The Whole World Was and Is Watching

Since my initial introduction fourteen years ago, my relationship to the story of The Trial of the Chicago 7 has changed significantly. When we began shooting last winter, we knew the story we were telling was not only an important chapter of American history, but was plenty relevant to current events. We certainly didn’t need it to get more relevant, but it did. To commemorate the anniversary of the verdict in this historic trial, we’ve made the film available on YouTube for 48 hours starting Friday, February 19th at 12:00am PT, remembering the real patriots who inspired a generation - actually, generations - to take to the streets and uphold the foundations of our US Constitution, along with the courageous voices that continue to do so today. It’s our honor to share their story with the world. 

JOIN US FOR A GLOBAL VIEWING EVENT FOR THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7

AARON SORKIN

When we began shooting The Trial of the Chicago 7, each of us knew that we were in rare territory. We knew that the story we were telling was not only an important chapter of American history, but also chillingly relevant to current events.

ALEX SHARP

51 years ago this month, the whole world watched as a group of men awaited the verdict in what we now know as the trial of the Chicago 7.

EDDIE REDMAYNE 

They had come to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago to peacefully protest the Vietnam War and they were attacked, beaten, arrested and tried for exercising their rights protected under the Constitution.

JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT

Their crime was speaking truth to power in a divided nation. 

KELVIN HARRISON JR.

That certainly rang bells for all of us, and as strikingly similar as 1968 and 2016 seemed at the time we made this film, those parallels had nothing on what the summer of 2020 would bring.

SACHA BARON COHEN 

We are proud to honor those men and women who stood in solidarity with their fellow citizens and refused to compromise their principles or relinquish their rights.

JOHN CARROLL LYNCH

And raise our unified voices until we live up to the ideals of this  country, of liberty and justice for all. 

JEREMY STRONG

And thank you to Tom Hayden, to Rennie Davis, to Abbie Hoffman, to David Dellinger, to John Froines, to Lee Weiner, to Bobby Seale, and to Jerry Rubin for standing up in the face of injustice. They say history has a tendency to repeat itself, unless we can learn from it by telling its most important stories. 

YAHYA ABDUL-MATEEN II

The events of 1968, 1969 and 1970 revealed injustices and inequalities that continue to this day. And it challenges every generation to march and to raise their voices until America lives up to its founding ideals of liberty and justice for all.    

MICHAEL KEATON 

And as peaceful protests around the world have shown us, people are willing to stand up and  raise their voices to protect their fellow citizens, and to rectify injustices and to heal divides.

AARON SORKIN

Join us for a global viewing event of our film, The Trial of the Chicago 7, in honor of the real patriots who inspired a generation to take to the streets and uphold the foundations of our Constitution. It’s our honor to share this story with the world.

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The Trial of the Chicago 7 will be available on Netflix’s YouTube channel for 48 hours, from February 19 12:00am PT to February 20 11:59pm PT.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHiisoYdp8g&feature=emb_title