A deep divide is splitting america politically economically im supposed to really this is a journey through this socalled land of opportunity. Writers filmmakers and photographers capture the current mood in the states. Our 1st stop is new york city. And. New york used to be the city that never sleeps that was before cars and the pandemic since passed its peak here back in the bank apple is still far from being back to normal. On weekends when the weather is good. People can at least gather and central part they wear masks to keep saying. Donald trump during his Election Campaign even back that few well known artists and intellectuals supported him and this hasnt changed sense of oh now 4 years later when people know what to expect warnings about reelecting trump us president s have grown more urgent and. Weve come to new york to meet 3 of the most renowned authors in the country to find out what they expect and worry about and. Paul auster. The beginning of the end of the market as we have known that the city of houston had i think we are in danger of losing this democratic republic now and. We live in a corporate totalitarian autocracy. After spokes have been translated into more than 20 languages hes also written or been in place like disgraced. Guy. Whos likely. Everything and i think its going to feel wrong. If im honest. Yes. In his new novel homeland elegies dr describes the experiences of an author he named a yet actor whose father is a doctor who treated trauma and may have become a chum supporter. The writer wont reveal what he made up and what is real in the book but his view of america is clearly expressed in these pages. I think that in the last 50 years and this is the story that i tell in the last 50 years some notion of a collective good began to evaporate and what rose out of that dissolution. Was a commitment a fierce commitment to the individual i what i want what i need america is about protecting my rights my rights to have a gun if i want it to make as much money as i want to use whatever bathroom i want. Its all the same thats not a vision of a collective society one collective that has lasted just a couple oster and ceased. Theyve been married for 40 years and theyre one of the most famous literary couples and the us. Each time one of them writes a new book the other is its 1st reader and critic. Both believe trumps reelection would pose a threat to democracy which is why together with other authors they have set up the platform writers against. Weekly online discussions and weaponize they make the point that the u. S. Election in 2020 could be the most important in a generation. The pressure of living under the trumpet ministration and watching day to day their erosion of institutions that i think Many Americans thought were reasonably safe has been a shocking experience and its affected me personally i have been writing. More political essays than i ever have in my life. I have spent more time thinking about what i as one person can do to counter what is happening i think we are in danger of losing the democratic republic. Their daughter Sophie Auster and her friends manage the social Media Presence of writers against trump. As writers we know were mad or they matter because the minute we have a choice to me for our future for the future of our children the reaction from the Republican Party could mean the end of democracy in america discussions of. An effort to get out the vote. The vote of young people on the Progressive Side of things who are not happy with the buy ticket out of the side of not to vote i mean there are a lot of these are you list the young people who say i dont want to contaminate myself with this guy i dont like any of it well its a its a dangerous position at this time to have because by not voting theyre essentially voting for what they dont want to riches trump in the republican president ial candidates cannot be more different i would plan to deal with this pandemic responsibly. And the country is more pitch free divided and in over 50 years but deficient in bigotry are not new in the u. S. They were already well established when city she spits grandparents emigrated from norway and lost everything during the great depression. But they were left wing but they are prejudiced were very similar to right wing prejudices today and elite prejudice they railed against bankers and i think one has to remember that bankers. At the time and it remains a code for jew in that context and City Slickers people who lived in the cities urban types fancy types my grandparents were really ahead had those prejudices whats happened in that part of the world now is that its flipped from left to right. But its all it goes away back. Until recently new york was known as a center of arts and culture the city often plays trials of the rest of the world. Now survival especially the economic kind is the main priority and not just for artists and 2016 almost each percent of you know i spoke to democrats cant donald trump is a top. The can president who has been an addict of trumpets reelected residents here fear it will become even harder to get federal funding to face the chronic crisis. And the us has already been seen crying and rest for instance of a black lives matter and over measures and at stemming the spread of covert 19. Even the words civil war are frequently. What will this countrys future look like if it continues down this path. The possibility for real violence in the country its real that could happen but i dont know how the next few weeks are going to unfold but there is a scenario in which contested power leads to trump calling for resistance and if that happens then i think the gloves come off. Regardless of who wins the election its difficult to feel optimistic about the Current Situation and what lies ahead for america difficult but not impossible. Im optimistic about