‘Our job was not to attack’: making a documentary about America’s culture wars
Barry Levinson’s docuseries Bucks County, USA examines political conflict in one Pennsylvania town through the experiences of two teenage friends and their families. Their parents hold sharply different views on LGBTQ students, history lessons, school closures and local school-board campaigns, offering filmmakers a close look at how national disputes enter community life.
Oscar-winning filmmaker Barry Levinson’s docuseries Bucks County, USA examines the political divide in one town.
The series follows teenage best friends Evi and Vanessa, whose families hold opposing political views. Evi’s mother, Lela, supports LGBTQ students at local school-board meetings and advocates fact-based history lessons.
Vanessa’s father, Paul Martino, is a right-leaning venture capitalist. He has said he spent $500,000 on local campaigns to install school-board members after opposing school closures during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The filmmakers describe their role as examining the conflict rather than attacking those involved.
THE QUESTIONS THIS EVENT LEAVES BEHIND
What conditions shaped the filmmakers’ decision to portray the conflict through two teenage friends?
How much influence can private campaign spending exert over a local school board?
What perspectives or experiences are absent from the families shown in the series?
How might the documentary affect the people and community it portrays?
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GLOBAL CURIOSITY MAP · AUGUST 2026