Bard Math Circle ‘Counted Out’ Film Screening
The Bard Math Circle, dedicated to fostering a love of mathematics in middle school students, will host a free screening of the critically acclaimed documentary ‘Counted Out’ on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, at 5:15 PM at Upstate Films’ STARR T1 theater in Rhinebeck, NY. ‘Counted Out’ delves into the often-overlooked role of mathematics in shaping our society, from economic policies to democratic processes.
Date: Tuesday, April 29, 2025
Time: 5:15 pm
Location: Upstate Films, Rhinebeck, NY
Tickets: Free Admission. Reserve your ticket at https://www.upstatefilms.org/
Bard Math Circle director and Bard College math professor Japheth Wood emphasizes the importance of early intervention. “We see middle school as a critical juncture where students can either embrace or disengage from math,” says Wood. “The Bard Math Circle programs, like the Summer Math CAMP and Family Math Afternoons, are designed to ignite that spark, build confidence, and provide students with an enthusiastic math community of peers.” Since its founding, over 300 students have immersed themselves at the Bard Math CAMP, and many more have challenged themselves with a Math Contest and explored math with friends and family at the monthly Family Math Afternoons. Wood also highlighted the importance of early engagement, stating, “Parents can make a more significant impact even earlier, and that’s a topic we plan to explore with our upcoming Parent’s Workshops.”
In our current information economy, math is everywhere. The people we date, the news we see, the influence of our votes, the candidates who win elections, the education we have access to, the jobs we get — all of it is underwritten by an invisible layer of math that few of us understand, or even notice.
But whether we know it or not, our numeric literacy — whether we can speak the language of math — is a critical determinant of social and economic power.
Counted Out shows what’s at risk if we keep the status quo. Do we want an America in which most of us don’t see ourselves “math people”? Where math proficiency goes down as students grow up? Or do we want a country where everyone can understand the math that undergirds our society—and can help shape it?
Counted Out has been selected to screen at dozens of film festivals, including SXSW EDU, the San Francisco International Film Festival, and Original Thinkers in Telluride, Colorado which spotlighted the intersection of mathematical thinking and civic health. An election-themed screening at a KALW public radio on National Voter Registration Day marked the launch of an impact and community screening tour. The New York Times featured Counted Out in an article about the critical role math plays in our democracy.
“In making Counted Out, I learned that we have a math crisis in America, but that it’s a crisis whose solution is at our fingertips. As we capture the knowledge, organizing, and wherewithal of those who are advocating for widespread math literacy, we can unleash something else: the power of all of us to shape the world we’re living in.” -Vicki Abeles, Director of Counted Out
Upstate Films is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit arts organization committed to enriching lives through cinema. With locations in Rhinebeck (Starr Cinema) and Saugerties (Orpheum Theatre), Upstate Films offers patrons an eclectic mix of international and independent cinema. Upstate Films was founded in 1972.
Be part of the conversation! Reserve your free tickets today at upstatefilms.org and share your thoughts on social media using #CountedOut and #BardMathCircle. Then gather your family and friends for an entertaining and informative film.
Watch the Counted Out trailer and learn more at countedoutfilm.com.
For more information about this screening and other Bard Math Circle programs, please email Dr. Japheth Wood, Bard Math Circle director, at japheth@bardmathcircle.org.
