You are here:

Flint

Name: Flint
Director: Anthony Baxter
Released: 2020
Duration: 114 min

Representation Score

9.3/10

Excellent

2020

TV-14

Director

Anthony Baxter

Runtime

114 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

Anthony Baxter’s documentary is a compelling exploration of systemic neglect and environmental racism. By focusing on the lived experiences of Flint’s most vulnerable residents, the film goes beyond simple observation to offer a critical look at institutional betrayal. The film excels in its portrayal of racial and ethnic diversity, giving significant weight to the Black community’s fight for justice. It also challenges traditional gender hierarchies by highlighting women as central leaders in political mobilization. While it does not specifically address LGBTQ+ identities, the film’s strength lies in its multi-layered approach to socioeconomic and racialized vulnerability, transforming a public health crisis into a study of community solidarity.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does Flint have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film does not focus on LGBTQ+ identities or stories centered around queer experiences.

How does Flint portray gender?

Good

Women are shown as key leaders in community resistance, both intellectually and politically, rather than being confined to domestic roles.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Flint?

Excellent

The documentary highlights the lives of a predominantly Black, working-class community, emphasizing the ability to act of residents of color in addressing environmental racism.

How does Flint represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The narrative emphasizes the collective ability to act of the community in resisting oppressive state bureaucracy, framing the struggle as a conflict against systemic oppression.

Does Flint include disability representation?

Good

The film focuses on the physical health impacts of lead poisoning, presenting them as direct results of institutional failures rather than as sentimental themes.

Present on Screen

Highlights the ability to act of Black, working-class individuals
Shows women as intellectual and political leaders
Provides a strong critique of environmental racism and institutional failure
Authentically represents the health impacts of the water crisis

Limited or Absent

Could include more focus on LGBTQ+ identities or queer-specific narratives

Official Synopsis

In 2014, the authorities in Flint, Michigan chose to cut costs and change the city’s domestic water supply from the great Lakes to the Flint River. Soon tap water was running brown, people were falling ill and it was clear that something was seriously wrong. Anthony Baxter (You’ve Been Trumped) has followed the situation over six years of denial, evasion, betrayal and hypocrisy in which the city’s poorest residents have suffered the most. The result is shocking and sad as it illuminates the inequalities of the modern world and celebrates the solidarity of ordinary people.

How are these scores produced? →