It's 1968. In the wake of widespread civil strife, Brandeis University decides to document the realities of law and order in a typical American city. They choose Pittsburgh. The result is a remarkable portrait of a city and its police force. Embedding his crew mainly on the North Side, filmmaker John Marshall’s camera witnesses domestic conflicts and questionable police tactics, day-to-day squabbles and violent encounters. Glimpses of the city and its people reveal how much has changed in 50-plus years, and how much is just the same.
At long last, Pittsburgh Police 1969 will screen publicly, in two feature-length programs. Following the Sept 23 & 24 screenings will be refreshments and discussions of the impact of cameras—body cams, phones, surveillance, etc.—on policing and criminal justice:
- Friday, Sept 23: "Cops and Cameras" A conversation with Christopher Ragland, Zone 3 Commander with the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and Elaine Frantz, Kent State historian writing a history of the police in Pittsburgh.
- Saturday, Sept 24: "Cameras as Witnesses" a conversation with Elizabeth LaForgia, Chief Investigator, Allegheny County Public Defender's Office, and Norm Conti, Professor of Sociology at Duquesne University.
Comments
My wife was especially impressed that there was little evidence of the yinzer dialect; but I distinctly remember the yinzer dialect.