Arts & Events
Inside the Free Speech Movement—New Documentary
The Berkeley Historical Society will be having two premiers of Linda Rosen's new documentary, “Inside the Free Speech Movement,” on Sept. 5 and Sept. 12 at 7 pm.
Watch the history of FSM as told by leaders, supporters, and professors. Based on oral history interviews by Linda Rosen, Jeanine Castello-Lin, and Tonya Staros and supplemented by photographs and sound taken at the events, all put together by video editors Jai Jai Noire and Tonya Staros with Melanie Mentzel.
September 5 — Premier of the overview documentary, Inside the Free Speech Movement
Bettina Aptheker and I will introduce the video and take questions afterwards.
September 12 — Premier of The FBI Spies on Berkeley
Seth Rosenfeld, author of Subversives: The FBI’s War on Student Radicals, and Reagan’s Rise to Power
Seth Rosenfeld and I will introduce the video and take questions afterwards.
Be sure to sign up for the Zoom links on Eventbrite. See the information below.
Inside the Free Speech Movement—New Documentary
Premiering September 5 and 12, 2024 on Zoom and YouTube
The Berkeley Historical Society and Museum (BHSM) has just produced its first documentary. Inside the Free Speech Movement, directed by Linda Rosen, who as a student was a participant in the movement 60 years ago and, as a BHSM volunteer, organized an exhibit and a videotaped oral history series for the FSM 50th anniversary in 2014. The interview videos were initially edited by Jai Jai Noire. BHSM board member Tonya Staros has continued the editing process over the past six months in consultation with Linda Rosen, and Melanie Mentzel of Berkeley Community Media has helped with final touches.
The interviews are augmented with historic photographs and original sound recordings, provided in part by the Free Speech Movement Archives.
Inspired in part by civil rights activism in the South, the FSM launched the national student rights movement of the mid-sixties and seventies, featuring civil disobedience and mass actions. Defending constitutional rights against efforts to repress them remains highly relevant today.
The film features Bettina Aptheker, David Lance Goines, Patti Iiyama, Anita Medal, Kathleen Piper, Jack Radey, Seth Rosenfeld, Peter Dale Scott, Leon Wofsy, and many others.
Two online events will celebrate the premiere of the film:
Thursday, Sept. 5, 7 pm on Zoom: Inside the Free Speech Movement, Part One. Its contents include:
Precursors to the Free Speech Movement
Free Speech Zone, Administrative Crackdown
United Front
Police Car Scene
March on the Regents’ Meeting
Sit-In and Arrests
The Strike
The Arraignment
Linda Rosen and Bettina Aptheker will introduce the video and take questions after the showing.
View in Person or Online
Parts One and Two will be posted on the Berkeley Historical Society YouTube channel on September 5, and viewers will be encouraged to watch Part Two on their own.
Thursday, Sept. 12, 7 pm on Zoom: Inside the Free Speech Movement, Part Four: The FBI Spies on UC Berkeley. This segment and the online event feature Seth Rosenfeld, author of Subversives: The FBI’s War on Student Radicals, and Reagan’s Rise to Power.
This section of the documentary includes excerpts from interviews with Bettina Aptheker, David Lance Goines, Seth Rosenfeld, Peter Dale Scott, Leon Wofsy, and Malcolm Zaretsky. Linda Rosen and Seth Rosenfeld will introduce the video and take questions after the showing.
Admission is free (donations appreciated) for both online events, but reservations are required on Eventbrite using the links above.hhh
