Seven years ago, economist Thomas Piketty’s Capital in the Twenty-First Century made him a bookshelf rock star, selling over 3 million copies of a 700-page book, which warned that the growing gap between the rich and everyone else would lead to social unrest and the erosion of democracy. He recently published a follow-up, Capital and Ideology, which isn’t exactly a zippy beach read either. Good news: New Zealand director Justin Pemberton has condensed Piketty’s arguments into a 103-minute documentary.
Capital in the Twenty-First Century, originally scheduled to premiere in theaters April 3, will now be released on May 1, coinciding with International Workers’ Day, through the newly launched digital-cinema platform Kino Marquee. You can buy an electronic ticket from your local independent theater. All revenue is being shared between distributor and exhibitor, just as if you bought your ticket at the box office. These virtual showings will help benefit indie movie theaters across the country, which have struggled to stay afloat financially in the pandemic.
Timed to the documentary’s release, The New Republic and Kino Lorber are hosting a live Zoom roundtable with Piketty, chair of the editorial board of the Financial Times Gillian Tett, and president of Eurasia Group Ian Bremmer on Sunday, May 3, at 3 p.m. ET. RSVP here.