Film Description

The Uprising of '34 is a startling new documentary that sheds light on urgent issues facing the people of the South - and the nation as a whole.

The Uprising of '34 tells the story of the General Strike of 1934, a massive but little-known strike by hundreds of thousands of Southern cotton mill workers during the Great Depression. The mill workers' defiant stance - and the remarkable grassroots organizing that led up to it - challenged a system of mill owner control that had shaped life in cotton mill communities for decades.

After three weeks, the strike was stopped... put down with intimidation, national guards, and even murder. Many of its leaders were fired, blacklisted, evicted from their homes, and ostracized by their communities.

Sixty years later, a dark cloud still hangs over this event. Even in towns where it took place, The Uprising of '34 is spoken of only in whispers, if at all. And for those who do know about it, a mythology has spread which tells only of danger and violence.

Through the voices of people on all sides of the remarkable story, and a rare portrait of the dynamics of life in mill communities, The Uprising of '34 offers a penetrating look at class, race, and power in working communities throughout America, and invites the viewer to consider how those issues affect us today. The film raises critical questions about the role of history in our lives, and demonstrates how an understanding of history is essential to making democracy work today.