JustCuriosity

Join or Die was enthusiastically received at its world premiere at the SXSW Film Festival. As a political scientist, I appreciate what the film makers have done. They have taken the theories of Professor Bob Putnam, a relatively obscure political scientist (who I read in grad school), and presented them in a highly accessible way for the general public.

Putnam's argument is essentially that America's divisions today are rooted in the decline of our social capital as fewer Americans join clubs and organizations. Whether or not, he has found the true cause of our divisions is debatable. It could also be argued that people join fewer organizations, because they have less free time, because of increased economic inequality. Thus he may be mixing up the cause and the effect. That said, it is an important debate and one that the American public should be more engaged in.

I'd also add that the pattern that Putnam is describing is only likely to continue to grow as we turn from in-person networking to online social networks. Online networks can never fully duplicate the relationships that are developed from face-to-face contact. Sadly, I expect the pattern that Putnam describes to continue.

The documentary is well worth watching for all those trying to understand the problems in our civic culture today. The film makers have done an excellent job of taking a complex academic debate and making it accessible and available. I hope the film is made widely available for the public and for students reading Putnam in academic settings.

Going Varsity in Mariachi was lovingly welcomed in its Texas Premiere at the SXSW Film Festival. This is the story of kids from a poor community trying to find themselves in a musical form that epitomizes their Hispanic heritage. They are also using it as an opportunity to escape poverty and access higher education. Folks in the theater were tearing up as they watched this beautiful film.

The story is a simple one and sometimes those make the best films. As an educator, I loved the hard work and dedication of their teacher. The students faced a variety of challenges that are typical of young people - mostly seniors - trying to find their place in the world. They are struggling to prioritize as they transition from children to young adults. The film takes us through their year of struggles and Mariachi competitions with all of its ups-and-downs. Sometimes simple straight-forward stories are the best. This is a very enjoyable film that tells an uplifting tale of education in Texas at a time when public education and educators are under attack. Highly recommended.

The New Americans was well-received at its world premiere at SXSW Film Festival. It attempts to explain the world of grassroots day trading among a subset of younger Americans. It explores their world on forums like Reddit and their efforts to compete with the big hedge funds - particularly around Gamestop and Cryptocurrency. It also links this to the dark world white supremacy and January 6. The film paints a well-edited story in which finance has become a game driven by memes and message boards. It is unclear if the participants are pioneers of new world, hucksters making a fast buck, or a completely lost generation.

The problem is that the argument is messy and unclear. It is unclear at times whether they are cheerleading or critiquing this world and the outcomes. Sometimes they seem to be portraying it is a heroic attempt to take down the big hedge funds traders. Sometimes they seem to be painting much of it a corrupt pyramid scheme. While it is entertaining to watch, it is often baffling. In order to present in an accessible manner there are way too many anecdotal interviews with participants and far too little scholarly analysis. The connections between the retail traders, white supremacists, cryptocurrency and going off the gold standard remain a bit mysterious. In the end, the argument is confusing and troubling. The directors are well-intentioned, but the result while entertaining, is a bit unsatisfying. There is the potential for a good film here, but this one doesn't feel like it is finished.