A new documentary exploring academic freedom and institutional change at Indiana University premieres Sunday at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater.
“Freedoms Under Assault” chronicles what its creators describe as a “perfect storm” of legislative action and university leadership decisions that they say have reshaped IU’s governance and culture.
The film is directed and produced by Robert Arnove, an IU Professor Emeritus, and Jacob (Jacky) Comforty, an international award-winning documentarian. The longtime friends began documenting events in early 2023 amid growing debates over academic freedom, faculty governance, and state legislation affecting higher education in unprecedented ways.
Arnove, who joined IU in 1969, said the film was motivated by Senate Enrolled Act 202 (SEA 202), which he views as threatening the university’s institutional autonomy, tenure protections, and free speech. He said the legislation, along with subsequent bills and administrative actions, has created what he calls an “existential threat” to the university’s traditional values.
“We want people to see what’s happening and how those affected are speaking out,” Arnove said. “Universities play a critical role in maintaining democracy, and that role can be quickly diminished unless defended from within and from without.”
Indiana’s Republican lawmakers have said they were combating IU as a publicly funded institution where conservative ideas are unwelcome, and students are immersed in the faculty’s liberal politics.
As they gathered interviews and footage, the filmmakers said patterns emerged raising broader concerns about free expression and faculty rights.
Arnove drew parallels between authoritarian regimes abroad and the U.S. today.
“There is an attempt to undermine universities as centers of critique of dogmas and unpopular policies and as agencies of the democratization of society,” he said. “This is part of an agenda moving toward dictatorship that’s occurring right now in our country — also sending troops into cities.”
Comforty pointed to IU’s use of the State Police during campus protests as a central example.
“Calling in the State Police was not an emergency for the university — it was an emergency for the president’s career,” he said. “She used violence to show strength, and in doing so, victimized hundreds of people. This film is an alarm. It represents something unacceptable. We should fight it — be courageous enough to stand up to any attempts to shut us down or silence others.”
Arnove added, “Two things are very important to fighting against the rise of authoritarianism: a free press and a free university.”
The filmmakers describe “Freedoms Under Assault” as a chronological record of the past four years, weaving together interviews with faculty, students, and community members, along with excerpts from public meetings and media coverage. The project aims to document ongoing changes and encourage public discussion.
Arnove also critiques what he calls “anticipatory compliance,” where institutions preemptively limit speech or adjust policies in response to political pressure.
“You don’t engage in anticipatory compliance,” he said. “You start to stop giving away the university piece by piece.”
The film situates IU’s story within a national context, drawing parallels between state-level legislation and broader trends of political interference in higher education. Arnove and Comforty point to developments during the Trump administration and critique current IU leadership under President Pamela Whitten, whom they say has centralized power and weakened shared governance.
Comforty said the title reflects not only threats to academic freedom but also to institutional transparency and democratic governance.
Despite extensive reporting on IU’s leadership and faculty relations, the filmmakers believe their visual approach adds a new perspective by capturing the voices and expressions of those directly affected in a timely, sequential narrative.
The premiere screening begins at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, 114 E. Kirkwood Ave., Bloomington. Admission is free, and no ticket is required.
