Rell Center to Host State’s First Screening of "Patriocracy"

The Rell Center for Public Service at the University of Hartford will host a screening of Patriocracy, a documentary by award-winning filmmaker Brian Malone, on Wednesday, Oct. 17, at 7:30 p.m.

Patriocracy “explores America’s current political gridlock and the polarization that cripples the country from tackling its most serious problems,” notes Malone. The 90-minute film has been highly recognized in multiple international film festivals and features a cast of some of America’s most trusted leaders and journalists.

This will be the first screening of Patriocracy in Connecticut. Bilal Sekou, associate professor of political science in the University of Hartford’s Hillyer College, will lead a short discussion immediately following the film’s screening. The event is free and open to the public but tickets are required. To order tickets, please call 860.768.4228.

For more information regarding the film, visit www.patriocracymovie.com.

Patriocracy brings a cast of U.S. senators, congressmen and congresswomen, top Washington journalists, pundits and academia to the screen giving their candid and comprehensive insights into the factors behind extreme polarization. Former U.S. Senator Alan Simpson (R., Wyoming), who was co-chair with Erskin Bowles of President Obama’s National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, Bob Schieffer (CBS News), Pat Buchanan, Eleanor Clift (Newsweek), Ken Rudin (NPR) and U.S. Senator Kent Conrad (D., North Dakota) are just a few of the high-level Washington personalities who offer their perspectives on extremism in Washington and across the country.

Through raw and uncensored video of angry demonstrations and town hall meetings, Patriocracy offers an examination of how Americans have become so polarized over the past decade. “As America enters the 2012 election season, more money than ever will be spent to manipulate and sway voters by fear and emotion. Patriocracy sits in the dead center of this monumental tug-of-war, educating viewers so they do not fall victim to manipulation as they cast their ballots,” notes Patriocracy director Malone.

The Patriocracy screening will be followed a week later by another Rell Center event, a panel discussion moderated by former Governor M. Jodi Rell entitled “Where Do We Go from Here? How Will Public Officials Govern After the Incivility of the 2012 Campaign?” The discussion between Karen Hobert Flynn of Common Cause, former U.S. Rep. Nancy Johnson, and veteran political television reporter Tom Monahan, will take place on Thursday, Oct. 25, from 7:30 to 9 p.m., in Wilde Auditorium at the University of Hartford, 200 Bloomfield Ave., West Hartford. Tickets for both events are available by calling 860.768.4228

The Rell Center for Public Service was established at the University of Hartford in 2011 to instruct and encourage integrity and responsible participation in government and public service, traits characterized by the life and career of Governor M. Jodi Rell. The Center will offer lectures, panel discussions, symposia, and forums on important local and regional issues. Teaching and learning opportunities will include internships and service-learning in government and public service as well as research and scholarly inquiry on the nature of integrity in government and public life.

Chartered in 1957 with the mission to be a “private university with a public purpose,” the University of Hartford offers undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs in the arts, humanities, business, engineering and technology, education, and the health professions. The University’s student body of more than 7,000 represents 45 states and nearly 60 countries. For more information, visit www.hartford.edu.