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Punishment Park (Peter Watkins, 1971)
Dec
13
U.S. National Guard Birthday

Military men arresting one of the dissidents. A man in black uniform and white helmet interacts directly with the camera c.q. the viewer. DPs: Joan Churchill & Peter Smokler.
The National Guard shows up: U.S. National Guard Birthday, USA.
A European camera crew follows a diverse group of American minor dissidents – pacifists, feminists, communists – who are given the choice to spend decades in federal prison, or three days in Bear Mountain Punishment Park, chased by National Guardsmen and law enforcement officers. If they manage to capture the American flag, they're free to go.
“America is as psychotic as it is powerful and violence is the only goddamn thing that will command your attention.”
– Defendant Lee Robert Brown