Make Democracy Great Again

Length: 80 minutes 

Director: John Lundberg

Producer: Ulrik Medin

Producer: Jan Scherman
Executive producer: Tobias Bringholm
Executive producer: Pelle Ohrgren
Executive producer: Johan Skog

DoP: Erik Ericsson

Editing: Håkan Wärn
Sound technician: Svante Biörnstad, Craig Ryneveld, Jonathan Applegate

Music: Oscar Fågelström
Production manager: Anni Olivemark
Post producer: Jonas Wessman

Graphics: Kevin Olberg
Grade: Martin Steinberg

Sound mix: Svante Biörnstad

Supplementary photo: John Lundberg
Supplementary photo: Amanda Muisyo
Supplementary photo: Gustav Sandegård
Supplementary photo: Jens Harvard

Editing assistant: Robin Norin
Editing assistant: Victor Stångberg
Logging: Bo Dillingham

Story editor: Jenny Gourman Strid
Research: Rosi Bergman
Research: Leif Holmkvist
Research: Tobias Hübinette
Research USA: Emelie Svensson
Research England: Victoria Hennessy
Research South Africa: Frank Taylor, Andrew Cox

DCP : Niklas Nordemark

Distribution: Folkets Hus och Parker, Mikael Sandberg

In the documentary feature film Make Democracy Great Again, we focus on one of the most important issues of our time: Will democracy survive?

The trend is clear, democracy as a system of government is in decline. This decay affects all countries, both new democracies and historically strong countries such as the US, England, and Sweden. The film illustrates the threats. Democracies do not fall overnight, they erode.

The film showcases the widespread dissatisfaction and gives it a face, showing how polarization between people in everyday life is growing, how freedom of expression is limited, and how more and more people are turning their backs on established political parties. The mistrust of society is growing.

In the suburbs, discontent against the authorities simmers. The conflicts between different groups are becoming deeper and activists more aggressive. Hatred and threats are directed directly at politicians and journalists – as well as open violence.
It is a dark reality that towers over democracy, so we are also looking for hope. Individuals’ struggle to influence, groups fighting for change.
The examples in the film are based on ordinary people’s daily lives and the reality they experience. The starting point is Sweden, one of the world’s strongest democracies, but here too the cracks in the facade are becoming more obvious.

In international outlooks, we show the collapse of democracy in South Africa, highlight the widespread discontent in countries like Hungary and England, but also depict the reality in one of the world’s oldest and largest democracies – the United States. A country where political divides have led to the storming of the Capitol and where polarization between different groups has escalated to a level where the system of government is threatened.

The film also features some of the world’s most influential politicians and rulers, as well as prominent international democracy fighters at the highest international level.
Leading our way in the film is Jan Scherman, who has devoted his life to defending democracy. He was born in a post-war period of hopes for the future. In Sweden, a welfare state was to be built on the foundation of democracy. Over his lifetime, he has seen citizens gain more influence, walls torn down and human rights spread.

But development stopped, and when Scherman now sees how the world’s democracies being weakened, his concern is monumental.
Scherman has written books, op-ed articles, lectured and made TV series on democracy. He has warned and pointed out risks. In this film, he summarizes his fears. The film becomes his alarm clock about a development that is heading in the wrong direction, a beacon to get people to see how bad the situation is.
But at the same time, a search for hope, where Scherman seeks new fighters for democracy. The question is whether these human strands of hope are enough to save a democracy in decay.

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