An American Pastoral
In a quiet Pennsylvania town, a storm is brewing over the soul of its public schools. What begins as a debate over library books quickly reveals a deeper battle — one over religion, democracy, and the future of American education. Set in Elizabethtown, nestled in the heart of Lancaster County, An American Pastoral follows a high-stakes local school board race as it becomes a flashpoint for a national culture war. With far-right activists pushing a theocratic agenda and longtime public servants stepping down under threat, the town’s once-routine school board meetings erupt into scenes of conflict and division. This gripping documentary captures the voices of citizens fighting to protect their schools—and the fragile promise of secular democracy — one ballot at a time.
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Cast
25 people
Auberi Edler Director · Siegfried Canto Composer Barbara Bascou Editor
First release November 16, 2024 · Produced in France · Production Les Films d'Ici, ARTE
Production
Les Films d'Ici Méditerranée
Production
Les Films d'Ici
Production
ARTE
Production
CNC
Production
PROCIREP
Production
ANGOA
Production
France
Produced in
Elizabethtown, Pennsylvanie
Working title
Languages
Original title
Une pastorale américaine
Original language
English
Spoken on screen
English
Release dates
Netherlands · November 16, 2024
Premiere · International Documentary Festival Amsterdam
No release date listed for United States.
Estonia
February 5, 2025 · Premiere · Docpoint Tallinn Documentary Film Festival
Finland
February 5, 2025 · Premiere · DocPoint - Helsinki Documentary Film Festival
France
January 15, 2025 · Digital · Arte.tv
January 15, 2025 · TV · Arte
Germany
January 15, 2025 · Digital · Arte.tv
January 15, 2025 · TV · Arte
Hong Kong SAR China
April 18, 2025 · Premiere · Hong Kong International Film Festival
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