Battleground

By Hemal Trivedi and Jonah Markowitz

In a political moment defined by partisan conflict, BATTLEGROUND is an intimate exploration of the state of our democracy as seen through the eyes of two opposing grassroots political leaders in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania - a pivotal county that voted for Obama twice and then flipped to Trump in 2016. Tom Carroll is a Trump delegate, and the Chairman of the nation's largest Tea Party chapter. Greg Edwards is a Black pastor, and a progressive leader supported by Bernie Sanders.

Over the course of three years, the film shows that their primary struggle was not against each other, but against the political machines that control their respective parties. BATTLEGROUND is an antidote to the media echo chamber effect, which is marked by passion, but often devoid of understanding.

READ ON: Filmmaker Hemal Trivedi's Essay: Bridging the Political Divide in Lehigh Valley

Watch BATTLEGROUND and a whole collection of films as part of Your Vote: America 2021 and on the PBS app. Join the conversation with us on social media using the hashtag #YourVote.