the present im optimistic about the joy that one can experience here and now with those one loves doing things that one loves to do helping others. But i dont think. Any of us is going to escape death so im probably ultimately pessimistic. I mean thats what you get when you ask me a question like that. The new yorkers are worried but how do americans outside of the major cities feel we spoke to 2 photographers who delved into the division into the u. S. Tall and strong they stand. For daughters and sons of a nation. Upright and serious. Portraits tells a story. They all stone for themselves. And thousands of them all they have in common is their home and the u. S. These pictures were taken by swiss for talk of 1st monitor fisher and the 2. They took them during a 5 month journey across the country together with their son elias. Road trip took them to 40 states for the desert to brew their citys suburbs and saw. Brenner they went they kept their eyes open for interesting characters. Are found to be converted into a moment of photo studio. By the end of the trip sets up took just 20 minutes. They opted for whites a neutral backdrop. Such as everyone was on the same level in front of the camera whether the subject was a top not a scientist in texas or a welder in ohio. You might we met most of them spontaneously either we looked for them an interesting locations or we just saw them while driving and decided to set up. I think. This is brenda this is brenda and that gun is always loaded. He came to air. They were camping there he and his colleague brenda they said sure you can stay with us well keep watch this and he pulled out his gun and said youre safe dont worry we said that sounds good thanks they were conservative republicans real gun in those iest she said that god had sent trump personally but they were so nice to us thought it was from fanatical trump funds to his enemies from proud patriots to people who are worried about the future of the country the swiss couple filmed their models in every class of us society by withholding any judgment and proceeding with curiosity they were able to make connections with all kinds of different people. The family divides its time between switzerland and new york. This last road trip give them a whole new insight into the u. S. And into why people voted for trump. Might push its own ambition best its easier to understand if you travel across the u. S. I think the American Dream the promise of it is sort of shattered if you travel across the us today especially in the center there are so many places where half the stores have shut down where life isnt that great and where there arent so many prospects now lots of people work double jobs and yet theyre barely making ends meet now. So theyre frustrated and their faith in that if they work hard enough their children will be ok is being eroded i think thats linked to why a phenomenon like trumpet an absolute populist became possible. To better understand their models the photographers interview them about their homeland. Hadlee tate a rodeo rider from wyoming said nobody she knew. So to democrats. On the front it takes someone very very strong to run this country and in my eyes i think hes doing a big job so i just say thank you and then id probably get a selfie with him or Something Like that i dont know who. He really is a Makeup Artist from las vegas how did very different take on trump on a minute with the president my personal message to him would be. Oh i know bush and like all women going crazy for no reason you also need to get a grip and start treating women right because we really run this country and youre trying to oppress us in some way like were going to be extinct no women are going to be around for ever so were going to have to learn how to deal with us and give us rights that we deserve that weve had since before you were the president and then the noise if you talk to people about personal matters you dont see this divide which even runs through families or friendships but as soon as you bring up politics things get emotional done bits in the school its like an underlying feeling you notice it everywhere we photographed firefighters at a fire station in michigan and the doctor in there was very clear no politics no religion no talking about any of that. Why not write him because people would start arguing. The divides really are deeply entrenched and on the other which question it can get nasty because people are so far apart at the moment put on and the moment you know the issue is so emotionally charged but when youre on duty together that cant interfere with the. Other. Fish or a mathias pressures larger than life pictures are on show at the stop for house museum in lynchburg and theres a. The exhibitions name could also be this years u. S. Election slogan divided we stand. With diverse groups seem less united at least seen from the outside but whats the bill like from the inside. In germany people are also looking at the us right now. A Photo Exhibit in in hamburg shows pictures of america that expose the myth of the American Dream. Magnum photographer matt black called this personal inventory of poverty migration and powerlessness american geography. Using bold black and white images he depicts the underdogs in the land of endlessness abilities. The photographs look as if they were taken in another time. Friends of his a bit off shore when i look at these pictures have to remind myself that we are in the 21st century and. Its a powerful show and a World Premiere which the photographer couldnt attend because of coronavirus. Black grew up in california the public image lets say of disneyland of Silicon Valley of hollywood all of that exists. But there is another california where its hot weather stats are to where farming is tough for transfer itself and thats the one he comes from. Matt black began to document