
From Grassroots to Netflix: Inside the Join or Die Impact Campaign
From Rough Cut by The Video Consortium
August 5, 2025 · 30 min · Season 6 · Episode 68
About this episode
Caitlin Boyle interviews filmmaker Rebecca Davis about the impact campaign for the documentary Join or Die, which explores community life through the lens of Robert Putnam's work.
In this episode of Rough Cut, guest host Caitlin Boyle sits down with filmmaker Rebecca Davis to discuss the journey behind Join or Die, the powerful documentary that reimagines Robert Putnam’s landmark book Bowling Alone for the screen. Rebecca shares how the team behind the film not only brought Putnam’s ideas on the decline of community life to a broader audience, but also charted an ambitious and intentional path for its distribution. From grassroots community screenings to a Netflix rele...
People in this episode
Host: Caitlin Boyle
Guest: Rebecca Davis
Topics covered
- documentary
- community life
- film distribution
- grassroots
- Netflix
- social impact
Keywords
- Join or Die
- Bowling Alone
- Rebecca Davis
- Caitlin Boyle
- Netflix
- documentary
- community screenings
- film distribution
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Join or Die, Bowling Alone
More episodes of Rough Cut
- Changing the Frame: Equity, Empathy, and the Global Documentary Culture · June 2, 2026 · 28 min
- A Mile From Home: Reporting in Minneapolis with Katie G. Nelson · May 5, 2026 · 29 min
- Raney Aronson-Rath Reflects On Ten Years Leading Frontline · March 10, 2026 · 50 min
- The Art of Resistance: Navigating Scarcity and Chaos in Latin American Cinema · February 17, 2026 · 28 min
- Intimate Narratives: Kristin Feeley with the “Holding Liat” team on Collaboration and Community · January 13, 2026 · 42 min
- Best Seat in the House: Behind the Lens with the LA Sparks Videographer Alicia Ramirez · December 9, 2025 · 16 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Rough Cut podcast page.