DEMOCRACY NOIR at Mill Valley Film Festival 2024
by William J. Hammon, ActuallyPaid.com
As the U.S. election draws near, there remains increasing concern about the recent rise of authoritarianism and fascism around the world. Nearly 80 years after the end of World War II, several forces have slowly gained mainstream momentum to the point where civilization may very well backslide. There are many high-profile threats in that regard, but Democracy Noir, directed by Connie Field, looks at one you may not be fully aware of, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, believed by most independent sources to be a modern dictator.
Focusing on three women who have experienced Orbán’s regressive policies in different ways, the documentary goes to great lengths to show how this man came to power as a populist agent of change and quickly switched gears to self-serving demagoguery and corruption. In the case of Member of Parliament Tímea Szabó, the task is to unite all the myriad opposition parties in an attempt to defeat him at the polls. For journalist Babett Oroszi, she must fight a battle on two fronts, one where Orbán’s anti-LGBT laws have rendered her a second-class citizen, and another where his monopolization of state and independent media for the purposes of propaganda makes it so that she and her colleagues have hardly any outlet to broadcast the truth to the citizenry, and she does so under threat of governmental retribution. For nurse Niko, it’s all about getting by one day at a time, even though Orbán’s schemes have left the public healthcare system in shambles, and her stress is compounded by her mother, who votes for Orbán in every election because she doesn’t care about the fall of democracy, only if groceries are cheap.
There are obvious parallels and cautionary tales between Hungary’s story and ours here in America, including the dire warnings about bribery, abandonment of allies, and cozying up to Vladimir Putin and the Russian regime. It’s difficult to watch this film without keeping certain political views in mind, but it is crucial to remember that what they experience can very easily happen here and in the rest of the world, and in some cases, it already has. Democracy is a fragile system, and it requires the vigilance of the people to keep it going in the face of opposition from those who would suppress it for their own gain. It’s a painful reminder, especially in an already fraught and exhausting election year, but it is essential nonetheless.
Originally published at http://behindtherabbitproductions.wordpress.com on October 21, 2024.
