See also
Other films commented in French : "Quand les anars se font leur cinéma"
Other films commented in Spanish
In our era of accelerating global capitalism, where constant upheaval of every kind—political, social, economic, cultural, environmental—is the rule, the search for a social system that brings prosperity with justice has never been sought by as many people. The history of anarchism, whose roots go back to mid-19th century France and Russia, is based on “utopia,” the ideal of mutual aid and voluntary cooperation in lieu of control by the state or private concentrations of power.
Perhaps better known for the means, or perhaps failures, in achieving its goals rather than the ends desired, anarchist philosophy nonetheless lies at the heart of numerous activist organizations and causes (left and right) worldwide and has shaped our popular and political culture in countless ways. Today, both terms of internal structure and external goals, much is indebted to the anarchist imagination. Yet for a broader public, the spectrum of anarchist ideals remains outside the confines of common understanding, ignored as outmoded, equated with failed Marxism/Communism, thought to be the dangerous (terrorist) passion of the underclass or simply the nihilism of the young.
But the continuing inquiry by writers, historians, artists, activists and filmmakers into the subject in our globalist age suggests that its relevance to the present continues. We hope this series offers insight into the revolutionary desire for a better world. "
NW Film Center: Portland Art Museum, May 2002 Festival