The Pacific Council and the USC Center on Public Diplomacy invite you to a special Lunch & Learn event featuring the screening of “On The Brink: The Battle for Democracy,” a 21-minute documentary short by 17-year-old filmmaker Zidaan Kapoor. Enjoy a complimentary lunch while participating in a thought-provoking discussion with the filmmaker during a post-screening Q&A.

This exclusive event will also feature a live Q&A session with the filmmaker, offering an opportunity for an in-depth conversation about the global challenges facing democracy today and the making of the film.

This event has a limited of 20 participants—first come, first served. Registration is required to attend. Due to limited seating, there will be no walk-ins.

About the Film

“On The Brink: The Battle for Democracy” explores the decline of democracy worldwide and the rise of autocratic regimes. The mysterious death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in February 2024 serves as a stark reminder of how countries like Russia and China are undermining democratic institutions globally.

Featuring insights from experts like Dr. Larry Diamond (Stanford University) and Dr. Nadia Oweidat (Wilson Center), the film delves into the political challenges of our time and what can be done to protect democratic governance.

Guest Speaker

Zidaan Kapoor is an activist and documentary filmmaker from Redwood City, California. His most recent film, On The Brink, is about the dangers of authoritarianism and the need for a global shift towards democracy. His films have earned international awards and have been screened at festivals across the country. Zidaan is also the founder and director of the BraveMaker Student Film Festival and a fellow at the World Liberty Congress. His work has been featured in the New York Times and he was recently named a "20 Under 20 Young Innovator Changing the World" by Diversity in Action Magazine.

Presider

Duncan Wood, PhD, is the President and CEO of the Pacific Council and has worked in international relations and policy for over 35 years. He is an internationally renowned specialist in the geopolitics of energy, supply chain policy, critical minerals, Mexican politics, and US-Mexican ties. He has frequently given testimony to the U.S. Congress, is a widely quoted media source, and has published extensively on a wide range of global issues.  He is the author or editor of 12 books and over 30 chapters and articles.

Born in Kent, England, he studied politics at Leicester University before pursuing graduate studies in political science at McMaster University and Queens University, both in Ontario, Canada. In 1996, he received his PhD and moved to Mexico City to work at the Instituto Tecnologico Autonomo de Mexico, where he became a professor of and Director of the program in International Relations. After 17 years in Mexico, working on international banking supervision, energy policy, and North American integration, he became the Director of the Mexico Institute at the Wilson Center in Washington, D.C. In 2021, Dr Wood was promoted to Vice President for Strategy and New Initiatives at the Wilson Center and worked alongside the Board of Trustees to design a new strategic plan for the center.

Over the past decade, he has served as co-chair of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Transparency and Anti-Corruption and has worked closely with the WEF on energy policy.  He is a board member of Transparency International, Signos Vitales (a Mexican public policy research organization), and Foreign Affairs Latinoamerica and is an editorial advisor to El Universal newspaper. He has been a Fulbright Fellow and a Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS); an editorial advisor to Reforma newspaper; Technical Secretary of the Red Mexicana de Energia; a consultant with McLarty Associates, the Economist Intelligence Unit, Horizon and Eurasia Group; and owner of a speakeasy in Mexico City.