SLAY THE DRAGON
This informative, infuriating doc shines a light on the behind-closed-doors practice of gerrymandering and the inspiring grassroots movement fighting to change it.
Every ten years, new county lines are drawn across the USA that determine the fate of the country for the next decade. The rousing Slay the Dragon convincingly makes the argument that this practice has been used for partisan, and possibly illegal, gains since nearly its inception. These strategically mapped county lines, spearheaded by partisan strategists like Chris Jankowski, who is interviewed in the film, are presented as the catalyst for the Flint water crisis and Wisconsin’s infamous public servant fiasco. Capturing the journey of Michigan resident and activist Katie Fahey that began by posting a simple inquiring post on Facebook about gerrymandering, the doc illuminates the loss of the voter’s voice in nearly all elections at every level. More than just a David versus (an absurdly huge, rich, powerful, and amoral) Goliath story, Dragon tells the vivid history of how US elections ended up and remain in such perilous, corrupt circumstances. As Fahey and her non-partisan, citizen-led coalition continues to grow at an enormous rate despite facing opposition from all sides, they set their sites on the racially and economically-influenced lines that threaten American democracy as we know it.
In Competition: Documentary Feature Award
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