San Francisco Jewish Film Festival
Official Selection
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Commune2006
In 1968, two hippies hiking near Mt. Shasta in Northern California stumbled across an unlikely property for sale: an abandoned goldmine and surrounding land, 300 acres for $22,000. Fueled by contributions from the Doors, the Monkees, Frank Zappa and others, they bought the property and named it Black Bear Ranch. It quickly became the prototypical 1960s commune, with the motto “Free Land for Free People.” Utopian communities have always been a part of the United States, but in the 60’s and 70’s their audacious goal was to reshape the world with free love and common property, creating a revolutionary movement that would spread to the rest of society. But utopia is different for each person, and these experiments often brought strife, jealousy and sometimes even endangered lives.
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1 member likes this review
Born in 1952, I idealized the commune concept and for some years thought about starting or becoming a member of one. Living in Cleveland, OH I sometimes visited "Cat City", which seemed to be a vaguely organized community in one house located in East Cleveland. In Cincinnati, OH i found a group organized around a communal restaurant, although they didn't have a common living area.
I suspect the film doesn't portray the conflict and bitter episodes that must have taken place; human beings are not emotionally neat and tidy. They still have reunions so harsh words and feelings have been accommodated over the years. I was impressed by the growth of the women as they moved into traditional male roles and gained power. I appreciated the freedom given the children and the freedom they had to live as they wished,
I liked the child birth and midwifery that arose. While living in Cincinnati, OH I became aware of the Gaskin farm commune. I own a copy of their book, "Spiritual Midwifery" which taught the skills based on the practical situations they encountered in the practice of birthing children. As a result of that book we had two children at home and one in the hospital. I believe birthing at home is best. Your child is with you from the moment of birth, not swaddled in a blanket and put in a nursery, appearing only to breast feed.
People castigate the Sixties and as we're now discovering, some have become piranha, financially devouring the Boomers around them.
Fine move that contemporary people will find puzzling.
top reviewer
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Member Reviews (8)
top reviewer
Born in 1952, I idealized the commune concept and for some years thought about starting or becoming a member of one. Living in Cleveland, OH I sometimes visited "Cat City", which seemed to be a vaguely organized community in one house located in East Cleveland. In Cincinnati, OH i found a group organized around a communal restaurant, although they didn't have a common living area.
I suspect the film doesn't portray the conflict and bitter episodes that must have taken place; human beings are not emotionally neat and tidy. They still have reunions so harsh words and feelings have been accommodated over the years. I was impressed by the growth of the women as they moved into traditional male roles and gained power. I appreciated the freedom given the children and the freedom they had to live as they wished,
I liked the child birth and midwifery that arose. While living in Cincinnati, OH I became aware of the Gaskin farm commune. I own a copy of their book, "Spiritual Midwifery" which taught the skills based on the practical situations they encountered in the practice of birthing children. As a result of that book we had two children at home and one in the hospital. I believe birthing at home is best. Your child is with you from the moment of birth, not swaddled in a blanket and put in a nursery, appearing only to breast feed.
People castigate the Sixties and as we're now discovering, some have become piranha, financially devouring the Boomers around them.
Fine move that contemporary people will find puzzling.
1 member likes this review
top reviewer
There seems to be so little of a connection between the past and the present. The now adult children didn't come out of the experience very different from other people without the commune experience. Just like America just seems a bit further down the same sewer.
Like joining a coffee shop geezer table for an hour or two. (....and I'm of the era.)
GOOD
A little boring
great
A great peek back at the 60's
Some nice footage and interviews. Very badly edited, should have been at least 15 min shorter. Lame soundtrack.