A compelling deployment of archival materials sets the tone for a disturbing and haunting exploration of a dark chapter in US race history.
2013 · 1h35m · United States
English
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About the Film
About the Program
In the astonishingly gripping LET THE FIRE BURN, director Jason Osder has crafted that rarest of cinematic objects: a found-footage film that unfurls with the tension of a great thriller. On May 13, 1985, a longtime feud between the city of Philadelphia and controversial radical urban group MOVE came to a deadly climax. By order of local authorities, police dropped military-grade explosives onto a MOVE-occupied row house. TV cameras captured the conflagration that quickly escalated—and resulted in the tragic deaths of eleven people (including five children) and the destruction of 61 homes. It was only later discovered that authorities decided to “…let the fire burn.” Using only archival news coverage and interviews, first-time filmmaker Osder has brought to life one of the most tumultuous and largely forgotten clashes between government and citizens in modern American history.
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Past Screenings
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Festivals and Awards
2013
Tribeca Film Festival, Winner - Best Editing in a Documentary Feature
2013
Tribeca Film Festival, Winner - Special Jury Mention - Best New Documentary Director
2013
Tribeca Film Festival, Nominated - Best Documentary Feature
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