In the run-up to the 2020 US election, Boys State star Steven Garza curates 25 narrative feature films about democracy under threat and politics at play at the highest levels—and recalls exclusively for Letterboxd the experience of being in one of the year’s break-out documentary hits.

Note from Steven, October 2020:
“I started college in the fall of 2019. I maintained a B+ average, but ended up getting one C grade. Davis Guggenheim, the respected documentarian, asked me which class that C was for. I had to admit—at the Sundance Film Festival premiere of Boys State, no less—that it was in my film class. He laughed and thought that was the greatest thing ever.

“January seems a lifetime ago, before you-know-what. While we missed out on interacting with audiences in person after screenings, I still wanted to hear people’s thoughts and reactions. That’s when I discovered Letterboxd, where I was able to see the nice (and not so nice) things people were saying—so I was ecstatic to help the Letterboxd crew curate this list of memorable political films.

“I wasn’t sure what to expect going into Texas Boys State 2018. A month prior, I had met Jesse Moss, who alongside his wife, Amanda McBaine, was making a film on the session. After a few interviews about my life and my political views, I was cast as a subject. I didn’t know anything about documentary filmmaking. I was just an average Boys State attendee, who happened to have a microphone and camera crew on him for most of the week. I’ve never had aspirations for being, in any way, involved in ‘the film biz’ (that’s what they call it, right?), so it took a bit to get used to having the camera essentially in my face. That hot Sunday in June, I got on a bus to Austin, and well, you know the rest.

“Since then, I’ve seen a recurring statement that Boys State seems too good to be true. Is this satire? A mockumentary? Is it scripted? I believe those reactions are a testament to just how skilled Jesse and Amanda are at their craft. As someone who had never known much of cinéma vérité, observing the cinematographers, led by Thorsten Thielow, so seamlessly dance around one another to capture what was unfolding was mind-blowing.

“While it took less than a week to shoot Boys State, it took a year to edit. Jeff Gilbert, alongside Jesse and Amanda, worked tirelessly. They knew the story, they knew who had won and lost, yet they wanted to ensure that every emotion that they had felt while filming and creating the film was felt by the audience. The subjects had the easy job of just being ourselves.

“I’m pleased that Boys State gives insights, on a micro-scale, into how America gets its Governments. Many other excellent documentaries out this year also lift the lid on the political process, and they’re worth seeking out. As for this list, from biopic to satire, thriller to identity caper, the feature films selected here explore the triumphs and pitfalls of democracy through the power of narrative story (some fictional, others based on real life). The road to representation is long—these films spotlight some of the activists, organizers, lobbyists, advisors, secret police, journalists and contenders we meet along the way. Many are highly rated award-winners; others that were less well-received are being revisited by Letterboxd members in light of their relevance to recent events.

“Inspiration and hope can come from the art of film. Movies can lead us to discovering new topics, ideas and methods for tackling our politics. Whether it’s Thaddeus Stevens, championing the cause of abolition in Lincoln, or Jeff Smith, filibustering until exhaustion in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, the message of doing what’s right is universal.

“In a few days, the United States will hold a referendum on whether we should continue on the path we’ve been on for the last four years, or take a new one. Many of us feel hope and fear, confidence and uncertainty. The person who loses, and their movement, don’t just disappear and go away. The hardest work comes after the election is over. As much as it pains many to think about, we have to share our country with the people who voted for ‘the other guy’.

“From Boys State feedback, I think many people have mistaken my idealism of what this country ought to be with naïveté, that if we all sing ‘Kumbaya’, everything will be okay. That’s not reality. I do believe, however, that because I don’t necessarily agree with someone, doesn’t mean that I shouldn’t sit down with them and figure out what we can work on together. In a mock simulation of government, with 1,000 majority white, majority conservative teenage boys, two people of color with liberal views were elected to represent the two highest positions within one party.

“Regardless of the ultimate outcome, if someone like myself or René were able to get that far, with the odds so stacked against us, imagine what it would’ve been like if the program were more reflective of our state, and our country. Imagine if we had the missing half of the electorate. That fills me to the brim with optimism.

“I carry that optimism into this year’s election. We can continue on the path towards the inevitable tear up of this country, or we can decide to try to come together, united, like in times past. While it is infinitely easier said than done, we have to have hope and optimism about the future of this country, for if we don’t, then what’s left? You know someone that’s worth fighting for. You believe in causes worth fighting for. Never, ever let anyone take that hope away from you, because the moment you do, you’ve lost.

“One experience I’ll always have is that of watching the premiere of the film with my mom at Sundance. We both cried together at the end, and I don’t remember her ever holding my hand as tightly as she did that night. Afterwards, as we took the stage for the Q&A, I was still pretty choked up. When I got the microphone, all I was able to get out was ‘Hi, Mom’. The audience of 500 rose to their feet in a standing ovation that still rings in my ears, their claps and cheers all directed towards my mom, who was crying while filming her son on her phone, like mothers do.”

“We want to live by each other’s happiness—not by each other’s misery. We don’t want to hate and despise one another. In this world there is room for everyone. And the good earth is rich and can provide for everyone. The way of life can be free and beautiful, but we have lost the way… Our knowledge has made us cynical. Our cleverness, hard and unkind. We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery we need humanity. More than cleverness we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost…” —The Barber, The Great Dictator