that california in 2014 the sadness the desolation the struggle for survival. For 5 years the photographer traveled through the u. S. By bus it was it had hundreds of places his residence lived far below. The poverty line he gathered. Discovered things. That people who dont have Health InsuranceUnemployment Benefits or any means of support. The photographer recorded his observations in a diary. Drive north to flint past buick city which warded his observations in a diary. Drive north to flint past buick city which was once the largest automobile plant in the world in 1900 General Motors employed 80000 people in flint and today there are fewer than 8000 People Living here. Matt blacks photographs tell stories about us about lost jobs security and confidence. In one interview he said. When it comes to power in the u. S. Its always a question of race as well. My work also deals with the same issues who has access to power and who is excluded. This is a perspective of the this perspective of change or perhaps simply of the future is a method in the pictures to spot. It and this creates a glimpse of something completely contradicts the American Dream i mean. That black isnt trying to take shocking pictures he keeps a distance and doesnt tend to the dignity of those who are struggling whats shocking is that these images show the present day looking at them the Campaign Slogan from 4 years ago to make America Great again crumbles as a hollow promise the current reality looks very different. Poverty discrimination and Police Violence or problems that have many citizens riled up and also some filmmakers. Black lives matter protests existed before trump but the Trump Presidency has energized the movement before the election films by in about black people films that look at themes of racism and Police Violence have taken center stage. After the killing of george floyd director spike lee post the film editing real life footage with a similar chokehold death of eric garner in 2014 and scenes from his own 1909 film do the right thing the writing was based upon a real live show called murder if youre as mike was and then. You know just by strangulation while i was being shot dead. In the heat you give made 2 years into the trunk presidency an innocent black man is shot dead playing golf and. The result of violence and a fight for justice. Black people poor people everybody at the bottom ringback. In the documentary time a woman struggles to get her husband released from a 60 Year Prison Sentence for robbery. Money richardson. Was awaiting on a government and i think that there were some people who make quietly been more dismissive of that movement as radical or violent one probable porters response to black lives matter was to look back at the Obama Presidency to the lens of official white house photographer pete sosa just like yours president obama bent over and what that kid touches here if youre saying that image stands for how kids will see themselves differently for ever seeing those photos again but they tell a story. Not only about president obama but really about the office and how important institution. And i realized it was. I think like a lot of people i kind of took for granted the stability of the the prior administration. I thought who is this man how does he deal with crisis leadership character and empathy. Culture wish we have that now. That the current us president seems less interested in finding common cause than in demonizing black lives matter the stated goal of b. L. M. Organization people is to achieve the destruction of the Nuclear Family abolish the police abolish prisons abolish Border Security abolish capitalism and abolish School Choice thats what their stated goals are for m. L. K. F. B. I. Looks back the government attempts to suppress the civil rights struggle of the 1900. The director sees a parallel to truck today when shoppers out there are making frequent proclaiming that the suburbs will be destroyed and subtext since its those people of color are going to come in and destroy your community. To be clear law and order d and mean simply in america like equal out of the equation that dr king gave his famous march on washington pollard hopes his film can help americans to remember their own history. In a memo dated the 30th of august no later than that. The 2nd person in the f. B. I. Had been felt. Since the curtain memo which. After the march on washington its clear that Martin Luther king jr is the most dangerous negro. In america part of my agenda. Is to deal with these issues that look at racism and social change i mean thats going to me way back when i was and continues. To if this continues with the rise of all jim crow. You know with slavery by the way in the instance it is a part of my agenda which is. So williams has also spent a career looking at what it means to be black in america in a kill is a skate which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival williams plays a drug dealer looking to break out of a like a frog and is always an activist 1st. Just received word in work like multimedia piece martyr loser king he matches up the past Current Events and Virtual Reality to break with an American History that leaves out black voices bias when you can look at you know the history of lynching in this country through the history of Police Violence or the history of policing and loitering laws and all of these things and go. This is not civilized. This is barbaric. I notice and filmmakers continue to draw strength and inspiration from black lives matter and not just ahead of the election they are already looking to the time beyond the Trump Presidency the fuck up. Right. There will be you know question of how we got here but also what we did after and i think like like i want to be part of the what we did after. For the time after trying it is the Younger Generation who ho