Free Party: A Folk History
REGIONAL PREMIERE
Saturday 3rd May 8:45PM
Unclassified 18+
Aaron Trinder
UK | 2024 | 107
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They wanted the freedom to party. the state saw them as the enemy within. The untold story of the UK Free Party movement.
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An exploration of the rise of the UK Free Party movement, born out of the ashes of the acid house rave scene and fuelled by a rejection of commercialism and mainstream club culture.
Anarchic sound systems like DiY and Spiral Tribe brought together urban ravers and New Age Travellers, blending countercultural movements into massive, word-of-mouth gatherings that peaked with the infamous Castlemorton Common festival in 1992.
Despite facing government crackdowns, arrests, and the Criminal Justice Act, the movement spread globally, inspiring underground youth cultures and massive Teknivals across Europe.
Thirty years later, the film revisits the radical energy of the free party era and its resurgence in response to today’s social and political challenges through interviews with the people at the core of the movement and rare footage.
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