Leftist Documentaries

[International_Solidarity]

I have been wondering if anyone knows of some good Communist/Socialist/Anarchist documentaries. Anything goes really, but I'm especially hoping for biographies of Leftist figures without the accompanying Capitalist propaganda (I hope at least some exist).
Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

[Jimmie Higgins]

This is an amazingly interesting, if messy, documentary about/by the Revolutionary Union Movement in Detroit. It was actually started by a New Left production company that wanted to produce documentaryies about the struggles going on at the time. They made another movie about the Panthers I think. During the filming of the movie, the revolutionaries worked with the production company and were encouraged (or maybe asked/demanded) to be trained in how to make the documentary and had a lot of say in how they wanted to be presented. There were some political divisions within the documentary company and some fully backed the revolutionaries being able to "tell their story" while others really wanted to do more sensationalistic and flashy stuff about the panthers or yippies and whatnot and were against giving so much space to these revolutionaries. A dispute then happened with the company and the revolutionary group (I think because the group found out that the production company had paid the Panthers all this money for a film about them, or maybe there were some other factors involved). At any rate, when the film ran into problems and some of the filmmakers wanted to pull out, the DRUM members took the film reels and equipment as collateral and finished the project themselves (which is why there's a lot of lecturing in the movie:lol:).

Anyway, it's a fantastic look at the time period and one that focuses on the anti-racist struggle, but within unions and the workplace.

If anything, you should watch the Appalatian migrant auto-worker scene (who begins speaking about exploitation and all these class issues, but then concludes that it's all the fault of welfare mothers and blacks), as well as the scene with the Automaker representatives (which if it was in a fiction film would seem like totally unbelievable marxist propaganda/melodrama... so it's rather fantastic to see in a documentary).

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[Jimmie Higgins]

I can't think of any about induvidual figures. As a side-note, some of the revolutionaries involved with DRUM were actually in talks to make a bio-pic film about Rosa Luxembourg starring Jane Fonda:lol:

[Per Levy]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greece:_The_Hidden_War

a very good docu on the greek civil war. is it "leftists"? not really but still you will like the docu a lot, very well done and it is quite sympathetic to the commie fighters.

there is also a nice iww docu on youtube:

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[The Garbage Disposal Unit]

Yeah, I watched "Finally Got The News" a couple months ago (it was being screened by a PSAC union, of all things) - it's v. good.
I'm a pretty big fan of "The Weather Underground" - having since read at some length about the WUO (particularly "Outlaws of America" and David Gilbert's fantastic, highly self-critical, "Love and Struggle"), I recognize now that it's sort of a surface treatment, but a good intro, and inspiring none the less.

[Delenda Carthago]

The Good Fight: The Abraham Lincoln Brigade in the Spanish Civil War (1984)

http://vimeo.com/48691077

"Finally got the news" documentary of League of Revolutionary Black Workers

http://vimeo.com/46740150



AFROPUNK: THE MOVIE

http://kickass.to/afropunk-t473517.html


Off the pig (Black Panthers )

http://www.viddler.com/v/976047b1

Battle of Cable Street


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AQDOjQGZuA

[Delenda Carthago]

The Black Power Mixtape 1967 - 1975 (http://www.google.gr/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&ved=0CDwQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblackpowermixtape.com%2F&ei=bebuUcC6MsS_POq2gRA&usg=AFQjCNGIf3olklfVTJozpRd9E-zVI8zcbA&sig2=wna9H_DwT-COCOaa_reUjg&bvm=bv.49641647,d.ZWU)

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[d3crypt]

Not exactly a documentary, but its pretty awesome. Its about the German Red Army Faction.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0765432/

[Brandon's Impotent Rage]

Anarchism in America (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hF0IZOYNSM)

A documentary from 1983 that details the history of the Anarchist movement and its place in American history, from the IWW to the Spanish Civil War to the state of the movement in 1983.

[darkblues]

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[International_Solidarity]

Thank you all for your reccomendations! This is actually more than I hoped for! I have a lot of documentary watching to do. I watched Finally Got the News and I found it absolutely brilliant! If the other suggestions can even live up to being half of that I will be extremely pleased!
Thank you, Comrades!

[Brandon's Impotent Rage]

And I got yet another to add, comrade:

The Internationale (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X90-mSBc_PY)

A documentary about the history of the song that is the anthem of the international socialist movement. It's the song that makes the ruling classes tremble in their expensive suits, for its verses signifies their doom.

