Recently Started a Socialist Club at my College. Looking for film ideas

[Soomie]

The title says it all. I recently began a Socialist Club at my college, and I'm looking for some educational and entertaining Socialist-themed films to have during movie nights. I've been trying to get my hands on Marx Reloaded for the longest time, but I don't see that happening any time soon. The creators are willing to sell it with rights for $400.00. Hahahaha, yeah. No. Anyway, any movie recommendations, comrades?

[The Cheshire Cat]

Land and freedom is one of my favorite movies. It is about the anarchists and communists in the Spanish civil war. It is not as informative as Marx Reloaded though. Are you looking for entertaining or informative movies?

[Soomie]

I'm looking for both entertaining and informative. I want to switch it up to get more people interested. Some informative for newbies, and entertaining for new members and old alike. I'll look into Land and Freedom, also.

[Sam_b]

Battle of Algiers is a good film from an anti-imperialist perspective, we're going to be showing that at the uni soon.

[Pleb]

Battle of Algiers is a good film from an anti-imperialist perspective, we're going to be showing that at the uni soon.


I just watched that today. Fantastic film.

[BeingAndGrime]

The Leopard. It's a gorgeous film and a historical materialism 101.

[The Cheshire Cat]

You could also look in 'Bloody Sunday'', 'The wind shakes the barley' (movies, both about IRA) 'The Revolution will not be televized' (docu about the failed coup attempt in Venezuela of 2002, I think it is one of the most entertaining docu's I ever saw), 'The Brotherhood of War' (movie about the Korean war, also shows North Korean perspective, does not portray communists as evil monsters for a change. Is above all a war movie though, not so much political perspective.). Those are the first movies that came up in my mind.

[La Guaneña]

The revolution won't be televised, and "La batalla de Chile". The first is subtitled in english on YT, and I guess you could find subs for the 3 parts of the second one on the internet.

[Hermes]

I thought Reds was a good movie, but probably a little more on the entertaining side than informative.

It's also... kind of long, so you might need to split it up into two parts or so.

[Philosophos]

Hi soomie. I see that you actually made the socialist club you were talking about. There is this greek movie (it's quite recent too) of Pantelis Voulgaris great artist. It's about the greek civil war and it's quite touching because it talks about two brothers in the two opposite sides of the war (one communist and one in the right-winged).
The movie is called Psyhi Vathia (Soul Deep). There is also a torrent with english subtitles if you are interested.

[bricolage]

films that I showed when I did a similar thing: matewan, libertarias, the take, jesus camp, meeting resistance, hunger, grave of the fireflies, waltz with bashir, dr strangelove, salt of the earth, on the verge, the battle of algiers, a history of oil, the power of nightmares, in this world, sacco and vanzetti.

I don't actually think of all of these films are that great or agree with the politics of all of them but they worked as discussion points I guess.

if everyone's fluent in italian then show La class operaia va in Paradiso but that seems a bit of a long shot!

[KurtFF8]

The title says it all. I recently began a Socialist Club at my college, and I'm looking for some educational and entertaining Socialist-themed films to have during movie nights. I've been trying to get my hands on Marx Reloaded for the longest time, but I don't see that happening any time soon. The creators are willing to sell it with rights for $400.00. Hahahaha, yeah. No. Anyway, any movie recommendations, comrades?

I suggest picking a topic and then finding a film to go along with it. There aren't many interesting "films about socialism" out there really. So it really depends on what you're trying to get out of the screening.

And of course browsing the Left Film Review can help ;)

[Arlekino]

Soviet animation is anti capitalist, anti imperialist good source to learn.

[Manulearning]

There are many but i think the best one to begin would be 'The Crisis of Civilization'
It is a documentary on current problems we are facing and a good one.
Starting from the present issues is i think always the best way to proceed - on how things are and how they should not be/ be.

[conmharáin]

Aleksandrov's and Eisenstein's October is a fine film. Isn't it in the public domain? You may want to look into buying a box set of Soviet propaganda cartoons for a lark.

[RedHal]

Battle of Algiers is a good film from an anti-imperialist perspective, we're going to be showing that at the uni soon.

Also Burn! by the same director Gillo Pontecorvo, stars Brando.

[Crux]

The film version of the Shock Doctrine is worth checking out.

[TheGodlessUtopian]

For a lengthy documentary slit into three parts try "The Power Principal". It is a history film documenting the U.S, and others, manner of consolidating their geo-political positions via Imperialism. All parts are available to watch online for free: http://metanoia-films.org/the-power-principle/

[bcbm]

soy cuba

[Ravachol]

