In Connie Field’s DEMOCRACY NOIR (Documentary, 1 hr 56 min), as Viktor Orbán dismantles Hungary’s democratic institutions, three women—a journalist, a politician, and a nurse—work tirelessly to fight for their country’s soul. 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. 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. Thank you to the Albany Community Foundation for sponsoring this screening.
A co-presentation of Albany FilmFest and the Berkeley Film Foundation
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.