JOIN or DIE: Film Screening with Bob Putnam

Join us for a screening of the new documentary feature film, JOIN or DIE, followed by a short Q&A with Robert Putnam. (We regret director Pete Davis is no longer able to attend due to unforeseen circumstances). See the trailer here.

RSVP is encouraged for event updates but not required for attendance.

JOIN or DIE is a film about why you should join a club — and why the fate of America depends on it. In this feature documentary, follow the half-century story of America’s civic unraveling through the journey of legendary social scientist Robert Putnam, whose groundbreaking Bowling Alone research into America’s decades-long decline in community connections could hold the answers to our democracy’s present crisis. Flanked by influential fans and scholars — from Hillary Clinton, Pete Buttigieg, and Surgeon General Vivek Murthy to Eddie Glaude Jr., Raj Chetty, and Priya Parker — as well as inspiring groups building community in neighborhoods across the country, join Bob as he explores three urgent civic questions: What makes democracy work? Why is American democracy in crisis? And, most importantly… What can we do about it?

Robert Putnam is America’s preeminent political scientist — and one of the most widely read and cited social scientists living today. Author of fourteen books, translated into twenty languages, his work focuses on asking big questions about American society and deploying immense, creative studies and analyses to unlock answers. His Bowling Alone research — which demonstrated that levels of American community connections were in decline over the past half-century — rocketed Putnam to national fame in the late 1990s, earning him the moniker “the poet laureate of civil society” and the ear of presidents, religious leaders, and tech founders over the coming decades. In 2012, President Obama awarded Putnam the National Humanities Medal, the nation’s highest honor for contributions to the humanities. As more Americans turn on to the reality of our social isolation crisis, a consistent drumbeat of media interest in revisiting Putnam’s work has grown.

This film was directed and produced by sister-brother team Rebecca Davis and Pete Davis.

Rebecca Davis is a director and producer based in New York City. She was a senior producer with NBC News for a decade, where her work focused on social movements, environmental and economic justice, and community innovators. She has produced for HBO, VICE, and A&E — and was the supervising producer for Season 2 of Vox’s hit Netflix show Explained.

Pete Davis is a writer and civic advocate — and a former student of Robert Putnam’s. He is the author of Dedicated: The Case for Commitment in An Age of Infinite Browsing. He is the co-founder of the Democracy Policy Network, a policy organization focused on raising up ideas that deepen democracy.

🎳 Early Praise for JOIN OR DIE 🎳

“Our democracy needs us to be joiners! …[an] urgent message.” – Hillary Clinton

“The seeming irreparable divisions in our country have been a hot topic of this year’s SXSW entries, but one documentary is preoccupied with finding solutions.” –Austin Monthly, The Films We Loved Most at SXSW 

“Join or Die made me feel more motivated to do something than perhaps any movie I’ve ever seen.” – Ryan Scott, Slash Film (Full review here)

“Most inspiring movie I’ve seen so far at SXSW…I want to join all the clubs now” –Dan Gentile, SFGATE

“Join or Die proves itself vital and relevant, a necessary documentary that promises the conversation will continue long after the credits have rolled.” –Stephanie Archer, Film Inquiry

“[Putnam’s] an affable, sensitive person and a wonderful camera subject who never seems calculated, withholding, or insincere.” –Matt Zoller Seitz, RogerEbert.com