Independent Lens
Mama Bears
Conservative, Christian beliefs have defined their entire lives, but now they’re championing their LGBTQ+ children. A mama bear's love is ferocious.
One Person, One Vote?
One Person, One Vote? is a documentary that unveils the complexities of the Electoral College—the system that governs presidential elections—from its origins in slavery to its impact on American society today.
- Series
- Independent Lens
- Premiere Date
- September 30, 2024
- Length
- 80 minutes
Producer/ Director
Maximina Juson
Maximina Juson is an award-winning filmmaker and founder of HUMovies, a film production company in Los Angeles. Her debut feature film, One Person, One Vote? is a National Endowment for the Humanities grant recipient that world premiered at the Pan African Film Festival, taking home the Programmers’ Award for Best Documentary Feature.
Producer
Daresha Kyi
Daresha Kyi directs narratives and documentaries in Spanish and English. Her films include: Battleground Georgia about voter suppression; Mama Bears about conservative Christian mothers accepting their LGBTQ+ children; Trans In America: Texas Strong which won two Webby Awards and an Emmy Award; and Chavela about iconic singer Chavela Vargas.
- Other ITVS Films
- Mama Bears
Co-Producer
Christie Herring
Christie Herring is an award-winning director, producer, and editor. Directing includes ITVS-funded The Campaign about Prop 8 and the LGBTQ marriage struggle. Her producing and editing work has appeared on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, and PBS and includes 23 Mile, The Big Scary “S” Word, CODE: Debugging the Gender Gap, Bias, and A Town Called Victoria.
- Other ITVS Films
- The Campaign
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The Film
One Person, One Vote? examines the Electoral College, the uniquely American and often misunderstood mechanism for electing a president. At a time when many Americans question democratic institutions, the film provides an unprecedented look at its inner workings.
The documentary follows four presidential electors in Colorado during 2020. Among them are Derrick Wilburn, a Republican activist and founder of the Rocky Mountain Black Conservatives; Polly Baca, a Mexican-American Democratic Party elder; Patricia McCracken, a student and first-time voter affiliated with the Green Party; and Kit Maclean, a humorous yet bona fide elector for Kanye West. Their motivations range from noble to unconventional, and each arrives with a distinct vantage point.
In addition to the electors’ journeys, the film provides historical context by exploring the origins of the Electoral College. Slavery was an inherent and often unnamed factor in its creation. Since its inception, the Electoral College has shaped centuries of history and national politics. While writing the U.S. Constitution, the framers argued, negotiated, and steered the discourse around how the nation would select a president. Animated historical vignettes and theatrical performances bring to life the speeches of integral figures including James Madison, Gouverneur Morris, and James Wilson.
Today, many Americans do not comprehend either the mechanisms of the Electoral College or the reasons why it exists. One Person, One Vote? offers a nonpartisan understanding of the institution, revealing its origins in a bygone era and its centrality to questions of the modern day.
