Stratford Film Festival monthly screening features the documentary The Librarians

The documentary The Librarians tells the tale of those who are risking so much to protect the rights and freedom of expression in the face of present-day censorship.

The Stratford Film Festival (SFF) continues to program thought-provoking feature films and documentaries with this May 9 screening of the important and timely documentary The Librarians that asks the question, “Who gets to decide what we read?”

Beloved books like The Handmaid’s Tale, 1984, or even To Kill a Mockingbird are quietly disappearing from library shelves and librarians are fighting back. Once considered essential reading, these books have been challenged or removed from schools and libraries across the U.S. in recent years. Part of a broader and more visible wave of book censorship, one that, at times, plays out in ways that are both startling and disturbing, and is increasingly viewed as a sign that free expression and democratic values are under threat.

“The Librarians was very big on the festival circuit. I have all these Google alerts for different film festivals, so I know what’s popping, what’s winning, what’s popular and what’s controversial. I know the work of Kim Snyder and she’s an excellent filmmaker so anything she makes I want to see. When I heard that the film was about censorship and libraries, censoring librarians, threatening their life’s work, I became intrigued,” said SFF artistic director Megan Smith-Harris.

This practice of pulling books off shelves is not history. It is happening right now in states like Texas, Florida, Louisiana, Arkansas, Utah, Virginia and even here in Canada to an extent, in Alberta schools.

“It raises questions about access to ideas and freedom of speech, questions of democracy and taking away these rights and freedoms eroding the democratic process. I think these are red flags and it’s like an early warning system,” said Smith-Harris.

The librarians featured in this film are the front-line defenders of democracy. They provide education, information, arts and culture to the masses and in this film, they are being pilloried and threatened with their livelihoods because they are trying to preserve these rights that are being taken for granted.

Targeted books are about race, LGBTQ+ identity, history or rewriting history and mental health. In a panel discussion following the film, adult services librarian Melanie Kindrachuck from the Stratford Public Library will discuss these topics and others relevant to the film. David Stones, Stratford’s poet laureate, will be performing an original poem, “Redaction” at the beginning of each screening.

“The joy of exploring new ideas, cultures and concepts with my young son, is one of my most special memories. The idea of targeting librarians and trying to force them to remove these books is horrifying. They’re facing pressure, threats, job risk, online trolls, it’s terrifying. It’s about who gets to decide what we are allowed to read,” said Smith-Harris.

The event is generously sponsored by Stones and Jean Anne McLeod, with programming support from the Stratford Public Library. There will be two screenings on Saturday, May 9 at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets are $20 in advance at stratfordfilmfestival.com.