Desperately Seeking Democracy

Desperately Seeking Democracy is a new documentary by independent filmmaker Ian Hawkins and Hawkinsian Productions. The film is in production right now but we'll track its development on this site. If you have something to contribute, email us.

What's it about?

Democratic principles are almost universally cherished. We hear words like 'freedom' and 'democracy' all the time. It's all about people power and it's the best system there is, right? But are we really as democratic as we think?

Do electoral systems really represent the will of the people? Do mainstream political parties exercise a monopoly/duopoly on power? If democracy is a good thing, why is it so rare in other areas of life? Have you ever voted for your boss? Have you ever seen a democratic bank or newspaper? Have you ever elected a headteacher or chief constable?

Desperately Seeking Democracy looks at who holds power, how many of them are elected and how many represent the majority.