

Joan Baez and a physicist walk into a bar—this 1971 time capsule asks: what were we even hoping for?
Laymen as well as celebrities in the sciences and creative arts give their views and values regarding their creative efforts and technological society. Their answers add up to the view that science is an indispensable part of mankind's hope for the future. Interviewees include Haskell Wexler, Joan Baez, Ann Halprin, Benny Bufano, Art Hoppe, Zubin Mehta, Phil Ochs, George Pimentel, Ben Maddow.
Direction
Yust weaves voices into cohesive meditation
Production
Pure 1971 aesthetic—grain, hope, and bell-bottoms
Director
Larry Yust
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Released during Apollo's twilight and Vietnam's escalation—this captures a specific American moment when science still felt redeemable.
Phil Ochs appears but doesn't perform; his presence alone signals the film's leftist bona fides. Haskell Wexler shot this between 'Medium Cool' and his Oscar win.