Attica
I was 21 years old when this happened and all I knew at the time was a big prison riot broke out in NY and all the “older people” were talking about it. Its taken 51 years for me to have the opportunity to learn what literally happened and I was really taken-aback over the outcome of this horrible incident.
“2022 ACADEMY AWARD® NOMINEE - Best Documentary Feature. Attica details the five-day prison rebellion that transpired in the fall of 1971 in upstate New York and still stands as the largest and deadliest the country has ever witnessed.”
I need to warn you up front that this is a tough film to watch. It’s a horrific display of state sanctioned violence and killing towards Black inmates at the prison. Not many in today’s world could fathom this kind of behavior. The footage included in this film, to say the least, is heart rendering and very sad. For all history buffs and anyone interested in racial and social justice and abolition…this is definitely a necessary watch.
You can find it on HBO OnDemand, Amazon Prime and HULU
Remarkably well done documentary.
During the summer of 1971, tensions between inmates and guards at the Attica Correctional Facility are at an all-time high. On the morning of Sept. 9, it all comes to a head as Attica becomes the stage for one of the largest U.S. prison riots ever.
Run Time: ~2 hrs
Rotten Tomatoes: Critics: 98% / Audience: 82%
IMDB: 7.5/10
Rated: TV-MA
Stars: Richard Nixon(archive footage), Nelson Rockefeller(archive footage), Clarence B. Jones