The Tennessee 11 - Official Teaser
The Tennessee 11 documentary follows a group of ideologically diverse citizens in the wake of the Covenant School shooting in Nashville as they try to find common ground on one of the country’s most divisive issues: gun rights and safety.
The film depicts how eleven strangers, despite their different positions on guns, were able to work together to develop solutions to gun violence, in a state that has the 11th highest firearm death rate in the nation. The citizens’ productivity and respect for one another is juxtaposed with the state legislature’s inability to make progress on the same issue, including a tense special session that took place while the film was being shot and resulted in little agreement on guns.
“Within seconds of these 11 citizens coming together, we knew their courageous efforts couldn’t live in the shadows. They’ve taken the microphone from the loudest, most divisive voices in politics and the media and don’t intend to give it back,” said Amelia D’Entrone, the film’s producer and the Head of Content at Builders. “We are hopeful that, in watching this film, Americans will feel empowered to choose problem solving over partisanship.”
The film was primarily shot during a three-day “solution session” hosted by Builders and Convergence Center for Policy Resolution. It also features footage from the Tennessee 11’s visit to the State Capitol during the 2024 Legislative Session, during which they presented their solution proposals to a bipartisan group of lawmakers.
“I’d be lying if I said walking into that room last year was an easy decision. The idea of finding common ground felt not only uncomfortable but also impossible,” said Tim Carroll, a firearms instructor from Harriman, Tennessee. “This film is a testament to the fact that we can solve problems without having to sacrifice our deeply held beliefs.”
Five proposals created by the Tennessee 11 received majority support after tens of thousands of Tennesseans weighed in on them during a public feedback period. Since then, a bipartisan bill resembling one of their proposals passed. The group’s work to hold leaders accountable to the will of the people is ongoing.
To receive the latest updates on The Tennessee 11 premiere at the Nashville Film Festival, visit https://Tennessee11.com
To follow the TN11’s progress or learn more about when Citizen Solutions in your state, visit https://citizensolutions.us
Citizen Solutions is a civic experiment that gives citizens across the ideological spectrum the power to co-create solutions to divisive issues. Led by Builders, a nonprofit working to overcome toxic polarization and extremist thinking, in collaboration with Convergence Center for Policy Resolution, an organization dedicated to bringing people together across differences to solve tough problems, Citizen Solutions offers a new model for people to discover common ground and drive policy change. The project is live in Tennessee on the topic of gun rights and safety and in Wisconsin on abortion and family well-being.
Builders is a national, nonpartisan movement equipping Americans to overcome toxic polarization and extremist thinking to solve our toughest problems. Builders does this by illuminating the causes and effects of toxic polarization, demonstrating the power of citizens working together across lines of difference, and activating Americans from all walks of life with the skills to become more effective problem solvers. In addition to more than three million followers, Builders is supported by more than 260 ideologically diverse leaders across sectors from business, entertainment, academia, faith, sports, journalism, technology, and national defense. It is a project of Builders Network, Inc.