[VIRTUAL] Film Screening: Capturing The Flag

Date: Monday, September 21, 2020
Time: 6:00pm ET / 3:00pm PT
Location: Livestreamed
Donation to Attend: $10 per ticket, free for PEN America Members

Join us for a special screening of Capturing The Flag! Directed by award-winning playwright Anne de Mare, this 2016 documentary centers around a tight-knit group of activists and lawyers from New York City who travel to Cumberland County, North Carolina—a “posterchild” for voter suppression—intent on proving that the big idea of American democracy can be defended by small acts of individual citizens.

Capturing The Flag is an urgent cautionary tale that documents what’s in store for the fast-approaching 2020 United States election and a close-up look of American democracy at its most vulnerable point. Through the intimate experiences of the film’s citizen volunteers, we are inspired to vote, help someone else to vote, and get involved in the growing nonpartisan efforts to protect our fragile democracy. The shocking voter suppression we see unfold in real time in Capturing The Flag is proliferating across the country, as those who control local elections have been emboldened to rewrite access to the ballot box along partisan lines. With verité footage of Barack Obama and Reverend Dr. William Barber II, the film is also a powerful call to arms for what we all can and need to do in the ongoing battle for voting rights.

Following the screening, we hope you’ll stay for a live, virtual conversation to discuss voting rights and the impending election with Jeffrey Toobin, bestselling author and legal analyst for CNN and The New Yorker; PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel; and voting rights activists Laverne Berry and Steve Miller. This 45-minute panel discussion will begin at approximately 7:15pm ET.

This event is free for PEN America Members. For non-Members, a $10 donation is required to attend this very special evening. This donation is 100 percent tax-deductible and supports PEN America’s mission to defend writers and free expression at a time of unprecedented need. Please fill out the form below to make a contribution and reserve your ticket. Your generosity is deeply appreciated.

Please contact Caelan Fortes at [email protected] for any additional questions or concerns.

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