Join or Die

Filmmakers: Pete Davis (Director), Rebecca Davis (Director)
Envoys: Pete Davis (Director), Rebecca Davis (Director)

Synopsis: 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 Harvard 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, Secretary 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?

About the Envoys:

Pete Davis is a writer and civic advocate from Falls Church, Virginia. He is the author of “Dedicated: The Case for Commitment in An Age of Infinite Browsing” and co-director of “Join or Die,” a feature documentary about civic life in America. He is the co-founder of the Democracy Policy Network, a policy organization focused on raising up ideas that deepen democracy. His Harvard Law School graduation speech, “A Counterculture of Commitment,” has been viewed more than 30 million times.

Rebecca Davis is a director and producer based in Washington, DC. 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.