THE FILM
TITLE: The ABCs of Book Banning
RELEASE DATE: 30 Sep 2023
WATCH DATE: 21 Feb 2024
TYPE: documentary short
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THE PEOPLE
DIRECTOR: Sheila Nevins
PRODUCER: Trish Adlesic, Nazenet Habtezghi, Sheila Nevins, Trish Adlesic, Albessant Smith
ACTORS: NA
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THE STORY
RUNTIME: 27min
STORYLINE: nine- to twelve-year-old students share their opinions on banned, restricted, and challenged books
STYLE/GENRE: documentary, LGBTQ+, black history, literature, elementary school, children
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THE CRITIQUE
THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS
This is a tough one.
There are many views expressed in this film that should not be so easily grouped together. At least half of the film is dedicated to 9- and 10-year-old children expressing their disagreement with LGBTQ+ books being banned. The other significant genre of banned books is that of racism. These two views should not be presented together. One of them is pure indoctrination, the other is literal history. I'll let you figure out which one is which.
To disagree with the message of this film - YES, there are absolutely books that should be challenged, restricted, banned, and burned. Books that seek to brainwash young minds should be restricted from accessibility to 9- and 10-year-olds. The views of these books should be challenged, as they seek to impress the chosen lifestyle of a particular group of people upon young, innocent minds.
I was shocked to see that other books that tell stories of Black History in America - some that are iconic, like Rosa Parks - are also challenged, restricted, or banned. It should be a crime to withhold such history from the next generation. For sharing this atrocity, the film retains a single star.
Overall, I found the film to be self-contradicting for trying to make both arguments, and disgusting for letting 10-year-olds argue for the presence of LGBTQ+ literature in their school libraries. The Academy should be ashamed for nominating such a message for a documentary short film. Nevertheless, someone needs to stand up for banned Black History. It was good to be educated on that front.
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THE RECEPTION
NOMINATIONS
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THE IMPRESSION
IN A SINGLE WORD: disgusting
MOST STRIKING ELEMENT: some black history books are banned in school libraries
REWATCH: absolutely not
RATING: 1 // 5 stars ⭐
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