A third grade class needs a new Class Monitor, so they hold an election. Three young candidates tout their strengths while trying to disparage the opposition, using debates, speeches, and personal talents to distinguish themselves and win votes. But here’s the rub: the class is in Communist China, and prior to the election, none of the kids have any conception of democracy whatsoever.
What follows is a striking illustration of the democratic process completely removed from the American social context. The teacher remains as hands-off as possible, leaving the children (and their parents) to pilot the election almost on their own. They dabble in all sorts of manipulation and negative campaigning, and it all works, seeing as they’re, you know, kids.
Please Vote For Me is a short (57 min), single-minded documentary that does what it sets out to do. It ends shortly after the election results come out, refraining from any heavy-handed commentary; the social insight is completely contained in the election itself. But watching the film, I was also struck by China/US cultural divide. Parenting, the school system, and numerous other mundane details were incredibly different. Watch this film for an interesting tour of democracy and a look at another culture. Though there’s not much else at work, it’s great in that limited regard, and certainly worth an hour.
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