Cine Manifest

Plot Summary

Revisiting the San Francisco of radicalism, idealism, and combative activism, Cine Manifest narrates the story of an early 70's Marxist film collective whose members sought a place to live, learn, and change the world. Director Judy Irolaóthe collectiveís only female memberócatches up with her six compatriots more than three decades after the groupís eventual dissolution, weaving together their shared history through a collage of intimate interviews. The amiable and somewhat mellowed members reassess their often impossible aesthetic and political ideals and their intense internal dynamic with distanced bemusement, affectionate nostalgia, and, most importantly, a genuine desire to rethink their own complex inter-relationships. Amidst extensive footage from the collectiveís many short films, wacky birthday movies, and two feature-length films (including Northern Lights, which took the 1979 Camera DíOr at Cannes), this award-winning documentary also chronicles coming of age in a climate of both delusive self-righteousness and corrosive self-criticism. Set to David Schickeleís dreamy, retro soundscape, Cine Manifest captures a resilient group of artists reminiscing about a time when people werenít afraid to fight for their ideals, while also creating a stirring tribute to American independent filmmaking.