ABOUT THE PROJECT

LOGLINE
Students in a South Carolina coastal town collide with the book-banning frenzy in the U.S. when 97 books are banned from their school libraries. The students become national anti-censorship activists.

SYNOPSIS
In October 2022, two residents in Beaufort County, SC, ignored the book-challenge protocols in public schools, threatening to bring pornography charges against the local School Board unless it immediately removed 97 books from school libraries. Many of the titles were authored by or contain characters who identify as LGBTQIA+ or BIPOC.

All 97 books were immediately removed from school library shelves.

Between July 2021 and June 2023, there were 5,894 book bans in 247 public school districts in 41 states in the U.S, affecting millions of students. These bans have been largely driven by the ultra-conservative group Moms for Liberty, encouraging citizens to challenge 100+ books at a time (even without reading them).

High school students in Beaufort—members of DAYLO (Diversity Awareness Youth Literacy Organization)—started fighting back, led by seniors Isabella Troy, who is biracial; Elizabeth Foster, the sister of a transgender boy; and Millie Bennett, who identifies as queer.

BANNED TOGETHER chronicles this youth-led resistance, delving into the struggle against book-banning playing out across the US. In addition to local Beaufort footage (school board meetings and state legislative sessions), the film includes interviews with politicians (including Congressman Jamie Raskin); Constitutional experts; bestselling authors (Jodi Picoult, Juno Dawson, Erika Sánchez, and others); librarians from the House Oversight hearing on book bans and academic censorship; and representatives from The American Library Association, PEN America, and the American Federation of Teachers.

BANNED TOGETHER explores the roots of the censorship movement to reveal its dire consequences for public education and Americans' First Amendment rights. As this story unfolds in real-time, it celebrates the courage and persistence of these next-generation activists who believe in the First Amendment and are willing to stand up for it.

BANNED TOGETHER also serves as a clarion call to join the fight against book banning across America.

PROJECT TYPE Documentary Feature

DIRECTOR Kate Way
PRODUCER Jenn Wiggin, Tom Wiggin, Allyson Rice

WEBSITE 97documentary.com

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