By Decker Ngongang and Rod Garvin, GenGage Charlotte
On Sunday, January 20, GenerationEngage and Participant Productions will screen Chicago 10, an innovative documentary about the 1968 Democratic Convention. All are welcome to attend this community screening, as we observe, remember, and celebrate the Martin Luther King holiday. Immediately following the film, GenerationEngage will host a forum with local civic leaders on the roll of young people as agents of change.
We recently had an opportunity to interview the film’s director, Brett Morgan, about Chicago 10 and why this story of youth civic action is particularly relevant today. We talked about the film’s presentation of contemporary history, its mix of bold and original animation with archival footage and an innovative musical score, its exploration of the build-up and unraveling of the Chicago Conspiracy Trial of 1968, and its timeless call to action that all young Americans need to know.
Why does the story of Chicago 10 matter, particularly for young Americans?
Somewhere between the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq I had a friend mention to me, what’s wrong with your generation? Why aren’t people doing anything? I said to him, maybe young people need to hear the stories of yesteryear told in a different way. My feeling was, if I am going to tell this story of protest, and the denial of their freedom of speech, I wanted to put it in a peer-to-peer perspective where everyone on the screen is the same age as the young people and demographic I want to reach.
Is there a “call to action” within this film?
When the movie is over, you are kind of forced to ask yourself; what am I doing and am I doing as much as I can? I don’t want to say I am trying to be a provocateur. It is up to people to see the film and ask themselves are they doing what they can be doing.
One thing that stands out for your audience is that Politics doesn’t have to be something dry. Abbie Hoffman would say, “Politics doesn’t necessarily have to be something dry.”
When young people watch the film and see the footage of young people their age being beaten and continuing to march for something they believe in, there has to be a thought in their head. “Am I willing to step out of my comfort zone for something?”
You incorporated the use of modern day musicians who color this historical footage with a contemporary feel. Rage Against the Machine and Beastie Boys are just two I noticed. What was the aim in the music choice as you scored the film?
I did want to use music from the 60’s to help date the film but there is something interesting when you take images from the time and then you throw something like Beastie Boys underneath it and you get a scene that happened 40 years ago feel like it could happen today. That was the effect we wanted, you aren’t looking at your grandparents when you are watching Chicago 10 – it was important that the audience see the young people on screen as their peers.
What do you want this film to accomplish with this film at the end of the day?
As a filmmaker you can’t ask for more than for people to be entertained but also to have the conversation after they see the movie be longer than, “did you like the film?” We wanted to give people an example of a time or an era where young people did take to the streets and get involved in a big way.
How does this documentary fit in with the other political documentaries about this era?
This is experiential cinema, which is not your average documentary. We are not reproducing history, we are appropriating the ’60s and making a movie hopefully that is more about 2008.
Listen, I think one of the reasons we are doing these types of screenings with Generation Engage is trying to get the word out. It’s not easy to get people under 30 to go see a movie about the 60’s. It was important for me to do this film in a way more relatable. The beauty of working with you guys is that many of these young people have limited knowledge of the time and can experience it for what it is.
Brett Morgan as a filmmaker doesn’t claim to be any type of prophet but there are many different lessons people can glean from his film. On this Dr. Martin Luther King holiday Brett Morgan has used a blend of ground breaking animation technology, archival video footage from the 60’s, mixed with a soundtrack ranging from the 60’s to today’s music to present this new documentary which promises to inspire and challenge us all to decide what we are willing to do.
This article appears in Jan 16-22, 2008.
