Roar depicts fragile nature of democracy

In the backdrop of an American election season defined by politicians’ misleading rhetoric and incurable apathy among voters, the documentary A Whisper to a Roar manages to make its voice heard.

Released to the L.A. public on Oct. 19 at the Laemmle NoHo 7 Theatre, the documentary focuses on the stories of five countries around the world and their struggles to forge a path to liberal democracy despite opposition by their governments.

The documentary focuses on Ukraine, Venezuela, Egypt, Malaysia and Zimbabwe and, near the end of the film, on Tunisia. The writer, director and producer of  A Whisper to a Roar, Ben Moses, believes that it was important to show these non-Western countries and their fight for democracy.

“We wanted to show how various influences caused autocrats or leaders to behave in certain ways,” Moses said at an Oct. 3 screening of the film.

This early screening of A Whisper to a Roar  also happened to take place the night of the first presidential debate between Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama, at the Director’s Guild of America Theater. A question and answer panel followed the screening, where Moses, Larry Diamond, Prince Moulay Hicham, Andriy Shevchenko and moderator Mary Hart of Entertainment Tonight discussed their perspectives on the film.

Though the filmmakers did not purposefully schedule the release of the film to coincide with the debate, the close proximity of the two events added a fresh perspective to A Whisper to a Roar. Before viewing the film, the audience watched the debate, then witnessed seeing the other side of democracy in Moses’ documentary. This contrast emphasized the recurring message of a democracy being only as strong as the people willing to fight for its vitality.

To enhance the greater meaning of A Whisper to a Roar,  Moses incorporated the points of view and expertise of producers and consultants from different fields, backgrounds and cultures. Among the producers were executive producer Diamond, a Stanford professor and senior fellow at the Hoover Institution and at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Prince Moulay Hicham, the uncle of the modern, independent nation of Morocco and Lynne Moses, a co-founder of Appleseed Entertainment and experienced documentarian.

During the screenings, Prince Moulay Hicham reminded the audience that democracy was plausible for people of all backgrounds.

“The film is about the fundamental conflict between human nature and the human spirit,” Hicham said.

The filmmakers’ diversity helped achieve the lofty goal of the documentary: showing that though it is often thought of as a Western concept, democracy can take root anywhere if people are willing to fight for it. By utilizing quotes from famous philosophers, such as Aristotle, Voltaire and Margaret Mead, and introducing narratives from those involved in democratic movements, the documentary cohesively shows all sides to the struggle. With these stylistic choices, the audience can better understand how in some nations freedom is not a right, but instead a privilege that is continually being insured.

A Whisper to a Roar further emphasizes the idea that a foreign government only changes when a country’s whole system — not simply its leader — is fundamentally changed. The film intensifies the importance of building a passionate and invested voter base in non-democratic countries.

Still, Moses is certain the documentary’s call to action will ring true for individuals in the audience.

“The people, when they get together, can take charge,” Moses said. “They can stop anything that’s going on when they get together and they’re not afraid. One person is powerless, but a million people have all the power.”

After watching the documentary, viewers can see that around the world, people young and old, conservative and liberal are fighting to have their voices heard in the political arena, yet are being hindered because of autocratic leaders. Despite the adversity they face, they continue their mission of making their nation more free. This level of dedication can easily apply to a younger audience that feels as if its voice is not adequately being heard. By creating this parallel with young people and the ongoing presidential election, the documentary has the ability to inspire its audience, especially younger members, into believing in their individual importance in safeguarding democracy again.

As American citizens we can easily tune out from the political rhetoric and become dispassionate about our rights because we envision them always being there. Moses, however, wants his documentary to serve as a cautionary tale for Americans.

“Just because there is a democracy doesn’t mean that everything is OK,” Moses said. “You have to work to keep it. Freedom will come and go but you have to work to keep it. We always have to pay attention. We always have to vote.”

A Whisper to a Roar, as a result, is the perfect film to view before casting a ballot Nov. 6 because it reminds everyone that in some countries that ballot is a hard fought privilege only given to those who believe in the ideals of democracy.