Premiere Date: September 11, 2007
Synopsis
How far would you go to stop a war? "The Camden 28" recalls a 1971 raid on a Camden, N.J., draft board office by "Catholic Left" activists protesting the Vietnam War and its effects on urban America. Arrested on site in a clearly planned sting, the protesters included four Catholic priests, a Lutheran minister, and 23 others. The Camden 28 reveals the story behind the arrests — a provocative tale of government intrigue and personal betrayal — and the ensuing legal battle, which Supreme Court Justice William Brennan called "one of the great trials of the 20th century." Thirty-five years later, the participants take stock of the motives, fears, and costs of their activism — and its relevance to America today.
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Filmmaker
I wanted to tell the story of the Camden 28, but I also wanted to raise questions about government deception and reasons for going to war.”
— Anthony Giacchino
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Critical Acclaim
The unspoken parallels between Iraq and Vietnam and the antiwar movements then and now are illustrated by The Camden 28, a poignant documentary recalling the all-but-forgotten trial of 28 Vietnam War opponents, mostly members of the Catholic Left...”
— Stephen Holden,
The New York Times
One of the crème de la crème of American documentaries that earn a place on PBS's POV... It's a strikingly human story about conscience and activism.”
— Jonathan Storm,
The Philadelphia Inquirer
The film evokes an era when the Church led the fight for social justice instead of against it.”
— David Edelstein,
New York Magazine
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