A chilling reminder: The Sixth and the battle for democracy
Revisiting the events of January 6
In a move that has sparked controversy, a recent announcement revealed plans for an “awards gala” celebrating the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. This event is seen by many as an attempt to rewrite history and downplay the extreme violence that occurred. However, the A24 film The Sixth offers a stark contrast, documenting the harrowing reality of that day through graphic footage. The film highlights the crucial role played by Washington, D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department in preventing the government from being overthrown by a deadly mob, especially when the National Guard, stationed nearby, failed to intervene.
Capturing the chaos
Filmmakers Andrea Nix Fine and Sean Fine had a camera crew present at Trump’s rally in D.C. on January 6, which coincided with Congress’s certification of Joe Biden as president. Some of the footage they captured is featured in The Sixth. However, much of the documentary is pieced together from various cameras and videographers who were in and around the Capitol. The filmmakers emphasize that they did not purchase any footage from the insurrectionists themselves.
Perhaps the most shocking scenes occur in an entrance tunnel to the Capitol, where a small group of MPD officers is seen being bloodied and beaten for hours as they stand as the last line of defense. The film drives home the point that a bloody coup was a much more real possibility that day than most people realize.
Personal reflections from the frontlines
“This city is my home. My home was invaded. And the policemen and policewomen that protect our home were brutalized for hours on end,” says Fine. “From watching that footage at that tunnel where all that violence comes down: Had those people gotten in, I think we’d be reading very different headlines. Some very violent people were saying, ‘You’re gonna die tonight.’ It’s a mob, it’s a riot, I think people lost their minds. If those people got in, we wouldn’t be seeing the dude with the horns and that shaman stuff. We’d be seeing really bad scenes of people brutalizing others. The D.C. police stopped that from happening. And that was very important for us to tell.”
The Sixth doesn’t take a partisan stance; instead, it presents the events through the eyes of six individuals who were there that day. These include a surprisingly candid MPD chief Robert J. Contee III, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), MPD officers Christina Laury and Daniel Hodges, Erica Loewe, deputy communications director for then-Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), and photographer Mel D. Cole, who found himself embedded within the mob and perhaps has the most terrifying eyewitness account of anyone.
The struggle for distribution
All six individuals remain deeply affected by what they witnessed and experienced. They stress the importance of ensuring that the true story of January 6 is known by as many people as possible, beyond the limited images seen on the news.
Nix Fine and Fine express frustration with the distribution of The Sixth, which was released on demand in May. Initially, they were told by A24 that the film would be available to stream on Prime Video, potentially reaching a much wider audience. However, this has not yet materialized, although insiders suggest that such a plan is still in the works and that the decision lies with Prime Video. Currently, the documentary is available for rent or purchase, which limits its potential audience compared to being available for streaming to all Prime subscribers.
“We have a bunch of questions, and we don’t have answers,” Fine says. “You can only speculate. I keep hearing that no one wants to do anything political. We know how films work and get rolled out. And on this one, it’s telling that we’ve done everything, including our own press. Everything has been grassroots. For a big-budget documentary like this, it’s a little odd. But I don’t want to constantly ask those questions and be mad, I want to channel it and do something. The election is happening soon. And this is important.”
Screen it forward: A grassroots initiative
In the meantime, Nix Fine and Fine, through their Change Content banner, have launched a “Screen It Forward” campaign to offer screenings of the documentary in theaters, college campuses, and other locations in battleground states leading up to the election. Among Change Content’s partners are organizations like Indivisible, which is distributing toolkits and media guides, and Gathr, which helps find venues to screen The Sixth.
As part of “Screen It Forward,” organizations and individuals can contribute tax-deductible donations to cover the cost of individual tickets, sponsor seating for an entire theater, or donate screenings for an entire voting district. Indivisible will kick off its impact campaign on September 23 with screenings in various locations, including Bensalem, Pa.; Camp Hill, Pa.; Elizabeth, N.J.; Kingston, N.Y.; Lancaster, Calif.; Las Cruces, N.M.; Missoula, Mont.; Scottsdale, Ariz.; Vancouver, Wash.; Vestal, N.Y.; and West Homestead, Pa., with more locations to come.
“It’s natural for us to want to compartmentalize and bury those horrific events of January 6, 2021, deep in our memories – but we cannot forget,” says Indivisible co-founder and co-executive director Leah Greenberg. “The Sixth is a powerful film that reminds us of what’s at stake in this election. Indivisible is proud to partner with Change Content and A24 to make sure everyone knows what’s on the ballot this November, and never forgets that stain left on our democracy.”
Gathr CEO Scott Glosserman adds, “The Sixth serves as an essential reflection on our democratic values, and through the ‘Screen It Forward’ initiative, we are committed to making this important narrative accessible to audiences across the nation.”
Nix Fine says the goal is to get at least 50,000 Americans to watch The Sixth before the election. “We want to get this in front of people before they vote and make sure they’re informed before marking their ballot,” she says. “Democracy is very precious, and we all have a part to play in it.”
For more information and to watch the trailer, visit The Sixth.