American Commune

American Commune is a 2013 documentary feature film, directed by the sister duo, Rena Mundo Croshere and Nadine Mundo. This captivating piece solidly narrates the inside story of America's largest commune during its existence, The Farm. The film is, however, much more than just a tale of an experimental commune; deeply personal and introspective, it is a voyage into the heart of alternative living and the will to turn utopian ideals into reality.

The film is unique in that it mixes historical exposition with intimate memoir. Central to its narrative are the Mundo sisters themselves. Born and raised on The Farm, they use the film as a platform to take viewers back to their 'hippie' childhood, examining both the benefits and drawbacks of their unusual upbringing. This intense personal investment provides a deeply inherent emotional touch to the compelling storytelling.

The Farm, the narrative’s epicenter, is known as one of the most prominent social experiments of the last century. It was founded in Tennessee in 1971 by Stephen Gaskin and his followers known as 'Caravaners.' They sought to create an egalitarian society based on principles of non-violence, respect for the earth, and communal living. The Farm began as an experiment but grew into a fully operational commune, with over 1,000 residents at its height. Over time, it developed a comprehensive infrastructure, including schools, a medical facility, and its own specific culture, becoming akin to a small, self-sufficient town.

The Mundo sisters, however, also grapple with the existential conflict of the commune experience. They explore the consequences of economic hardship, ideological fissures, and conflicting personalities that ultimately led to the decline of The Farm. Moreover, they thematically touch upon how 'the individual' negotiates space within a commune, further offering a sharp critique of idealized communal living.

The directors’ personal narrative allows for an evocative exploration of the concepts of home, identity, and belonging, each intertwined with the rise and fall of The Farm. Initially city kids from San Francisco, when the sisters return to The Farm after being alienated for over 20 years, they set about reconciling their past with their present realities, leading to a number of soul-searching moments that serve as reflective pause-points in the narrative.

A strength of American Commune is its rich and effective use of archival footage, some of which comes from their mother's personal collection. Through home videos, original interviews, photographs, television news footage, and personal anecdotes, the Mundo sisters successfully curate an evocative visage of The Farm, bringing to life the joys, hardships, idealism, and the peculiar sense of community.

American Commune amazingly encapsulates the zeitgeist of the '60s and '70s counterculture, which was characterized by a massive push against mainstream constraints, typified by experimentation, a desire to return to nature, break traditional societal norms, and create sustainable communities. The film presents a vivid portrayal of these Utopian ideals, as well as the unvarnished realities behind them.

On a broader societal level, the film subtly reflects on the wider American social, political, and cultural landscape. It considers grand themes such as the struggle between individualism and collectivism, the power and limitations of idealism, the price of radical lifestyle choices, and the meaning of sustainable living. It becomes a prism of larger American narratives shifting the idea of progress, lifestyles, and identity.

Even as it paints a very specific picture of a unique experience, the film also becomes a universally engaging narrative about family, identity, and the pursuit of happiness. Rena and Nadine Mundo’s American Commune is a captivating memoir that serves as a historical record, a self-reflection, and a thought-provoking exploration of an alternative way of life.

Overall, American Commune offers viewers a candid, personal, and multifaceted exploration of counter-culture living that serves as a microcosm to discuss wider societal narratives. It’s an engaging piece of film work that charms, provokes thought, and spurs conversation about the meaning of community, idealism, and identity.