Film Discussion - Reader's Club Activity

The Readers’ Club of the IIS (deemed to be University) organized a group discussion on April 17, 2021 on the American historical legal drama, The Trial of the Chicago 7 directed by Aaron Sorkin. The movie follows the Chicago Seven, a group of anti-Vietnam War protesters charged with conspiracy and crossing state lines with the aim of provoking riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The discussion kick-started with the students discussing about the narrative technique of the film with respect to how it is a non-linear narrative as the movie is hopscotching back and forth in time. The experience of the trial was authenticated by vignettes from the actual riots and trial that took place in the 60s. Each and every character had its individuality and uniqueness, no matter how flawed the character was.

The abuse of power was talked about at length along with the fact that the movie revolved around the trial which was seen as a criminal but was political. Moreover, the corrupt system and the potency of silence to hinder the truth was also discussed. Finally, the students brought in references from Literature and other contemporary films and real-life incidents that have dealt with similar issues to give the session a more inclusive and comprehensive conclusion.

The entire session was moderated by Dr. Rimika Singhvi who guided the students towards the exploration of the genre of historical legal drama and applauded the efforts of the students who actively contributed to the discussion.