Phil Ochs: There But for Fortune
Spring 2011 Documentary series
Wednesday, May 4, 2011 at 8:00pm
Acadia Cinema's Al Whittle Theatre
450 Main Street, Wolfville, NS
Directed by Kenneth Bowser
Screenplay by Kenneth Bowser
Starring Joan Baez, Arthur Gorson, Tom Hayden
Rated PG ·
1h 36m
United States
English
Phil Ochs: There But for Fortune
As the United States of America continues to embroil itself in foreign wars and pins its hopes on a new leader’s promise for change, Phil Ochs: There But For Fortune is a timely and relevant tribute to an unlikely American hero. Over the course of a meteoric music career that spanned two turbulent decades, Phil Ochs sought the bright lights of fame and social justice in equal measure – a contradiction that eventually tore him apart. From youthful idealism to rage to pessimism, the arch of Ochs’ life paralleled that of the times, and the anger, satire and righteous indignation that drove his music also drove him to dark despair.
In this brilliantly constructed film, interview and performance footage of Ochs is illuminated by the ruminations of Joan Baez, Tom Hayden, Pete Seeger, Sean Penn, Peter Yarrow, Christopher Hitchens, Ed Sanders, and others. His music today remains relevant, reaching new audiences in a generation that finds his themes all too familiar.