Anthology Film Archives

32 Second Avenue, NY NY 10003

Thursday, March 21st 

Doors: 6pm

Event: 6:30pm

Free, but RSVP required.

Register here.

“The idea of a guaranteed income is as old as the nation itself and has deep roots in the fight for social justice.” 

— Michael Tubbs, Founder of Mayors for a Guaranteed Income

City Lore and Artists Alliance Inc. are proud to present a special screening of the Blowback Production documentary It’s Basic (2023). The feature-length documentary spotlights pilot Guaranteed Income programs launched in several U.S. cities, which tested the effects of giving everyday people an extra $500 to $1000 per month, with no strings attached. 

Directed by Marc Levin and executive produced by Mayors for a Guaranteed Income (MGI) founder Michael Tubbs, the film explores the power of cash, the importance of dignity, and the ongoing work of providing an income floor as experienced by Guaranteed Income recipients in Saint Paul, MN; Cambridge, MA; Newark, NJ; Gainesville, FL; and Los Angeles, CA. With insights from Tubbs and other MGI movement leaders, and interviews with program recipients and participating mayors across the country, the real-life challenges of trying to get by on a daily basis are at the heart of the film.

FILMMAKER’S STATEMENT:

“It’s basic. Just give people money. Sounds simple and at the same time preposterous. But it turns out it’s an idea that has been around for quite a while. As filmmakers our greatest challenge was trying to weave a host of characters from five cities into an organic whole. We didn’t want the film to seem like a survey. Instead, we wanted to get to know these people and were constantly trying to find a balance between their stories and the larger policy issues and history. In the end, we blended it all together in a way that we hope opens minds and touches hearts. It’s Basic. A little bit of money. A world of difference.“

— Marc Levin

Reviews of It’s Basic

“It’s Basic will enrage you. But it will also make you optimistic that the tide will turn, and that compassion and justice will one day prevail.”

— Boston Globe

“With great intimacy and hopeful stories, It’s Basic tracks the gathering momentum toward a philosophy of lifting up those who are struggling to survive in the world’s richest country.”

— Tribeca Film Festival

“It’s Basic, a deeply moving new documentary about universal basic income, shows the shocking thing people do when the government hands them money with no strings attached: They help other people.”

— MovieMaker Magazine

“Speaking to participants in programs from Los Angeles, California, to St Paul, Minnesota and Newark, New Jersey, Tubbs and Levin show the human side of guaranteed income-working to dispel a 400-year myth over who is deserving of government aid and who is not.”

— The Guardian

This event is made possible by generous support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.