Lavorare con Lentezza, about the Italian autonomia
La classe operaia va in paradiso, about italian class struggle
A place called chiapas, about the EZLN
Salvador Puig Antich, about the MIL and resistance to the Franco regime
Tout va Bien, about class struggle in France
La chinoise, tongue in cheek movie about french maoists
United Red Army, japanese movie about the descent of the (rather insane and cultish) URA
Acratas, about anarchists in argentinia and uruguay in the early 20th century
The chicago conspiracy, about the pinochet dictatorship
Antonio Negri: A revolt that never ends, about Antonio Negri and the italian operaists
Ernst Thalmann: Sohn seiner klasse, DDR film about KPD bigshot Ernst Thalmann
Die geduld der Rosa Luxemburg, about Rosa luxemburg
Fall of Eagles, TV-serie about fall of european empires between 1848-1918, including russian revolution
Ormai e Fatta, about anarchist-illegalist bankrobber Horst Fantazzini
The weather underground, what it says on the tin.
The angry brigade, idem.
If a tree falls, about the ELF
Behind the mask, about the ALF

If you're looking for something with less depth but more action:
La Prima Linea, about prima linea
The baader meinhof complex, about the RAF

[human strike]

Coup pour coup, French film from the 1970s about striking women factory workers.
Salt of the Earth, US film about a strike in New Mexico made during the McArthyist era
Can Dialectics Break Bricks? Detourned Kung Fu movie, made by French situationist Rene Vienet

The first two both star actual workers. The second stars workers involved in the actual strike the film is based on. Ravachol's suggestion La classe operaia va in paradiso is a fantastic film.

[Os Cangaceiros]

"Sweet Movie"
"Themroc"

[Delenda Carthago]

Brecht is da man!

DtBTeeZxAVY

[Os Cangaceiros]

A few more that a left-winger may find interesting:

"Orwell Rolls In His Grave"
"Crips and Bloods: Made In America"
"Rosa Luxemburg" (I don't know where you'll find this, but it's a pretty good biographical film of Luxemburg)

[bcbm]

goodbye, lenin
la haine
the motorcycle diaries
carlos trilogy
mesrine movies
the empire in africa
the abolitionists

[human strike]

Darwin's Nightmare
The Spook Who Sat By the Door
They Live
Cul-de-sac

[Orange Juche]

I thought Reds was a good movie, but probably a little more on the entertaining side than informative.

It's also... kind of long, so you might need to split it up into two parts or so.

I was going to recommend this.

[Os Cangaceiros]

la haine


One of my favorite movies. I've never really thought of it as "left-wing" but I guess perhaps it is.

[bricolage]

la haine is a far better starting starting point for discussion than a lot of 'left-wing' films.

[Orange Juche]

I thought "The Trotsky" was an entertaining film, although it's a film purely for entertainment value. But definitely work a watch.

[Pleb]

A few more that a left-winger may find interesting:

"Orwell Rolls In His Grave"
"Crips and Bloods: Made In America"
"Rosa Luxemburg" (I don't know where you'll find this, but it's a pretty good biographical film of Luxemburg)


Anyone know where I can get this (without paying) with english subs?

[KurtFF8]

Anyone know where I can get this (without paying) with english subs?


That's something you're going to have to find on your own as posting links to torrents or illegal downloads is forbidden on RevLeft

[Pleb]

That's something you're going to have to find on your own as posting links to torrents or illegal downloads is forbidden on RevLeft


Was not aware of that. Noted

[TheGodlessUtopian]

I thought "The Trotsky" was an entertaining film, although it's a film purely for entertainment value. But definitely work a watch.

Indeed, this film is an excellent movie to screen at a college. I have heard from comrades that after watching it they were inspired to get into activism and read up on radical works. While its premise is a bit ludicrous after one rises above its creativity you will see a plot about a revolutionary teenager trying to break his peers away from society's spectacle so as to form a student union. I would definitely recommended "The Trotsky" for any industrious student socialist leader who is looking for some radical oriented films of a recreational nature.

My mini-review: https://popculturecoup.wordpress.com/2013/03/24/the-trotsky/

[Harry Clement Perkins]

1900
Land and Freedom
Matewan
Union Maids
High Hopes
Riff-Raff
Bread and Roses

[Delenda Carthago]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernst_Th%C3%A4lmann_%28film%29

[Slavoj Zizek's Balls]

The Society of the Spectacle by Guy Debord is worth looking at if you've got people who know/want to know about the Situationist International and what role it played in history (it's theoretical side). However, it's not a film that can be watched once and soaked in pretty quickly.

[Os Cangaceiros]

Anyone know where I can get this (without paying) with english subs?

I used to send people invites to a site which has it, but I don't do that anymore as literally everyone I invited got banned for just leeching off that one torrent and then never downloading anything else/didn't maintain any sort of sharing ratio. :rolleyes:

[Os Cangaceiros]

The user "Kleber" recommended this movie to me a while back, called "Rebellion in Patagonia":

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071976/reference

Supposedly it begins with the famous anarchist assassin Simon Radowitzky blowing up the Argentine police commander with a bomb. :cool:

[bcbm]

That's something you're going to have to find on your own as posting links to torrents or illegal downloads is forbidden on RevLeft

pming them isnt

[Soomie]

Thanks for all of these recommendations, guys! I will look into all suggestions. I just had a film night last night actually. I Am Cuba was shown.

[Leftsolidarity]

"long distance revolutionary"