Sarah Jessica Parker stopped by the Variety Studio presented by Audible at Sundance and expressed concern over how Donald Trump’s second term as president will impact public institutions like libraries. The “Sex and the City” icon is an executive producer on the documentary “The Librarians,” which is directed by Kim A. Snyder.
The doc follows a group of librarians, dubbed FReadom Fighters, who have resisted book bans in Texas, Florida and beyond. Texas school librarians founded the group after lawmaker Rep. Matt Krause targeted 850 books to be removed from the state’s libraries, leading to bans on books such as “Catcher in the Rye” and “The Handmaid’s Tale.”
Parker told Variety’s co-editor in chief Ramin Setoodeh that she was compelled to sign on to the film as an executive producer because she grew up in libraries as a young girl and “understood immediately” that book banning “feels dangerous and like a virus.”
“The idea of these librarians being in the crosshairs, it felt really scary and wrong and absolutely misunderstood,” Parker said. “By allowing [book banning] to take place, we’re allowing something dangerous to happen to all of us. Not just to our children but to us as a community, as Americans. It’s a disaster. The consequences are so serious for these librarians.”
When asked about her concerns about the Trump administration, Parker said “I have great concerns about what happens to these kinds of public institutions. They are the gateaway to safety and understanding for families actually coming together and finding a bridge.”
“I have faith that we can allow our librarians to do their jobs and for people to calm down,” she added. “I am going to focus my efforts on these people and what’s happening in our states.”
Snyder previously told Variety that her message with the documentary is “not just about the brave librarians but also the everyday Americans who flank them. They are just regular Americans who are saying, ‘I’m going to stand in a place of power until I can’t.’ And I feel the same way about my movies.”
Parker said at the Variety Studio presented by Audible at Sundance that she was looking forward to seeing the final version of the documentary at its world premiere in Park City.
