Our Time (2017)

In a new and politically-charged short film for Document, filmmaker Diane Russo pays homage to the vital history of democracy's one true lifeblood: a revolutionary spirit. We're led into a Prohibition-era parlor, where a group of young adults can be seen swaying about the room to Scooter Island's feminist anthem, "#NotYours." Their bodies-of various ages, sizes, shapes, and colors-intertwine and break apart freely. It's a revelrous and revolutionary scene-a dance of unbridled self-expression where each figure is both entirely individual and, at the same time, a triumphant participant in a collective ceremony. As police arrive and violence breaks out, a sobering montage begins: footage from the Women's Liberation movements of the 60s and 70s flash across the screen followed by recent clips of Black Lives Matter, Gay rights protests, and the 2017 Women's March on Washington. These scenes are at once a rallying cry and a reminder that revolution is not confined to history books. As time marches on, new leaders and new abuses of power will inevitably rise, but we the people-in solidarity and in protest-have the incredible and undying potential to shake the foundations of society and begin a new chapter.