Academy Award®–nominated and Emmy-winning filmmaker Connie Field joins The Sounds of Film to discuss her urgent new documentary Democracy Noir. The film examines how Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán systematically dismantled democratic institutions while maintaining power through popular support, nationalist rhetoric, and constitutional manipulation.

Field highlights the stories of three women—a politician, a journalist, and a nurse—who risk everything to expose corruption and resist authoritarian rule. Democracy Noir has already made a global impact, earning nominations and awards at leading festivals.

With unflinching detail, the film shows how Orbán’s playbook of consolidating power, controlling the media, and stoking nationalist sentiment has become a model for rising movements worldwide. The documentary not only sheds light on Hungary’s struggles but also reflects urgent parallels with political developments in the United States and beyond.

In this conversation, Connie Field shares the challenges of documenting resistance, the importance of amplifying women’s voices in the fight for democracy, and the lessons global audiences can learn from Hungary’s political transformation. More than a cautionary tale, Democracy Noir is a rallying call to defend democratic values wherever they are under threat.

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