A documentary about the Weathermen, founded as a militant faction of the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), who fought to overthrow the U.S. government during the 1960s and 1970s. The film consists of interviews with members of the group after they went underground and footage of the anti-war and civil rights protests of the time. It was directed by Emile de Antonio, Haskell Wexler and Mary Lampson, later subpoenaed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in an attempt to confiscate the film footage in order to gain information that would help them arrest the Weathermen.
Direction
Three directors hiding fugitives while filming—meta-paranoia as aesthetic.
Editing
Jagged cuts between interview secrecy and explosive archival protest footage.
Director
Haskell Wexler
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The FBI subpoenaed the original negative in 1976, claiming it contained evidence of crimes; the directors fought it and won, establishing important documentary press protections.
This was filmed while the Weather Underground was still active and underground—some members would remain fugitives for nearly a decade after release, making this a living document of domestic terrorism before the term was politicized.
US
