This documentary is genuinely unsettling, showing the conflicts arising from opposing viewpoints within the United States, with school librarians finding themselves at the center of the resulting turmoil. As education becomes increasingly politicized and its resources are debated, more parents and politicians are responding to what they see as indoctrination by attempting to ban books. It’s not usually a situation involving figures like Josef Goebbels delivering hateful messages; often these are just regular parents worried that their children might be exposed to inappropriate material at a young age by people with an agenda. Does anyone remember Margaret Thatcher's "Section 28" legislation, which tried to accomplish something similar roughly forty years ago in the UK? That was awful then, and it remains so now, and the fact that library workers are facing threats of violence for trying to fulfill their First Amendment responsibilities is quite remarkable. The subjective way this censorship is applied is shown, along with the religious influences of those directly involved or funding groups strongly opposed to free expression. My main issue is a lack of impartiality. Librarians are given a platform, but none express support for intervention. Perhaps there aren’t any among the thousands of library staff in the USA, but I find that unlikely, and at times this felt too biased as a result. Also, I didn't see one interview with someone representing the librarians’ perspective. For a debate to be meaningful and offer any chance of resolution, both sides need to be heard equally. There are no direct conversations with parents concerned about their children being exposed to sexuality prematurely. Certainly, there is plenty of news footage and home videos from school board meetings, but I believe that in order to understand why feelings on this topic are so intense, we have to hear from all sides and see if a compromise can be reached. This documentary clearly depicts a situation where that seems impossible, but just as it labels some librarians with the terrible term “paedophile,” it also portrays some parents as not much better than ignorant bigots. It certainly highlights some shockingly short-sighted and oppressive policies, and it makes me even more thankful that I grew up in a country where God, as mentioned here, was kept within church walls and out of classrooms. It’s thought-provoking and often quite repulsive, but there was space within ninety minutes to at least attempt to understand the beliefs and anxieties of some people, which makes it very easy to despise and mock them.

Source on TMDB