The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution
“We had a swagger,” recalls a former member of the most confrontational and controversial political organization of its era. Founded in Oakland in 1966 in response to police harassment, the Panthers openly carried weapons, dressed sharply in black berets and leather jackets, implemented important social initiatives such as the Free Breakfast for School Children program, and boasted a majority of women members. Using rare footage unadulterated by the mainstream media and candid interviews from all sides of the struggle, celebrated documentarian Nelson (JONESTOWN, FREEDOM SUMMER) makes the first film to cover the Panthers’ whole story, from their heady beginnings to their downfall from internal dissension and FBI subversion. Special advance screening courtesy of PBS Distribution. This film will return to the Film Center for an exclusive Chicago run from Sept. 25 – Oct. 1
The Black Harvest Film Festival runs Aug. 8 – Sept. 3 at the Gene Siskel Film Center located at 164 N. State Street in the heart of downtown Chicago.
For more information on the Black Harvest Film Fest, including dates and times, please visit www.siskelfilmcenter.org/blackharvest
