Film Screening and Debate: The Forbidden Books

From Filmstriben:

The documentary 'The Librarians', which won an Emmy in 2026, tells the story of librarians in the USA who have become unexpected champions of free speech and democracy at a time when the right to read freely has become politically contested.

The film begins in Texas in 2021, where the so-called Krause list - 850 titles about race and LGBTQIA+ - sparked a wave of book bans that has since spread across the USA. The film follows librarians who, despite harassment, threats, and new legislation against their work, continue fighting for free access to knowledge.

Along the way, the librarians uncover connections between local school boards and more extreme forces behind the censorship movement. It becomes clear that the struggle over books is ultimately about something larger: control of ideas - and thus control of society itself.