In 1979, Pacific Street
Films took off on a rambling cross-country trip, funded,
ironically, by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
The mission was to search out any evidence of anarchist
activity in communities as rural as Atkins Bay, Maine,
and as cosmopolitan as San Francisco.
Along the way a strange cast of characters emerged;
some calling themselves “anarchist,” others,
eschewing the label, but nonetheless calling themselves
“anti-authoritarian,” or “individualist.”
In fact, the premise of the documentary was that Americans,
inherently, embody anarchist principles, an experience
far different then their European counterparts. The
filmmakers stumbled upon Mildred Loomis, 80-years-old
and still advocating back to the land individualism;
Kenneth Rexroth, a father of the San Francisco beat
scene; and the remarkable Republican-turned-Anarchist,
Karl Hess, pursued to the end by the IRS for his refusal
to pay taxes.
But a lot has changed since the release of the film
in 1982, and with the rise of a new generation of
anarchist activists – with a whole new set of
targets, from globalization to the debacle in Iraq
– Pacific Street Films is updating ANARCHISM
IN AMERICA for the new millennium.
The film will stand as a tribute to the late great
Anarchist historian, Paul Avrich, whose work supported
and inspired our own efforts to popularize the history
and relevance of the movement.
A complete interview list is available HERE!
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