the camden 28

I've been keeping an eye on this one for several months now, hoping it would show up this summer at a Vancouver arthouse. No luck so far, but good news! The DVD is at Videomatica. CT Movies review up Sep 29.

How Far Would You Go to Stop a War?
THE CAMDEN 28

Summer, 1971. Protests against the Vietnam War are spreading across America. In Camden, New Jersey, a group of 28 non-violent activists - mostly non-violent priests and laypeople from the Catholic left - plan to break into a local draft board office and destroy records - striking a blow against the system. But a mole has infiltrated their operation and within hours of enacting their mission they are rounded up and arrested by the FBI, under the personal authority of J. Edgar Hoover.
Featuring a treasure trove of archival materials as well as interviews with members of the Camden 28, witness for the defense Howard Zinn, and a former FBI agent involved in the case, this award-winning documentary uncovers an astonishing story of political dissent - one that has special relevance in our current climate.

FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover and Attorney General John Mitchell announced the arrest and indictment of the antiwar activists and dubbed them The Camden 28. They called themselves "America's conscience". The activists claimed that their civil disobedience was meant to call attention to their belief that the killing in this war was morally indefensible. They targeted the draft for the simple fact that it was the clearest symbol of that immorality. If convicted, some of the protesters faced up to 47 years in federal prison.

The Judge informed the jury it would not be proper to decide the verdict on the issue of the war, and that "protest is not an acceptable legal defense, as sincerely motivated as I think they were." After three and a half months of trial and three days of deliberations, a jury of seven women and five men returned a verdict of not guilty on all charges against the antiwar activists. The acquittals represented the first complete legal victory for the antiwar movement in five years of such draft board actions.
THE CAMDEN 28, part of the HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH SELECTS DVD SERIES, will be available on DVD beginning September 18, 2007.

Anthony Giacchino has been working as a producer in television and documentary filmmaking since 1994. THE CAMDEN 28 is the first feature-length documentary he has directed.

BONUS MATERIALS INCLUDE: Multiple Interviews * Bonus Archival Footage * The Camden 28 Reunion * Human Rights Watch Film Notes * Essay from Howard Zinn * Filmmaker Biography & More!
NATIONAL BROADCAST PREMIERE on PBS' ACCLAIMED P.O.V. SERIES TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 AT 10 P.M. (check local listings)
WINNER!!
{Jury Prize and Audience Award for Best Documentary, Philadelphia Film Festival 2006}
"A brilliant merger of political outrage and filmmaking. Concise and inventive!"
- THE NEW YORK TIMES
"Devastating emotional powerŠone riveting, poignant twist after another!"
- THE ONION
"FascinatingŠan inspiration!" - VILLAGE VOICE
"Inspiring and, after all these years, relevant." - NEW YORK POST
"Stirring, surprising, full of twists and turns, betrayals and redemption. If protest seems futile, The Camden 28 shows how it can be done." - SAN FRANCISCO FILM SOCIETY
"Gripping and surprisingly timely. A reminder that peace is every bit as patriotic as war."
- WBAI RADIO
"First-Class! A riveting documentary." - SPIRITUALITY & PRACTICE MAGAZINE

THE CAMDEN 28
83 minutes, color & b/w, 2007, English