[Delenda Carthago]

http://vod.journeyman.tv/assets/images/projects/thumb_20110614_151553_5120.jpgThe Truth Lies in Rostock (http://journeyman.vodsite.journeyman.tv/store?p=4578)
Length: 78mins
Published: 21 Jun, 2011
Last Updated: 15 May, 2013
Rostock-Lichtenhagen: August 1992. What began with a small group of youths hurling stones at a refugee hostel quickly escalated into the worst mob attack ever seen against foreigners in post-war Germany.

Over the course of just a few days, disaffected residents, fascist sympathisers and Neo-Nazi leaders joined together to express a collective hatred towards the rising presence of asylum seekers in the neighbourhood. The level of physical and verbal assault from protesters was extreme; with little to no protection from police authorities, it was a miracle there were no fatalities. Through careful study of amateur footage from that day, as well as interviews taken by those who were present at the riot – active participants, locals, refugees, anti-fascists and police – The Truth Lies in Rostock attempts to understand how and why the violence occurred. More importantly, it questions why the events were allowed to take place despite numerous warnings received by the authorities

http://vod.journeyman.tv/s/The+Truth+Lies+in+Rostock

[Brutus]

A town called Chiapas.

[Polaris]

A town called Chiapas.
Do you mean A Place Called Chiapas?
That's a good one.
I liked The Motorcycle Diaries, but did not appreciate its deviations from the account it was based on. It's not overtly political but was a good movie-- it's only in Spanish though.

[Arlekino]

I do remember watched "Seeing Red" is about USA communist party is good not sure about correct title.

[darkblues]

db

[Brutus]

Do you mean A Place Called Chiapas?
That's a good one.
I liked The Motorcycle Diaries, but did not appreciate its deviations from the account it was based on. It's not overtly political but was a good movie-- it's only in Spanish though.

I get it confused with 'a town called malice'

[Le Libérer]

When I was introduced to leftist thought and read the great Jewish anarchists works, the Jewish Anarchists really convinced me anarchist theory was how I would express my political ideology. Once they ended up on US shores, they faced sweatshops and tyrannical bosses worse than those they had fled and an alien culture and language that shut them out. Having brought with them the revolutionary ideas of the times, these new conditions only strengthened their disgust with the whole ethic of capitalism.

The founders and pioneers of the Freie Arbeiter Stimme were fighters for the eight-hour day and the establishing of unions. Many were members of the needle trades, helping to found and build the International Ladies Garment Workers Union, the furriers’ union, and more. Women figured prominently among them, both in numbers and as role models. Anarchists of today will find a lot to think about, and be inspired by, in the lives of these staunch advocates of union struggles.

The confidence and chutzpah of these champions of the downtrodden is impressive and elating. They had a job to do, and they would not be slowed by the fearful who hung back and refused to join them in the cause. it was the The Free Voice of Labor: The Jewish Anarchists is available on youtube.

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[Le Libérer]

After organizing around the film Herman's House, I met Robert King one of the Angola 3, one of the 3 black panthers who was falsely accused of killing a prison guard in Angola. King who was 150 miles away when the murder happened, was able to appeal after spending 20 years in solitary confinement in Angola. Herman's House bearly touches on the Angola 3 but I am now organizing about the film, "In The Land of the Free". Herman Wallace and Albert Woodfox are still in prison, Albert still in solitary and Herman in advanced liver cancer disease, Amnesty International is now pleading with Gov Jindal to compassionately release Herman to his family (http://www.amnestyusa.org/our-work/cases/usa-the-angola-3). (Please sign the petition). You can stream Herman's House free until August 7th on PBS (http://www.pbs.org/pov/hermanshouse/full.php), so catch it while you can.

From the text under the trailer- Is a documentary feature that examines the story of Herman Wallace, Albert Woodfox and Robert King. They are known as the Angola 3 and have spent almost a century between them in solitary confinement in Angola, the Louisiana state penitentiary. Herman and Albert are still held in solitary confinement after thirty seven years. How could this be? In America.

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[Red Banana]

The Panama Deception is worth the watch. It doesn't really have an open leftist angle to it though per se, just a critical examination of the 1989 US invasion of Panama.

[KurtFF8]

Besides just a shameless plug for my website that reviews quite a few documentaries ;) I also suggest checking out the following:

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Also this one is a good one about a mine war in the 80s http://appalshop.org/film/minewar/stream.html and features the current President of the AFL-CIO

[Jimmie Higgins]

Also this one is a good one about a mine war in the 80s http://appalshop.org/film/minewar/stream.html and features the current President of the AFL-CIO

Oh crap, how could I forget Harlan County USA. Not really about explicitly revolutionary politics but a pretty amazing doc about a 1970s miner's strike that should be of interest to leftists.

