Second Campaign

About This Movie

So, 'Second Campaign' is this striking documentary from 1969 that really captures the chaos of the People's Park protests in Berkeley. Norman Yonemoto, still a student at UCLA, uses his 16mm camera to get up close and personal with the people there. The interviews are raw, and you can feel the tension in the air, combined with the almost surreal moment when a folksinger starts to play for the National Guard. It’s got this gritty, real texture that pulls you in, making you feel the weight of that time. The pacing feels fittingly chaotic, mirroring the events unfolding, and the way Yonemoto frames these faces is just something else. It's definitely a piece that resonates with the themes of activism and community.

This film is relatively scarce in the collector circuit, given its limited initial distribution and niche appeal. Most copies are 16mm prints, which adds to its charm but can make finding a decent quality one challenging. Interest has grown in recent years as more collectors seek out works that document the era's social movements, making 'Second Campaign' a noteworthy title for those focused on 1960s historical documentaries.