Filmmaker Julie Winokur at her table.

“Bring it to the Table” is a great new documentary film making its rounds that very much speaks to IF’s mission. (Tag line: “When it comes to democracy, discourse is the best course.”)

Years ago, filmmaker Julie Winokur’s teenage son chided her for being intolerant of people who did not share her political beliefs. That inspired her to travel across the country bringing a diverse array of people to her table so that she could just listen.

I can definitely relate. For me it began around the time of the hopelessly polarized 2000 presidential election when we started talking about our country in terms of primary colors. Since then,  I have felt that living in an urban area especially, I feel deeply disconnected from the majority of America’s electorate. I felt equally blindsided when the same country elected a Hawaiian-born, Chicago pol with the name Barack Hussein Obama. Who ARE you people?

Coming to the table across divides takes work. It requires intention. It takes effort. I am glad to see artists such as Ms. Winokur taking on the challenge. Check out the trailer here.