Phil Ochs: There But for Fortune
From civil rights to the anti-war movement to the struggles of workers, folksinger Phil Ochs wrote topical songs that engaged his audiences in the issues of the 1960s and 70s. In this biographical documentary, veteran director Kenneth Bowser shows how Phil's music and his fascinating life story and eventual decline into depression and suicide were intertwined with the history-making events that defined a generation. Even as his contemporaries moved into folk-rock and pop music, Phil followed his own vision, challenging himself and his listeners. Not one to pull punches, Ochs never achieved the commercial success he desperately desired. But his music remains relevant, reaching new audiences in a generation that finds his themes all too familiar.
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Cast
12 people
Phil Ochs
Self (archive footage)
Tom Paxton
Self
Jello Biafra
Self
Also in
The Last Black Man in San Francisco
Bikini Bandits
Christopher Hitchens
Self
Also in
Where's Elvis This Week?
The Bible: A History
Billy Bragg
Self
Also in
British Film Forever
TFI Friday
Joan Baez
Self
Known for
Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese
Ed Sanders
Self
Also in
Chappaqua
The Queen of Sheba Meets the Atom Man
Pete Seeger
Self
Also in
Down the Tracks: The Music That Influenced Bob Dylan
The Streets of Greenwood
Sean Penn
Self
Known for
Mystic River
The Game
Abbie Hoffman
Self (archive footage)
Also in
Brand X
Paul Krassner
Self
Also in
Revolution: The Legacy of the Sixties
Larry Sloman
Self
Known for
Marty Supreme
Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese
Kenneth Bowser Director
United States release January 5, 2011 · Produced in United States · Production S2BN Films
Production
Barking Dog Productions
Production
S2BN Films
Production
United States
Produced in
Languages
Original language
English
Spoken on screen
English
Release dates
United States · October 1, 2010
Premiere · Woodstock Film Festival
United States · January 5, 2011
Theatrical
More from Kenneth Bowser
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Some details come from TheTVDB.