This experimental 1970 color documentary film, ostensibly designed to provoke classroom discussion employs a boldly unconventional approach to addressing the issues of drug addiction, featuring the music of Canadian singer-songwriter Bruce Cockburn. The film eschews narration for montage effects and extended fly-on-the-wall scenes of various drug users in conversation (TRT: 27:54). The film was produced by Robert Appelbe (now part of Norflicks Productions Ltd.), written and directed by Kris Paterson, with director of photography Henry Fiks and editor Ron Wisman.

Opening images of dead fish on a beach. Opening titles: “US, a film by Kris Paterson.” Auto wreckage in a junkyard serve as a metaphor for waste and destruction (0:23). Lens flare and an audio collage of tragic news announcements (1:32). A young woman walks urban streets to the music of Bruce Cockburn, passing “Anne’s Hairstyling, Snell’s Wear, Walgreen Fish & Chips, Ian’s Variety” (2:43). Closeup on muddy tires. A montage of cars on a freeway, people on an escalator, pedestrians in motion, drug advertisements, tobacco cigarette smokers, pollution (4:17). Junk food, broken windows, stained glass, urban factory smokestacks, headlines, newsmagazines, a baby doll among rubble, construction machinery at work, bottles of liqueur (5:20). Blur effects, syringes (6:25). Young mothers review and discuss a Time magazine article (6:35). Young “hippie” men and women with long hair sit on a floor, smoking and passing a marijuana joint (7:24). These two contrasting scenes are intercut (8:10). Children peer into paper bags, covering their heads. The conversations continue (8:30). The hippies review an illustrated guide to drugs. A girl shoots up heroin using a syringe (9:40). Youths gather on a street corner. A transaction with a drug dealer (10:56). The mothers discuss the privilege of children. A protest demonstration. The hippies have the first Jefferson Airplane album on display (11:05). British men discuss advertising via psychedelic posters over alcoholic beverages. Moire effects with concentric circles. Extreme closeups on eyes during a discussion of LSD trips (11:53). A hippie advocates for acid and marijuana (12:40). Beer drinkers chug a tray of drinks and belch with appreciation, then break into a song half-heartedly. Closeup on glasses of beer (13:35). The British man discusses his wife’s use of diet pills (14:46). One of the mothers pops pills (15:33). The Brit’s companion wears glasses and slurs his words (17:03). The hippies discuss public displays of affection (17:30). One of the beer drinkers blacks out. Cross-cutting intensifies (18:14). A young man ties off his arm with a belt tourniquet and prepares an injection while sitting on a toilet in a bathroom. The shot triggers a montage of images of urban decay (19:16). The voices of children sing a song about marijuana and LSD to the tune of “London Bridges Falling Down” (19:50). The beer drinkers discuss drunk driving. The hippies continue “rapping about drugs.” The drinkers discuss heroin addiction while grabbing for cigarettes, arguing “addiction can be anything” (20:23). Montages intrude on the conversation as it turns to the United States Vietnam War draft (22:30). The British man leaves a table of empty glasses. Nightclub signs. The hippies go for a drive in a Pontiac GTO convertible. Neon signs (23:37). The British man brushes his teeth at home while arguing with his wife (24:28). The young heroin user walks the illuminated city streets at night. Out of focus light bulbs cycle and flicker in strobing patterns (25:25). End credits. (25:35). Thanks to sponsors: “The producer wishes to thank the Addiction Research Foundation of Ontario, Uniterre Productions Ltd., Relay Investments Ltd., The United Church of Canada” (27:24).

We encourage viewers to add comments and, especially, to provide additional information about our videos by adding a comment! See something interesting? Tell people what it is and what they can see by writing something for example: “01:00:12:00 — President Roosevelt is seen meeting with Winston Churchill at the Quebec Conference.”

This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com