"Mic Check: Documentary Shorts from the Occupy Movement" (2012) is a collection of short films, made by Occupy protestors on the ground, tells the story of the movement in real time. While the films range in length from just one to ten minutes, their combined force is spellbinding. Together they show how a fledgling movement came out of nowhere to challenge Wall Street's rapacious and predatory practices, force economic inequality and corporate greed onto the mainstream political agenda, and capture the imagination of the world. The result is a fascinating and multifaceted portrait of one of the defining political struggles of our time.

Mic Check is especially suitable for courses in political science, government, economics, history, human rights, sociology, social justice and activism, and for campus event programming dedicated to social issues. The films were curated by Nick Shimkin, a film programmer and writer based in Brooklyn, NY.

This film & discussion series explores the conditions that lead groups to launch revolutions; the ideals that motivate them; and the ways in which movements form and grow. Through the immediacy of film, paired with local expertise and experience, this series uses narrative to bring global stories close to home. 

Featuring:

Sheyda Jahanbani, Associate Professor of History

Jonathan Hagel, Assistant Teaching Professor, History

Alireza Mirzeinezhad, MFA Student, Visual Art