Positive Force: More Than A Witness (2014/PM Press/MVD DVD)

Picture: B- Sound: C Extras: B- Film: B-

30 Years of Punk Politics in Action...

This feature-length film by indie filmmaker Robin Bell skillfully mixes rare archival footage (including electrifying live performances from Fugazi, Bikini Kill, One Last Wish, Nation of Ulysses, Crispus Attucks, Anti-Flag, and more) with new interviews with key PF activists and supporters. The project was funded on Kickstarter in 2011 for only 16 thousand!

Covering a span of 25 years, More Than A Witness documents the life and times of punk rock activist collective Positive Force DC. If you are unfamiliar with Positive Force, it is a Punk activist collective in Washington DC that emerged in 1985, rising from the creative, politically-charged ferment of DC punk's Revolution Summer. Born in a dynamic local scene sparked by Bad Brains, Minor Threat, and Rites of Spring, a handful of young activists also drew inspiration from UK anarcho-punks Crass and the original Positive Force band Seven Seconds to become one of the most long-lasting and influential exponents of punk politics. Their motto is to be more than a witness and help out those that are in need.

Through it all, Positive Force has persisted, remaining deeply rooted in their hometown, reaching out to those in need and building bridges between diverse communities, while regularly bringing punk protest to the front doors of the powers-that-be. Encompassing an ever-evolving cast of characters, the all-volunteer group has helped to nurture several generations of activists. In the best punk fashion, PF has applied creative DIY tactics and radical critiques to issues of homelessness, hunger, racism, corporate globalization, sexism, homophobia, war, gentrification, and animal/earth liberation, while struggling to constructively address conflicting dynamics and visions within the group itself.

More Than a Witness documents Positive Force's Reagan-era origins, the creation of its communal house, FBI harassment, and the rise of a vibrant underground that burst into the mainstream amidst controversy over both the means and the ends of the movement. The film is tightly shot and edited but is very short - around 70 minutes which is perfect for a film of this subject.

Sound and Picture are standard for DVD with a 1.78 X 1/16 X 9 anamorphic widescreen with a 1.77:1 aspect ratio and a lossy Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo track.

Extras include:

Wake Up! A Profile of Positive Force

Green Hair, Gray Hair

Punks, Votes, Rios

Live at Positive Force with bonus performances by Fugazi, Seven Seconds, Chumbawamba, Anti-Flag, Soulside, The Evens, and Defeaters.

If you're punk or not, this is an interesting documentary on a compelling political subject and is a well executed documentary on the subject.

- James Harland Lockhart V

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