What Is Democracy?

A Philosophical Journey Exploring Government

Part of the Series: Kino Lorber Essential Collection

Coming at a moment of profound political and social crisis, WHAT IS DEMOCRACY? reflects on a word we too often take for granted.

Director Astra Taylor's idiosyncratic, philosophical journey spans millennia and continents: from ancient Athens' groundbreaking experiment in self-government to capitalism's roots in medieval Italy; from modern-day Greece grappling with financial collapse and a mounting refugee crisis to the United States reckoning with its racist past and the growing gap between rich and poor.

Official Selection at the Toronto International Film Festival.

"...a fascinating and enlightening treatise." - Rob Aldam, Backseat Mafia

"...a sharp political reminder to pay attention to politics and to remember that the personal and the local are political." - Charlie Phillips, The Guardian