It's been a while since I saw it last, but it made a huge impression on me when I first saw it as a new-ish radical. It shows how quickly things can escalate, problems with union beurocracy (I think this was a wildcat or there was some kind of friction or betrayal by the union leadership, but I can't remember exactly), and is just an amazing non-fiction look at a bitter labor battle as it progresses. It's usually the type of thing you have to read in fiction or in people's accounts in retrospect.

[Sasha]

"de stad was van ons" (the city was ours), a good (though lacking in some parts) history of the 80's squat movement in Amsterdam: 5VOTV9tcNIk

[d3crypt]

This is a documentary on the Situationist International.
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[Delenda Carthago]

Do Communists Have Better Sex


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[brigadista]

Bobby Seale is currently raising funds to make a doc about the history of the Black Panther Party so watch out for it in the future

[GiantMonkeyMan]

Secret City is a film about the City of London and their immense power over economic and political policies in the UK and beyond: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HJGLqMAQbk

Ken Loach's Which Side Are You On? is film about the miners' strike in britain: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUTCZCbU5Mo

The House I Live In is an exploration of the criminal justice system in the US: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWKdPCkfZ9U

Marx Reloaded in another doc worth the watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jbep804U5tw

[Delenda Carthago]

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SYNOPSIS: I Lost My Job is a short documentary film which sets out to explore the phenomenon which is affecting and due to affect many people's lives - namely, technological unemployment. The documentary also examines what we can do about it as a society through the analysis of a transitional direction.

Particular questions need to be raised about this subject. What are the social consequences of ongoing technological unemployment within our current economic system? How do we handle such a situation when this process is inevitable with the ongoing emergence of machine automation and new technologies taking over repetitive jobs?

[Rugged Collectivist]

Recently saw "will the real terrorist please stand up". It's a documentary about Exile/US aggression against Cuba. Not sure if it's leftist per se but it was interesting nonetheless.

[Delenda Carthago]

Ordinary Fascism



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http://worldcinemadirectory.co.uk/component/film/?id=459

[theghostofnestor]

Lucio

I cants post links but the full vid is on youtube

[Karlorax]

These are good movies that explain the theory of "Leading Light Communism" and the LLCO to people:

Walk This Road With Us

and

LLCO- Our Day is Coming

Wish more organizations made movies like this.

[Arlekino]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88f6QF3R_vo

This is good simple answer to the capitalism.

[Delenda Carthago]

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[Popular Front of Judea]

I would strongly recommend Koppels 1990 documentary American Dream (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Dream_(film)) about the '85 P-9 strike debacle.

I can't believe the international went as far as sandblasting the mural off the side of the local's wall. Fuckers.



Oh crap, how could I forget Harlan County USA. Not really about explicitly revolutionary politics but a pretty amazing doc about a 1970s miner's strike that should be of interest to leftists.

It's been a while since I saw it last, but it made a huge impression on me when I first saw it as a new-ish radical. It shows how quickly things can escalate, problems with union beurocracy (I think this was a wildcat or there was some kind of friction or betrayal by the union leadership, but I can't remember exactly), and is just an amazing non-fiction look at a bitter labor battle as it progresses. It's usually the type of thing you have to read in fiction or in people's accounts in retrospect.

[Popular Front of Judea]

That brings back '90s memories. :)


The Panama Deception is worth the watch. It doesn't really have an open leftist angle to it though per se, just a critical examination of the 1989 US invasion of Panama.

[Popular Front of Judea]

A great oral history -- whatever your opinion of the CPUSA. Shows that people joined because the Communists were the ones that were out there on the line, when it counted.

Available here in the States on Netflix.


I do remember watched "Seeing Red" is about USA communist party is good not sure about correct title.

[Popular Front of Judea]

I would strongly recommend The Take (http://www.thetake.org/index.cfm?page_name=synopsis) which is about the factory takeovers during the financial crisis in Argentina. Directed by Avi Lewis and Naomi Klein. Incredible stuff.

Available here in the States on Netflix. (DVD)

[Delenda Carthago]

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[Art Vandelay]

http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/street-politics-101/

A documentary I just found about the Quebec student strike, which is considered the largest act of public disobedience in Canadian history.