The Laredo Film Society will host a free screening of Knock Down the House on Wednesday, May 22 at 7 p.m. at the Alamo Drafthouse.
The documentary directed by Rachel Lears tracks the political trajectories of four
women who decide to run for office against all odds. At a moment of historic volatility in American politics, the four women set themselves on a journey that changed their lives and nation.
From the film’s website:
When tragedy struck her family in the midst of the financial crisis, Bronx-born Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez worked double shifts in a restaurant to save her home from foreclosure.
After losing a loved one to a preventable medical condition, Amy Vilela didn’t know what to do with the anger she felt about America’s broken health care system.
Cori Bush was drawn into the streets when the police shooting of an unarmed black man brought protests and tanks into her neighborhood.
Paula Jean Swearengin was fed up with watching her friends and family suffer and
die from the environmental effects of the coal industry.
The screening will be followed by a panel discussion with Regina Portillo of CityMakery, Julia Wallace of The Laredo Morning Times, District 7 City Council member George Altgelt, and Sergio Mora of Frontera Radio. Panelists will engage in a conversation on the importance of local issues and taking money out of politics. Karen Gaytán will moderate the panel.
Attendees who are not registered to vote are urged to arrive early to do so on site with members of Move Texas
Knock Down the House won the Audience Award for U.S. Documentary and the Festival Favorite Award at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. It was an Official Selection in the following film festivals: HotDocs, Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, True/False Film Fest and South by Southwest in 2018.
The screening is free and open to the public, but seating is limited. Please RSVP at bit.ly/LFS-KDTH.
