Commune (2005)

A documentary on the Black Bear Ranch Commune, an alternative living community founded in 1968 in the remote North Californian wilderness.

Director:

Jonathan Berman

Writer:

Jonathan Berman

Stars:

Mahaj Seeger, Peter Coyote, Cedar Seeger

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Mahaj Seeger	...	Self - Black Bear Resident
Peter Coyote	...	Self - Black Bear Resident
Cedar Seeger	...	Self - Black Bear Resident
Mel Kramer	...	Self - Local Resident
Elsa Marley	...	Self - Black Bear Resident
Michael Tierra	...	Self - Black Bear Resident
Richard Marley	...	Self - Black Bear Resident
Larry Bacon	...	Self - Public Defender
Hoss Bennett	...	Self - Neighbor
Creek Hanauer	...	Self - Black Bear Resident
Harriet Beinfeld	...	Self - Black Bear Resident
Martin Linhart	...	Self - Black Bear Resident
Peter Leaf	...	Self - Black Bear Resident
Osha Neumann	...	Self - Black Bear Resident
Kenoli Oleari	...	Self - Black Bear Resident

Storyline

In the late 1960s, a few free thinkers cobbled together donations, primarily from Hollywood, to buy 80 acres at the end of a dirt road in Siskiyou County, California: Big Bear Ranch, a commune with the motto "free land for free people." Archival footage, photographs, documents and news articles, and interviews with people who lived or still live there tell the commune's history: the cold first winter, women and men doing the same work, communal decision making, emerging environmental politics, free love and family formation, child rearing and memories of growing up there, a late 70's crisis with a cult-like group that moved in, and assessment by those grown old of what Big Bear meant.

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Plot Keywords:

child raising | hippie | isolation | fbi federal bureau of investigation | commune | 

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Taglines:

Peace and love are only half the story.

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Genres:

Documentary

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Goofs

In the news reports in the film, it is said that the Vietnam War has just finished, which occurred in 1975. However, Pol Pot is mentioned several times in the news before this announcement. Pol Pot did not become leader of Cambodia until October 1976, and he was largely unknown in Europe at the time that the Vietnam War ended.

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Quotes

Himself - Black Bear Resident: I wish I had know I was dying 50 years ago
[chuckles]
Himself - Black Bear Resident: ... because, you know, I might have paid more attention to some of the things that I kind of brushed aside.

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Connections

Features Feel My Pulse (1928)

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Soundtracks

New Day Coming
Written by Elliott Sharp
Performed by the Lillies
E# compositions zOaR Music, BMI

User Reviews

Sounds fascinating; unfortunately I'll never know

The comments for Commune make it sound like a very interesting film, one that I would be deeply interested in. Unfortunately, the producers didn't see fit to include closed captions for the hearing impaired and deaf. That leaves me and countless others like me, who depend on closed captions to follow a movie, completely out.

This is inexcusable for any film produced in the year 2005. In a world where all manner of handicaps and disabilities are accommodated, it's infuriating and ironic that the ever sanctimonious entertainment industry fails to demand that all productions and movie theaters be closed captioned.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 July 2005 (USA)

Also Known As:

To koinovio

Filming Locations:

Albany, California, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$41,715

Company Credits

Production Co:

Five Points Media

Technical Specs

Runtime:

78 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1