AllMovie

When the WTO protests began taking place in Seattle, Rustin Thompson was on the ground working as an independent journalist. With his press credentials, Thompson was given access to the convention center and press areas as well as to the demonstrations. 30 Frames a Second charts Thompson's personal odyssey through the mayhem and his conversion from an objective bystander to a personally involved recorder of history. Through Thompson's images and first-person narration, the viewer gets an in-the-trenches look at what was at stake in Seattle and the reasons behind the protests. Not a purely subjective account, Thompson gives time to both sides, examining the rationales of event organizers as well as police. The film was the recipient of the Gold Jury Prize at the Chicago Underground Film Festival and was voted Best Documentary at the Seattle Underground Film Festival.