Democratic cinema at Film Streams

Voting has become easier than ever before.User-friendly procedures like early, absentee and mail-in voting, as well as longer poll hours, have made the democratic voting process as accessible as possible. If it wasn't so risky, online voting may even be implemented to attract technology-obsessed young voters.

But do all of America's potential voters really understand what a democracy really means to the country?

This is the question that non-profit organization Film Streams is asking as part of its "Vote Democracy!" series - a collection of four documentaries about the democratic process, presented in partnership with Nebraska Educational Telecommunications Television & NET Radio with support from the Independent Television Service and Independent Lens.

The series, which runs through May 6, is also being featured at UNL's Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center through May 1.

Film Streams Communications Coordinator Casey Logan said he hopes the series will spur scholarly discussion and help people understand the strengths and weaknesses of the democratic process.

"[The series] really demonstrates the different ways you can look at democracy . and what it means to different people in different parts of the world," Logan said.

Throughout the series the audience is encouraged to engage in post-film discussions will fellow patrons, facilitated by local political science professors and those involved with the documentaries.

UNO Political Science Department Chair and professor Loree Bykerk and assistant professor Elizabeth Dahl attended the series' first night on April 15 to discuss the first film in the series, "Please Vote for Me," about three eight-year-old children in central China competing for the position of class monitor.

"The characters are really fascinating," Dahl said. "Some of the strengths and pitfalls of democracy get enhanced [by the Chinese culture]."

In the film, the young candidates reveal the nature of democracy as one child vilifies the other candidates while another tries to buy the election.

"Even when you're just starting to experiment with democracy, you can fall into familiar patterns [like] corruption and [abuse of] power," Dahl said.

The next film in the series is "Iron Ladies of Liberia," showing April 22. The film focuses on the innagural year of the first female president of civil war-torn Liberia in 2006. Bykerk and associate professor of political science Jody Neathery-Castro will attend the discussion afterward.

This entry will be followed by "An Unreasonable Man" on April 29, which takes an unsparing look at consumer advocate Ralph Nader. Bykerk and masters degree students Teresa Houser and Joel Hebrink will attend the post-show discussion.

The last film in the series is the premiere of "'68: The Year Nebraska Mattered" on May 6, which examines the turbulent 1968 presidential campaign. This film is a new documentary by NET Executive Producer Bill Kelly.

Logan said he hopes all of the films receive the same amount of attention, but "'68: The Year Nebraska Mattered" should attract most of the audience because it will feature local people and places in Nebraska.

"People are going to see [local individuals and places] that they recognize," he said.

Film Streams and its partners hope the series will persuade more potential voters to participate in this year's election.

"I know a lot of people who are so skeptical about the system that they don't want to vote at all and I understand that sort of cynicism, but . inaction is not perhaps the best response," Dahl said.

For more information or show times for series visit filmstreams.org. Admission is free but showings only occur once per film.