When Molly Ivins was still a relatively inexperienced reporter, she walked into a job interview at the Texas Observer, the only liberal publication in the state, with a six-pack of beer—for herself. It’s a funny yet revealing story, shared with delight in RAISE HELL by one of her former colleagues. Before her death in 2007, Ivins became one of the country’s most celebrated political writers and was a three-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. At one point, her syndicated column—loved and despised equally by readers—ran in nearly 350 newspapers. Both in print and in person, Ivins was authentic, outspoken, and riotously funny—as long as you weren’t the one being skewered by her sharp-witted one-liners, which defrocked countless politicians on both sides of the aisle. RAISE HELL explores the roots of Ivins’s unique voice using interviews, a lively soundtrack, and a generous dose of archival footage featuring Ivins at her best. It’s a wistful reminder of the pleasures of free speech.  RYS

Filmmaker Q&A following screening