Something to attend

One of my favorite documentaries of the year so far is Boys State, and at the end of this email I’ll tell you how to watch it for free. But here’s what I wrote about it from Sundance:

Boys State was one of the biggest success stories at Sundance, where it won the festival’s top documentary prize and broke the record for the highest acquisition paid for a documentary, with A24 and Apple buying the film for $12 million. And no wonder: Not only is Boys State timely, but it’s also extremely entertaining. Documentarians Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine (The Overnighters) follow the 2018 summer session of Boys State in Texas, a gathering of more than a thousand 17-year-old boys who form a representative government, complete with party platforms and campaigns, in order to learn about how the American system of government works.

In a sea of documentaries seeking to make sense of the divided and confusing political present, Boys State works partly by setting itself one step removed from the “real world.” The teens come to Boys State with formed political ideas, but through debate, discussion, and defense of their stances, they learn a lot about what it takes to form consensus and win. And their experiences are both a microcosmic look into the political process and a hint of the way future politics might unfold, in dismal and strangely hopeful ways.

A24 had intended to release the film theatrically, but, well, reality intervened. In lieu of that they’ve been doing some virtual roadshows, and one is happening this Friday, August 7, at 8pm ET. It’s hosted by Image Journal, and following the screening there will be a Q&A with me and the directors. (We’ve already chatted, and it’s a great conversation.)

And oh! Did I mention? It’s free! Which is especially good if you don’t have an Apple+ TV subscription (if you don’t think you do, you probably don’t), and won’t be able to watch it otherwise.

You can attend the screening and event by RSVPing here at Image’s website.

This is a really good, charming, interesting, funny, even (dare I say) uplifting movie! You should go!