99%: The Occupy Wall Street Collaborative Film

99%: The Occupy Wall Street Collaborative Film is a riveting documentary film from 2013, directed by a collective team of talented filmmakers which includes Aaron Aites, Audrey Ewell, Nina Krstic, and Lucian Read. The feature-length documentary offers an absorbing and in-depth exploration of one of the most turbulent periods in recent American history – the Occupy Wall Street Movement that swept through the nation in 2011 and beyond.

Packed with a pensive mix of interviews, on-the-ground action, and thoughtful analysis, the film tries to encapsulate the events, principles, and personal experiences of the Occupy Wall Street protests. It traces the movement from its inception in Zuccotti Park located in New York City's Wall Street financial district, moving across a wide spectrum of American cities where the spirit of containment and resistance was echoed.

In this film, an impressive cast of commentators, including noted journalists Matt Taibbi of Rolling Stone and author/activist Naomi Wolf, offer their insights and narrative guidance. They not only take the audience through the initial catalysts that ignited the Occupy movement but also the ideological framework that formed the impetus for the protests. These insights are enriched with their respective areas of expertise - Naomi's feminist and political commentary and Taibbi's profound understanding of American politics and corporate power structure.

Prominent musician and political activist Boots Riley is also part of the narrative, lending his voice to the cause, and along with others, laying bare the functioning, impact, and legacy of OWS. From these intellectual informants to the otherwise voiceless protestors, the film doesn't shy away from providing a platform to the array of people who took to the streets, believing in the idea that they are the 99%, the vast majority left out by an economic system dominated by the top 1%.

99%: The Occupy Wall Street Collaborative Film draws us into the lived reality of the protestors who made Zuccotti Park their home in the dogged pursuit of systemic change. The filmmakers adroitly capture the encampment's day-to-day life highlighting the sense of solidarity that permeates amidst adversity, the thriving discussions about economic fairness and the palpable defiances against a society perceived as unbalanced. These raw glimpses into the heart of the protest punctuate the film, rendering it as much an observational document as an analytical one.

The challenge of mapping a decentralized, leaderless movement with myriad causes and correlates is met head-on by the filmmakers. The film effectively articulates the scope and potency of the Occupy Wall Street movement without negating the complexities and contradictions inherent to it. This is done through a broad lens approach that captures the diversity of the protestors' grieve, the spectrum of their demands, and the multitude of their voices.

Yet, the film isn't purely an echo chamber for the Occupy movement. It takes a balanced view, incorporating dissenting voices and criticisms within the narrative. The police response, action from authorities, oft-diverse public reception, and mainstream media portrayals also find their place in the documentary, rendering it a holistic perspective rather than a one-sided discourse.

The visual language of the film ranges from aesthetically shot scenes that convey evocative imagery to hand-held cell phone footage that carries an urgency and immediacy representative of the protests. It expertly utilizes a mix of user-generated, on-the-ground footage and paired with the polished camerawork of the filmmakers to create an intimate yet dynamic narrative.

Through its narrative structure, 99%: The Occupy Wall Street Collaborative Film maintains a brisk, engaging pace. Across the documentary, rapid cutting between the on-field action and reflective commentary keeps the narrative both grounded and insightful.

This documentary is a must-watch not only for those interested in understanding the social and political landscape that gave rise to the Occupy Wall Street movement but also for those who wish to interrogate the relationships between economic systems, power structures, and grassroots protest movements on a global scale. It offers a profound and compelling exploration of a movement that resonated globally and altered the discourse around wealth inequality in America and beyond. Told with authenticity and flair, the film is a microcosm of the macrocosm – a deep insight into the 99% who are striving for change.