The ABCs of Book Banning
| The ABCs of Book Banning | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by |
|
| Produced by | Trish Adlesic Steven Bennett Nina L. Diaz Liza Burnett Fefferman Peter Goldberg Sheila Nevins Albessant Smith |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Filippo Piscopo |
| Edited by | Gladys Mae Murphy |
Production company | |
Release date |
|
Running time | 27 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The ABCs of Book Banning is a 2023 short documentary film, directed by Sheila Nevins; co-directed by Trish Adlesic and Nazenet Habezghi and produced by Trish Adlesic.[1] It premiered at the Woodstock Film Festival, on September 30, 2023.[2]
Summary
[edit]The film features people discussing the mass banning of books relating to LGBT topics and issues of race, specifically in Florida.[3][4]
Books featured include And Tango Makes Three, Maus, Ambitious Girl, Beloved, The Life of Rosa Parks, The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish, Swish, Swish, Anne Frank’s Diary: The Graphic Adaptation, The Hate U Give, All Boys Aren't Blue, and Gender Queer.
Reception
[edit]Critical response
[edit]Josiah Teal of Film Threat gave the film a 9/10 score and stated:[5] "ABCs of Book Banning does an excellent job summarizing the significant details in just under a half-hour. It speaks volumes about the importance of increasing perspectives through literature, especially at an early age." Jennie Kermode, writing for Eye For Film, gave the film 4.5/5 stars and summarized:[6] "It’s a simple film, but more powerful for it: a film in defence of words which doesn’t need many to make its point."
However, Colin Souter of Roger Ebert.com gave it a mixed review stating that:[7]
The movie means well, but it’s artless in its approach. It preaches to the choir for twenty-seven minutes, but never provides any answers on how students or parents at these schools can fight the policies or obtain copies of the banned books elsewhere. This is the kind of film you show on day one at a Library Science 101 class, a power-point, listicle version of “Kids Say the Darndest Things.” I agree with everything it’s saying, but as a documentary, it lacks power and substance.
Accolades
[edit]It was nominated for Best Documentary Short Film at the 96th Academy Awards.[8][9]
See also
[edit]- Critical race theory
- Book banning in the United States (2021–present)
- Book censorship in the United States
- Proposed bans of LGBT-themed books in the United States
- Bibliophobia
References
[edit]- ^ Simon, Scott (25 November 2023). "A new documentary shows the impact of book bans in Florida public schools on the kids". NPR.
- ^ Carey, Matthew (3 October 2023). "Doc Legend Sheila Nevins Makes Directorial Debut With 'The ABCs Of Book Banning', Starring Kids Who Just Want Freedom To Read". Deadline. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
- ^ "The ABCs of Book Banning". TVGuide.com. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
- ^ op de Beec, Nathalie (30 November 2023). "'ABCs of Book Banning' Documentary Amplifies Florida Kids' Voices". Publishers Weekly.
- ^ Teal, Josiah (7 February 2024). "ABCs of Book Banning Featured, Reviews Film Threat". Film Threat. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
- ^ Kermode, Jennie (8 February 2024). "The ABCs Of Book Banning (2023) Movie Review from Eye for Film". Eye For Film. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
- ^ Short Films in Focus The 2024 Oscar-Nominated Short Films|Features|RogerEbert.com
- ^ Lang, Brent; Moreau, Jordan (23 January 2024). "Oscar Nominations 2024: 'Oppenheimer' Dominates With 13 Nods, 'Poor Things' Follows With 11". Variety. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
- ^ "The 96th Academy Awards (2024) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 10 March 2024.