by Jonathan Crow
synopsis
Director Steve York argues in this documentary that non-violent political movements have been the most formative tool to effect political change during the 20th century. The film opens with Mohandas Gandhi's colossal struggle against British colonialism. Using footage from old black and white newsreels, the film relays how Gandhi perfected his non-violent tactics in South Africa and used them with great effect in India. The second segment focuses on the American civil rights movement, focusing on Rev. James Lawson's struggle to reverse the segregation of Nashville's lunch counters using roughly the same methods as Gandhi. The final section outlines activist Mkhuseli Jack's non-violent attempts at ending apartheid in South Africa.
