A nationwide screening on September 15 of Rebecca and Peter Davis' documentary "Join or Die" will kick off the first In Real Life Movie Club, a nonprofit, in-person film series designed for American audiences to come together, connect with their local communities and discuss trending topics currently being explored in independently produced documentaries.

“Join or Die,” which follows the work of “Bowling Alone” author and social scientist Robert Putnam, who argues that joining a club can save democracy, had its world premiere at the 2023 South by Southwest Film Festival. The documentary features interviews with Hillary Clinton, Pete Buttigieg and Surgeon General Vivek Murthy. Abramorama acquired North American theatrical rights to the documentary and released the film in select theaters on July 31.

On September 15 – International Day of Democracy – the documentary will be shown in over 50 theaters across the country. IRL Movie Club audiences are encouraged to wear their favorite club T-shirt, hat or pin to show their club pride.

Documentary distribution agency Roco Films founder and CEO Annie Roney is chair of the board of IRL Movie Club. She explains that the idea for the IRL series came immediately after she saw “Join or Die.”