An American Pastoral

An American Pastoral chronicles the struggle within a rural central Pennsylvanian community over the future of their public schools, where a vitriolic debate over books cloaks a more fundamental question: the future of our secular democracy.
Nestled in a valley among Lancaster County’s rolling farmland, Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania has all the charm of small town America. But behind this bucolic veneer lies a fracture in the making.
Change has come to Etown. And nowhere is it more apparent than at the local school board meetings. Like schools across the nation, these once sleepy public meetings have become a toxic theater of grievance. After months of vitriolic debates over Covid-19 restrictions, budget priorities, and library books, four of the five long-serving Republican incumbents have chosen retirement over the prospect of further death threats, intimidation, and likely defeat at the polls.
In this red district, a grassroots movement of far-right dominionist Christians have followed Steve Bannon’s precinct playbook: seizing control of the local Republican committee and securing three school board seats in the last election. With five seats up this cycle, just two seats would secure the far-right’s control over the board and usher in a new, theocratic vision for Etown’s public schools.
An American Pastoral chronicles the struggle of engaged citizens to determine the future of their local public schools. In 2023, voters will choose between three slates: one endorsed by the Democratic party and two competing Republican lists.
In this off-year election, turnout will be low. In this divisive climate, voter education is more important than ever.
After many months of campaigning, the choice is now up to voters. The mandate of those elected to the school board is four years: an eternity. At stake—and everyone here knows it—is the future of public education. At least to start with.
- "A timely and trenchant observation of school board politics. This strictly non-interventional documentary... offers no narration or commentary on a fraught face-off between ideologically moderate Democrats and a local Republican Party steered by far-right Christian nationalism. Instead, Edler’s calmly watchful film — sure to travel... on the strength of its sharp gaze and topical heft — trusts in viewers to see the national forest for the trees."
- "[T]his urgent, absorbing documentary should be required viewing for those, inside or outside the United States, who are struggling to make sense of the recent presidential election. It will also speak to anyone interested in the battle over books and gender issues that has been raging for some time now in the American educational sector."
- "A riveting and chilling look at how democracy is often first eroded on a local level, and then national level, An American Pastoral is a reminder of a culture war that is hurting those who need education the most."
- "An American Pastoral is an intense political drama guaranteed to enrage...The film is an emotional experience that delivers a riveting journey that leaves you rattled, reflective, and maybe a little bit hopeful."
Awards & Recognition
IDFA Award for Best Directing
Int'l. Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam
Best Feature-Length Documentary
Int'l. Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam
Jury Award
Docville
Best Documentary
Hong Kong Int'l. Film Festival
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