Democrats (2015) - Camilla Nielsson

Camilla Nielsson's Democrats is a riveting and important piece of documentary filmmaking which provides in-depth access into the formation of a new constitution in the politically unstable country of Zimbabwe.  Given incredible access to dictator Robert Mugabe's political inner circle, which is responsible for drafting, negotiating, and signing into law the country's new constitution, Democrats provides a vivid portrait of the slow-working mechanics of any true democracy, where the back-and-forth battles between politicians must be put aside, at least for the time being, for the sake of the common good in Zimbabwe.  Following two members of the political committee, Paul Mangwana and Douglas Mwonzora, whose politics do not typically align, Democrats is an absorbing look at the importance and value of compromise, as the film manages to capture both the bleak current state and the optimistic future of Zimbabwe which can be created with such progress as the new constitution.  Through this intricate journey towards a new constitution, Democrats is a film that truly captures the importance of equality, exhibiting how minority voices of dissent and disagreement must be given the same assurances as the majority point-of-view, a paramount idea that is essential to any true form of democracy.  With that being said, the instilled fear of Zimbabwe is well-documented in Democrats, articulating this challenge of freedom of expression, with the film capturing the deep-seeded, psychological effect a dictatorship can have on the masses, where many individuals remain unwilling to voice their opinion or stand-up for what they believe in due to fear caused directly by past terror.  Being a film that attempts to capture the struggle of its characters to push their country forward, a sense of instability is felt in every frame of Democrats, as the political pressures and varied personal interests continually slow down the progress of forming the country's new constitution.  Accessible enough to enjoy for those with little to no background on Zimbabwe, Camilla Nielsson's Democrats is an important film about the freedoms many of us in functioning democracies take for granted on a daily basis, being a powerful and detailed examination of what democracy entails, the importance of equality, and the power of compromise.  

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