The Camden 28 is part of The Human Rights Watch Collection.

Summer, 1971. Protests against the Vietnam war are spreading across America. In Camden, New Jersey, a group of 28 activists, mostly conscientious objectors from the Catholic left, plan to break into a local draft board office and destroy records - striking a blow against the system. But little do they know a mole has infiltrated their operation...and within hours of beginning their mission they are rounded up and arrested by the FBI, under the personal authority of J. Edgar Hoover.

Featuring a treasure trove of archival materials as well as current interviews with members of the Camden 28, scholars such as Howard Zinn, and a former FBI agent involved in the case, this award-winning documentary uncovers a story of potent dissent - one that has special relevance in our current political climate.

WINNER! Jury Prize & Audience Award, Best Documentary- Philadelphia International Film Festival

What the Critics are Saying

"Suspenseful! A brilliant merger of political outrage and filmmaking. Concise and inventive!" - The New York Times

"Devastating emotional power...one riveting, poignant twist after another!" - The Onion

"Fascinating...an inspiration!" - Village Voice

"Gripping and surprisingly timely. A reminder that peace is every bit as patriotic as war."
- WBAI Radio

"Inspiring and, after all these years, relevant." - New York Post

"Stirring, surprising, full of twists and turns, betrayals and redemption. If protest seems futile, The Camden 28 shows how it can be done." - San Francisco Film Society

"First-class! A riveting documentary." - Spirituality & Practice Magazine

"The Camden 28 story is worthy of being remembered because it will help educate the American public about civil disobedience, the importance of protest, and the citizen’s role in a democracy." - Howard Zinn, author of A People’s History of the United States

See details about this film's theatrical run.

Read a letter from the filmmaker.

Read John Dear's review in The National Catholic Reporter.