Everyone raves about The Square, but the best film to capture the Occupy movement in my books is We Are Wisconsin. Amie Williams’ doc electrified the crowd when I saw it at the Isabel Bader over a decade ago. It’s a film of the moment, for the moment, and it has a very rare electricity that sparks when a film truly captures the political winds of its time. The film observes a group of passionate individuals protesting Governor Scott Walker’s Wisconsin Reform Bill and the occupation of the Capitol. In this footage shot from the thick of the action, it observes a hunger for change and one story among a greater appetite rumbling across the globe. We Are Wisconsin is activist documentary at its best.
–James Marsh, POV Magazine
Feature Documentary, 77 minutes, color
Scott Verges and Kathryn Takis, Producers, Amie Williams, Producer/Director
WE ARE WISCONSIN is feature documentary film that follows the day-to-day unfolding of public outcry against Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker’s controversial budget-repair bill, focusing on the human story behind a remarkable popular uprising forged on the floor of the Madison Capitol. The film asks the question “Why should we care about what’s going on in Wisconsin?,” on multiple levels, through an in-depth profile of six leading individuals central to the story: a UW- Madison student leader, a county social worker, a nurse, a high school teacher, a police officer and an unemployed electrician who come out to protest what they see as a direct attack on their livelihood. They all meet inside the capitol over the course of what became an historic twenty-six days, February-March, 2011. The film will also amplify why Wisconsin has become ground zero for so many disparate groups, awakening a sleeping giant of collective voices, alarmed and angry at the new hyper-conservative wave of local government sweeping the Midwest. At a time when mass demonstrations have become increasingly rare in America, this film will explore what it takes to spark a social movement. Some are calling what happened in Wisconsin an Egypt-like uprising in American politics, where collective public outrage transforms a nation.
We Are Wisconsin premiered at Toronto’s HOT DOCS to sold-out audiences and received standing ovations at all three screenings.
Amie on KPFK
Cinema blographer Named it “Best Film at Hot Docs”
“Wisconsin deserves the title for how perfectly it captures the cultural and political atmosphere of contemporary AmericaThe fiery conviction of its subjects is inspiring and I think that Wisconsin is a film that can really make a difference…” www.cinemablographer.com
ArT and Threat
“The film is magnificently shot…”
We Are Wisconsin In the News
http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/govt-and-politics/politiscope/madison-politiscope-vigil-commemorates-passage-of-bill-limiting-collective-bargaining/article_9e6262ee-6a5b-11e1-83be-001871e3ce6c.html
Cap Times
http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/govt-and-politics/politiscope/madison-
politiscope-vigil-commemorates-passage-of-bill-limiting-collective-
Dane 1010 Blog
http://dane101.com/arts/2012/03/05/documentary_film_we_are_wisconsin_takes_teamwork_up_to_the_last_minute
The Peoples Mic – WXXM-FM
www.themic921.com
International Labor Radio
Podcast Night of Madison Screening
http://www.themic921.com/player/?station=WXXM-
FM&program_name=podcast&program_id=thepeoplesmic.xml&mid=21895561
The Toronto Star
http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/1165099–10-hot-docs-documentaries-to-
watch
http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/1165101–toronto-s-hot-docs-
documentaries-bear-witness-to-history “A doc that makes you want to occupy”
Art Threat
http://tinyurl.com/6lrju3s
“This is what documentary filmmaking is all about…one of the strongest films to screen at Hot Docs so far. This is a provocative, convincing story of about the power of democracy and what every individual can do to effect change.”
Cinema Blographer
http://tinyurl.com/7lds2jc
Press+ 1 Interview
http://www.pressplus1.com/hot-docs-2012/interview-amie-williams-we-are-wisconsin
Best of the Fest
http://tinyurl.com/cpftrkm
Traverse City
http://peoplesworld.org/progressive-cinema-occupy-stars-in-traverse-city/
http://www.mynorth.com/My-North/August-2012/Traverse-City-Film-Festival-2012-
We-Are-Wisconsin/
New Horizons, Iran
http://www.payvand.com/news/12/sep/1071.html
Swedish Review
http://www.manifesttidsskrift.no/filmomtale-we-are-wisconsin/
Canada
Hamilton, Ontario Panel and Screening, Audio Podcast
http://www.staffroomradio.com/srr-02-civics-pd
http://www.thespec.com/news/local/article/817633–activists-accuse-mcguinty-of-
worsening-poverty-with-changes-to-benefits
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9jiokdcqh4
http://flixchatter.net/2012/10/15/tcff-day-3-reviews-of-quartet-and-we-are-wisconsin-
documentary/
http://www.qpsactionnow.org/news/canadian-tour-we-are-wisconsin-documentary-
arrives-northern-ontario
The Concordian
http://theconcordian.com/2012/11/the-wisconsin-uprising-a-democratic-fight-for-
workers-rights/
St Louis
http://tinyurl.com/d3rlf2s
Reel life with Jane, Best Docs of 2012
http://www.reellifewithjane.com/2012/12/best-20-documentaries-of-2012-jiro-dreams-
of-sushi-queen-of-versailles-more/
Peoples World, Top Ten
http://www.peoplesworld.org/top-ten-films-from-2012-progressives-should-see/
Daily Kos
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/03/08/1192582/-See-We-Are-Wisconsin-Free-Online-through-3-11
MoveOn.org
http://front.moveon.org/warning-you-may-actually-weep-while-watching-the-film-
version-of-wisconsins-epic-uprising
The Nation – John Nichols article
http://www.thenation.com/blog/173272/recommitment-american-ideal-labor-rights-are-human-rights#
Storify
http://storify.com/wearewithefilm/31113
Major Screenings
Organizations that Supported, through tweeting, blogging, featuring on their home page, sending out email blast, and supporting:
