The documentary film 鈥淯ndivide Us,鈥� which explores both the impact of toxic polarization and a route for moving past it, will be shown at 快猫短视频 on Monday, Sept. 9, at 7 p.m. in the Knickerbocker Theatre in downtown Holland.
Hosted by the college鈥檚 Markets & Morality student organization, the screening will be followed by a question-and-answer session with Benjamin Klutsey, who is the executive director of the Mercatus Center at George Mason University and one of the experts featured in the film.
The public is invited. Admission is free.
鈥淯ndivide Us鈥� was produced by TLDR Media and released in the fall of 2023. As described in the film鈥檚 synopsis, 鈥淎merica is at a crossroads where politicians, traditional media, and social media fan the flames of toxic partisanship that have led many Americans to question whether they can trust their fellow citizens. 鈥楿ndivide Us鈥� stands as a beacon of hope and a call to action. Through the intimate lens of six focus groups across three American cities, the film explores the twisted landscape of toxic polarization, revealing how it drives us to places fundamentally un-American places.
鈥淵et, within these divisions, the film uncovers the potential for healing conversation and the rediscovery of the value of local community, mutual respect, and democracy. Aiming to awaken the silenced majority that seeks solutions rather than strife, 鈥楿ndivide Us鈥� is not just a documentary; it鈥檚 a timely and urgent plea to reclaim the nation鈥檚 soul through open discourse, civic engagement, and self-governance, in a world where only 20% of the populace guides the narrative.鈥�
The Mercatus Center is a research center that advances knowledge about how markets solve problems, and seeks to bridge the gap between theory and practice to realize a world where markets operate at their full potential to increase abundance, civility and well-being. Prior to becoming executive director, Benjamin Klutsey led the center鈥檚 Program on Pluralism and Civil Exchange, an initiative dedicated to fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation for pluralism as a fundamental pillar of a free, flourishing and prosperous society.
Markets & Morality aims to support and celebrate freedom of expression in the context of the liberal arts by hosting speakers and films on topics spanning the economic, political and cultural aspects of human civilization, with a special concern for human flourishing as understood in Christian perspective. The organization is co-sponsoring the event with several student organizations and college departments and programs, including Hope Democrats, Hope Republicans, Vox Populi, Emmaus Scholars, Ford Leadership Forum, The Bell Tower journal, Student Congress, the Department of Communication, the Department of Education, the Department of Kinesiology, the Department of Political Science, the Center for Diversity and Inclusion, the Office of the Provost, the Office of the Dean of Arts and Humanities, the Office of the Dean of Natural and Applied Sciences, and the Office of the Dean of Social Sciences.
To inquire about accessibility or if you need accommodations to fully participate in the event, please email accommodations@hope.edu. Updates related to events are posted when available at hope.edu/calendar in the individual listings.
The Knickerbocker Theatre is located at 86 E. 8th St., between College and Columbia avenues.