Chomsky’s masterclass on wealth inequality and the erosion of democracy

 

As corporations and billionaires continue to flood the 2024 elections with an unprecedented surge of undisclosed dark money,¹ a cult-hit documentary featuring Noam Chomsky remains the gold-standard for unpacking how concentrations of wealth and power are threatening American democracy. Through profoundly personal, accessible, and thought-provoking interviews filmed over four years, Chomsky lays bare how U.S. policymakers beholden to big donors have allowed inordinate power to accrue to a tiny minority at the expense of the vast majority of ordinary Americans and the most basic functioning of democracy. Directed by award-winning filmmakers Peter Hutchison, Kelly Nyks, and Jared P. Scott, Requiem for the American Dream is at once a remarkable piece of cinema and an extraordinary teaching tool, ideal for classroom use and community organizing. Requiem for the American Dream is available to purchase in a variety of formats. If you’d like to book a public screening of the film, please fill out this form.

(1) “Unprecedented surge in ‘dark money’ floods 2024 elections,” by Anna Massoglia, Open Secrets, March 13, 2024.

Praise for Requiem for the American Dream

 

“Brilliant. Chomsky is a master of distilling complex histories and powers into their most essential elements.”
— Dr. Wendy Brown | Author, In the Ruins of Neoliberalism

“Requiem for the American Dream could very well be embraced as the final word on economic inequality in the United States. The vicious cycle of wealth influencing power and therefore influencing legislation is effectively illustrated in a series of episodic, easily digestible vignettes.”
— RogerEbert.com

“[Chomsky] melds history, philosophy and ideology into a sobering vision of a society in an accelerating decline.”
— The New York Times

“Chomsky tells this compelling horror story with moral authority and charismatic calm. The camera seems to speak his mind, moving back and forth between his memorable face, historical footage, vivid images, and collages cut from the currency of greed.”
— Dr. Nancy Folbre | Author, Greed, Lust and Gender: A History of Economic Ideas

“This short, sharp, smart film serves as one of the best entry points to the discussion of inequality.”
— The Hollywood Reporter

“Chomsky’s critique extends beyond left and right, resulting in a lucid analysis that’s breathtaking in its simplicity, and all the more scary for it.”
— TimeOutNy

“If you want to understand neoliberalism in the U.S. over the past 40 years, you must watch Requiem for the American Dream.”
— Dr. Robert Pollin | Professor of Economics, University of Massachusetts Amherst

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