Chicago 10

The Democratic National Convention was held in Chicago from 26 until 29 August 1968. Those were unsettling times in the United States, with the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy fresh on people's minds, and the Vietnam War, which grew increasingly intense and met with stronger resistance every day. Numerous anti-war groups seized the opportunity to hold demonstrations - among them were the 'Yippies', members of the Youth International Party. Initially, the marches had a peaceful and even theatrical character, but due in part to brutal police action, the atmosphere suddenly became hostile. Eight protesters were arrested and tried; Abbie Hoffman, Tom Hayden, Dave Dellinger, Rennie Davis, John Froines, Jerry Rubin, Lee Weiner and Bobby Seale. They became known as the Chicago Eight. Filmmaker Brett Morgen collected a vast quantity of archive footage on the events, complemented it with animation and music, and created a fascinating reconstruction of an event that shaped the 1960s. Without any specific comments by experts or interviews, the film provides food for thought on the way people today view current events, such as for example the war in Iraq. (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)