Documentary Style
TopicalBoys State
Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner where Texas teens build government from scratch in a riveting, character-driven look at democracy's promise and problems through the next generation.
Year
2020
Type
film
Runtime
109 min
Language
English
Director
Jesse Moss, Amanda McBaine
Genres
Summary
Every summer, 1,000 Texas teenage boys gather for Boys State, an American Legion program where they build a representative government from scratch.
Randomly divided into Federalists and Nationalists, the boys organize parties, campaign for governor, and navigate democracy's messy realities. In 2018, filmmakers embedded to closely follow four participants through the process. High-minded ideals collide with meme warfare, digital attacks, and dirty tricks. Seven cameras capture one intense week revealing both democracy's promise and its problems.
A startling look at how the next generation learns politics—for better and worse. Alternately hopeful and terrifying.