The Librarians (Documentary)
Director: Kim A. Snyder
Producer: Jana Edlebaum,Maria Cuomo Cole,Anique L. Robillard
Cinematographer: Paulius Kontijevas,Derek Wiesehahn
Composer: Nico Muhly
Editor: Mark Becker,Austin Reedy,MarÍa Gabriela Torres,Leah Boatright
This rousing documentary ventures into the maelstrom of the US war on books, finding the passionate bibliophiles fighting censorship on the frontlines.
At a time when US democracy is under threat, libraries are bulwarks of freedom of information. This is particularly the case in states like Texas, Florida and Louisiana, where conservative local and state governments frequently request for books – classic novels, young adult fiction and vital educational resources alike – to be banned from circulation. The only ones standing in their way are the librarians. Fiercely committed to the importance of reading, these ordinary people devoted to serving their communities found action groups, spearhead legislative activism or simply refuse to remove books with LGBTQIA+ themes, potentially facing harassment, violence and public dismissal in the process.
Following some of the women at the forefront of this campaign, documentarian Kim A. Snyder examines the pervasiveness of book bans with the same degree of meticulous urgency she has brought to previous documentaries about school shootings (Newtown, MIFF 2016; Death by Numbers). Punctuated by quotes from Fahrenheit 451 and George Orwell, along with clips from The Twilight Zone and Golden Age Hollywood, The Librarians focuses on how these attacks on fundamental rights have changed – and how the methods taken to fight them must evolve accordingly.
“Offers a rattling look at coordinated efforts to ban books. More importantly, it introduces viewers to the everyday and increasingly vital heroes pushing back: the librarians who sound the alarm.” – Variety