BOYS STATE | FILM REVIEW
Dir: Amanda McBaine, Jesse Moss (12A,109 mins)
In Texas every year, a thousand 17-year-old boys gather to build a representative government over the space of a week. This superbly insightful documentary follows one year and a group of boys as they form parties, policies, debate and find what they truly believe in, or not, culminating in a nailbiting election. As a snapshot of the political system in America it could not be more timely, with a new election looming and Trumpian tactics permeating the fabric of society. Even here, in this febrile political system where two parties are formed – Federalists and Nationalists – opinions are divided, with abortion and gun control particularly hot topics.
The documentary focuses in on several key movers and shakers in the week. For the Nationalists, there is the principled, sincere Stephen Gazra who has a dignity and gravitas far beyond his years and whose historic concerns about gun control, the limiting of weapons and his role in an anti-gun march he had organised after his friends had been caught up in a high school shooting are held against him. He is aided and abetted by his chair Rene Otero, an African-American whose principles and intelligence do not stop a call for him to be impeached by more thuggish, immature elements of the boys, again indicating something else that still exists in America. Opposing them for the Federalists is poster boy Eddy Conti and his ferocious chair Ben Feinstein, a double amputee whose determination to succeed at all costs is rather chilling. Winning is seen as more important than ethics and morality on the Federalist ticket, whilst Gazra never stoops to spreading rumours or dirty tricks.
The whole of the American political system is seen in microcosm here, with all its pluses and minuses, principles and compromises. It’s raw and often very moving, veering between a dystopian future and one with hope for change embodied in this complex collection of teenagers – yet terrifying to have so many young boys unshakingly holding on to the right to own guns at whatever cost and forbidding women to have freedom of choice over their own bodies. Directors McBaine and Moss brilliantly immerse you in the tumult of the week and make you care about who shapes the future. Recommended viewing.
Streaming on Apple+ now
words KEIRON SELF