Virtual Discussion of Controversy & Conversation Film: "What is Democracy?" - Oct. 1

Thursday October 1, 2020 • Virtual Conversation
7:30 PM - 8:30 PM

The film and conversation are free and open to the public. Advanced registration is required. Screening of the film prior to the October 1 Zoom discussion is highly recommended (instructions are included below and on the Summer / Fall 2020 C&C webpage).

The October edition of Controversy and Conversation features a discussion of What is Democracy? (2019). The film is an insightful documentary that examines the philosophy behind the concept of Democracy, from ancient Athens to modern Greece and the American Civil Rights movement.

What is Democracy? and director Astra Taylor have been nominated for numerous awards including Best Documentary Feature at the Camden International Film Festival and Best Documentary at the Sheffield International Documentary Festival.

Watch the trailer.

Jeremi Suri will facilitate an online conversation about the film at 7:30pm on Zoom. A professor in both the LBJ School of Public Affairs and the Department of History, Dr. Suri holds the Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs. He is the author of numerous books, including The Impossible Presidency: The Rise and Fall of America's Highest Office and Liberty's Surest Guardian: Rebuilding Nations After War from the Founders to Obama. Dr. Suri frequently writes for major newspapers and magazines, such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Dallas Morning News, The Houston Chronicle, Foreign Affairs, Fortune, The American Prospect, and Wired. He contributes to many online sites and blogs, and hosts a podcast, This is Democracy.

Register HERE to participate in the Controversy and Conversation discussion on Zoom.

The film is available for home viewing through the following library services and streaming platforms:
Kanopy streaming video (free digital copy available with Austin Public Library card)
DVD can also be reserved and picked up using curbside service at select branches of the Austin Public Library.
It can also be rented through Amazon Prime, iTunes, and vudu.

Please visit the Austin Public Library's Virtual Library to register for a library eCard if you do not have a physical card. (Expired cards can be renewed HERE.)


Controversy & Conversation is a collaboration between the Humanities Institute's Difficult Dialogues Program and the Austin Public Library. Our Summer / Fall 2020 season will take place virtually. We hope to return to our regular documentary screenings at the Terrazas Branch of the Austin Public Library in Spring 2021.