exploring innovative ways to take on one of the West’s most powerful, and seemingly unstoppable, demagogues.

Through our protagonists' protests and dissent, the film's director, Oscar-nominee Connie Field, provides a deeper portrait of how Orbán has, over the past decade, systematically destabilized the country's democratic institutions for economic gain, while enjoying widespread support from Hungarian nationalists. Similar trends can be seen in other parts of the world, with autocracies emerging in Turkey, Belarus, Serbia and in the United States - where Orbán is being hailed as a political success and inspiration.

But amid this dark, new form of authoritarianism, there is still vital resistance. Through the testimonies and actions of Timea, Babett and Niko, we see first-hand what it takes to try and win back democracy and precious freedoms.

About Connie Field: Connie Field is an Academy Award nominated, and Emmy Award winning, director who has made a number of high profile documentaries that have been shown all over the world. Before getting involved in film she worked as an organizer in many social and human rights organizations where she established her commitment to progressive social change which she has carried into her film career. Many of her films focus on hidden histories, stories that had not been told before which should be an important part of our collective memories. Her most recently finished films are Democracy Noir, The Whistleblower of My Lai and Oliver Tambo. Some of her previous work includes Al Helm: Martin Luther King in Palestine, about an African American gospel choir touring Palestine in a Palestinian play about Martin Luther King Jr; the seven-part series Have You Heard From Johannesburg, on the global movement that ended Apartheid in South Africa, which aired on PBS and the BBC in January 2012; Freedom on My Mind a history of the civil rights movement in Mississippi; the feminist classic The Life and Times of Rosie the Riveter and ¡Salud! on Cuba's role in the struggle for global health equity. She has won numerous awards including Academy Award nominations, the Sundance Grand Jury Prize, a primetime Emmy Award, British Academy Award Nominee, Best Series, and Best Feature Documentary from numerous festivals, as well as having her films listed as the Best Doc of the Year or One of the Ten Best Films of the Year by a number of film critics. Her work has been broadcast in over 30 countries including Japan, Brazil, South Africa, Britain, Australia, Denmark, Germany, France, Spain, England, and in the US. She is a recipient of the John Grierson Award as most outstanding social documentarian, and a John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship and is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.