Facing the Future

The Baffler and BAM are pleased to present a week-long film series that responds to our fall issue, “Facing the Future,” which examines the use and abuse of the “emerging majority” in political life around the globe. Coined by Nixon strategist Kevin Phillips to describe a turn to the right in American politics, the phrase has since been used by Democratic partisans to cast demographic change in the United States as an unalloyed good for their party—despite evidence that no such monolithic voting bloc is emerging. How has the idea of a coming consensus been used to manipulate voters and paper over dissension within various ethnic and racial groups? What kinds of backlash has the perceived threat of demographic change caused? This series ponders those questions and more.

Friday, October 18

7:00 p.m.: Journeys with George, 2002; introduced by filmmaker Christopher Jason Bell (advance tickets)

9:30 p.m.: The New God, 1999 (advance tickets)

Saturday, October 19

7:00 p.m.: The First Purge, 2018; followed by a discussion with writer Dennis M. Hogan (advance tickets)

9:30 p.m.: Bulworth, 1998 (advance tickets)

Sunday, October 20

2:00 p.m.: Watermelon Man, 1970 (advance tickets)

4:30 p.m.: Idiocracy, 2006; followed by a discussion with writer Gaby Del Valle (advance tickets)

7:30 p.m.: Gattaca, 1997 (advance tickets)

Monday, October 21

7:00 p.m.: Thousand Pieces of Gold, 1990 (advance tickets)

Tuesday, October 22

7:00 p.m.: Terror 2000—Intensivstation Deutschland, 1992 (advance tickets)

Wednesday, October 23

7:00 p.m.: Sleep Dealer, 2008; followed by a discussion with writer and director Alex Rivera (advance tickets)

Thursday, October 24

7:00 p.m.: Wild in the Streets, 1968; introduced by writer Rick Perlstein (advance tickets)

9:30 p.m.: I, Robot, 2004 (advance tickets)