About this Event
ABOUT THE FILM
HOMEGROWN is a patient and unflinching documentary following three conservatives as activism escalates into a widening conflict over identity, power, and the future of American democracy. Filmed from the summer of 2020 through the spring of 2025, the film follows a father-to-be in New Jersey, an Air Force veteran in New York City, and a charismatic activist from Texas as they crisscross the country during a period of profound national fracture. As America accelerates toward political crisis, HOMEGROWN shows democratic norms crumbling not through a single event, but through hundreds of personal choices made by ordinary people.
HOMEGROWN is winner of a 2026 duPont-Columbia Award, one of the highest honors in journalism.
PANEL DISCUSSION FOLLOWS
Following the screening, the filmmakers will discuss the making of HOMEGROWN and the urgent questions it raises about political extremism, democratic fragility, civic identity, and the choices individuals make in moments of national crisis.
Film will start promptly at 2pm.
All are welcome. FREE RSVP not required but strongly suggested.
ABOUT SAFE MEDFORD
Safe Medford is a nonpartisan group of Medford residents who advocate for policies, services, and education to ensure the safety, dignity, and inclusion of all who live, work, worship, and do business in Medford, Massachusetts, regardless of their immigration status.
What people are saying about HOMEGROWN:
“Gripping”–The Guardian
“nuanced and profound”–El Pais
“A nuanced documentary of palpable grit.”–Hollywood Reporter
“sobering ... the disturbing ordinariness of these men is chilling.”–Screen Daily
“Raw and unapologetic. Homegrown is a snapshot of how democracy dies by the hands of the very people who think they’re saving it. There are consequences to living in a society that amplifies lies — this documentary proves it.” –Oscar-winning Screenwriter of BlacKkKlansman Charlie Wachtel
"Homegrown is truly phenomenal; a viewing experience that grips you from start to finish…this documentary feels almost like required viewing."–Big Gold Belt Media
"Homegrown shows us that love and hate can coexist, and it’s up to us to see which one triumphs." –Alise Chaffins, film critic
"Homegrown is a great film for teaching young filmmakers about the patience required for verité. The kind of movie that doesn't stand on the sidelines and tell you what is wrong with the world, but steps into the situation and lets you understand why someone might feel the way they feel, not to convince but to comprehend." Carol Dysinger, NYU Film Department
"Thanks for this deep and thoughtful contribution. I think offering an intimate perspective into these people's lives is so valuable, and makes the threat of it all feel more real and complicated." –Political Research Associates Research Director
"The interspersion of political violence and domesticity doesn’t allow viewers to compartmentalize what’s on screen as fringe behavior, safely outside the bounds of ordinary American life. It suggests something more uncomfortable: that the difference is often not one of belief, but of expression—who says what out loud, and who knows not to." –Lisa Armstrong, Mother Jones
"I’m going to be real honest. Watching Homegrown stayed with me long after the credits rolled. What struck me most wasn’t ideology. It was knowing what happens when in need of belonging. Community. Purpose. Identity. When people feel unseen or unheard, movements offer meaning. Sometimes that meaning turns dangerous." –Wilk Wilkinson, Braver Angels
Event venue & nearby stays
Medford Public Library, 111 High Street, Medford, United States
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