Civically-minded Atlantans gathered at the Tara Theatre March 5 for a Director’s Cut screening and discussion of “Citizens Revival.”
Several Atlanta organizations tabled in the Tara lobby before and after the screening, including the Asian American Advocacy Fund, Georgia Muslim Voter Project, Better Ballot Georgia and Atlanta Way 2.0.
The event was the seventh public Director’s Cut screening of “Citizens Revival” since November, following events in Tennessee, Mississippi, California, Michigan, South Carolina and New York.
The film, directed by Becca Finley and produced by Chase Cole, weaves together interviews with real people and scenes of civic engagement from across the nation, including many portions filmed in Atlanta.
120 voices across the political spectrum are featured in the film, including Atlanta’s own Munir Meghjani and David Perdue, co-creators and hosts of Comedy & Conversations, an event series that approaches tough conversations through comedy.
The screening was followed by a live discussion between Finley, Cole, Meghjani and Purdue.
“It’s even more important now to have those conversations if you can, and to connect with those people, and to have some sort of actual relationship with somebody, not just an imagination of what the opposite party is, but a real person on that side,” Meghjani said.
Cole asked Meghjani and Perdue how they encourage people to take the next step toward civic participation.
“The thing that I’m trying to do is be radically real with people,” Perdue explained. “Democracy requires you to be tired. It’s gonna be uncomfortable. It’s not going to be easy. And also that I’m not meeting people halfway — I’m gonna have to go more than halfway sometimes… If I believe in a world that is better than this one, it’s going to require me to do more than the bare minimum.”
The film included a clip from a Comedy & Conversations show featuring Georgia State Representative Jordan Ridley (R), a guest who holds views on many issues different from those of hosts Meghjani and Perdue.
Other familiar local faces in the film included Senator Kim Jackson (D), comedians Tamar Rubin, Mark Kendall and Brittany Dent; advocates Aisha Yaqoob Mahmood, Johnny Philavong, Nusaiba Mubarak, Hanan Abdelrahman, Hamdi Mursal and Lumas Younis; and Punchline venue owner Jamie Bendall.
Familiar vignettes of Atlanta were recognizable throughout: people walking and biking on the Beltline, murals in Little Five Points.
The Georgia-based Asian American Advocacy Fund’s “ABCs of AAPIs” coloring book, a collaborative project between artists, organizers and educators in Metro Atlanta, made an onscreen appearance.
The film’s methodology differed from that of a traditional documentary. The project’s website reads, “Using a combination of cinema verité, traditional interviews, collaborative live events, and subject-led discussions, we sought to capture a broad image of America during the 2024 presidential election season.”
The filmmakers said they intentionally represented a wide range of ages, cultures and socio-economic levels.
To get a sense of the rest of the documentary, picture a songwriting workshop where participants belted lyrics about political discord; a yoga class that used political cues—for example, referring to the front of the yoga mat as the “front lines”; a high school classroom where students expressed their discomfort with “offending” others or being offended; a polling place on Election Day where both sides were hopeful.
Cole said the film has been well-received in schools and at the Oxford Film Festival in Oxford, Miss.
According to the “Citizens Revival” Kickstarter campaign, the project’s “broader mission includes screenings in all 50 states, festival distribution, streaming and an educational curriculum for schools.”
Note from AW2.0: If you are interested in learning more about how Atlanta Way 2.0 can support your innovative approach to community building or cross-sector collaboration, please reach out to our Community Engagement Manager, Tori Druilhet, Tori@atlantaway.org. We hope you will consider becoming an Atlanta Way 2.0 Activator to keep up with all of our initiatives.
Oli Turner is an Atlanta Way 2.0’s 2025-26 Journalism Fellow. She is exploring the intersection of media and community engagement. The fellowship is a practicum on civic journalism, which is defined by covering our communities accurately and constructively, exposing what’s wrong and showcasing what’s working. Part of AW2.0’s mission is to foster the next generation of journalists while ensuring that local news thrives, keeping communities informed and engaged.
