THE STORY – As an unprecedented wave of book banning is sparked in Texas, Florida, and beyond, librarians under siege join forces as unlikely defenders fighting for intellectual freedom on the front lines of democracy.
THE CAST – N/A
THE TEAM – Kim A. Snyder (Director/Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 92 Minutes
Political documentaries are always a good way to get the blood boiling. “The Librarians” is no exception, as it details the absurdly backward-thinking rash of book bans – led by the radical far right – that’s swept through America in the past few years. It’s the kind of non-fiction recounting that’s not likely to change any minds on the subject; it’s doubtful that anyone who agrees with such censorship would even watch it in the first place. Instead, the film serves to chronicle this troubling phenomenon to raise further awareness of the issue. It’s smartly crafted and fucking infuriating.
Director Kim A. Snyder (a recent Oscar nominee for her documentary short, “Death by Numbers”) makes two exceptionally wise filmmaking decisions. First, she frames her documentary around the titular librarians who have become unexpected vanguards of the concept of freedom of choice. The women she highlights are all supremely well-spoken and, unsurprisingly, clearly well-read. By choosing to focus on the adults whose lives have literally been threatened for simply doing their jobs, Snyder sounds an alarm bell for viewers, calling for them to be aware that those acting in the name of ignorance and hate are unafraid of using the most extreme tactics to get their way. The librarians share their struggles, but they also all elucidate on the pain and harm such censorship places on children who only want to learn.
Second, she lets the disturbing story unfold linearly, starting with the book-banning movement’s initial efforts in Texas that spread like wildfire (as the film shows with effective literalized visuals) to other parts of the country thanks to right-wing social media. This directorial choice makes it easy for viewers to pick up on patterns. These patterns are an indicator of the insidious modern censorship movement with suspiciously deep pockets and disquietingly lofty political connections. In addition, they also make clear (thanks to carefully chosen archival footage) that these ignorant actions are nothing new and often signal increasingly harmful events to come. One incredibly disturbing moment draws shocking parallels between two book-burning bonfires: One in Nazi Germany and one in 2022 America.
Snyder carefully chooses interviews that create a sympathetic portrait of those targeted by hate. Outside of bad faith perspectives, the arguments and pleas laid out by the librarians are hard to argue. Essentially, so much of the “other side’s” issues boil down to plain old bigotry against anyone who’s not straight or white, and the librarians bravely hold the line against allowing such ignorance to prevail. The film doesn’t hit this message too hard à la Michael Moore’s Bush-era films, but it does make it vitally clear how opposed these mindsets are to the ideal beliefs that underscore the American system.
With “The Librarians,” Kim A. Snyder has crafted a moving, invigorating call for tolerant thinking and freedom to prevail. Thankfully, it provides a path forward for those who will watch it with concern, showing that the best way to combat ignorance and hate is with the further dissemination of knowledge. Evil prefers a closed mind, and like a good book, these librarians seek to open them.
