Newsreel Retrospective (1968–1972): Anti-Imperialism in Action

Drawn from Newsreel’s urgent, politically charged output of the late 60s, the three films in this programme foreground the collective’s focus on international anti-imperialism, in which filmmaking is both a record and a tool in the struggle.

Third World Newsreel (TWN), the long-standing media arts centre dedicated to nurturing social justice media by and about historically marginalised communities, offers the Newsreel Retrospective (1968-1972), a groundbreaking collection of 60 digitally preserved films documenting the social movements of the late 60s and early 70s.

We present two complementary programmes at Bertha DocHouse: Power to the People (Sun 24 May) and Anti-Imperialism in Action (Sun 7 June).

PROGRAMME:

Fuera Yanqui  Dir. Newsreel | 1970 | 15′
This film provides a short history of the Dominican Republic and an analysis of the control exerted on its economic structure by U.S. interests. The people of the island talk about the “elections”, the CIA coups, the popular uprisings, and the U.S. invasion.

My Country Occupied | Dir. Tami Gold, Heather Archibald | 1971 | 30′
In this moving film, the personal testimonies of Guatemalan Indians, peasants, and guerrillas are dramatized to provide the narration for a powerful overview of the history of U.S. destabilization of democracy in Central America. My Country Occupied was inspired by the work of Santiago Álvarez.

Revolution Until Victory a.k.a. We Are the Palestinian People | Dir. San Francisco Newsreel | 1973 | 45′
Filmed in Palestine by Newsreel, Revolution Until Victory shows the refugee camps of the Middle East, the rise of the Palestinian Liberation Movement and Israel’s relationship to Western imperialism. There is footage of the guerrillas in training, and interviews with Palestinian leaders and militants who work in many programmes of the liberation struggle of the time.

Also Screening: NEWSREEL RETROSPECTIVE (1968–1972): POWER TO THE PEOPLE (Sunday 24th May, 2pm).