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In September 2011, the Occupy Wall Street movement propelled issues of economic inequality into the spotlight. 99% - The Occupy Wall Street Collaborative Film goes behind the scenes of the movement, revealing what happened and why.

Synopsis

In September 2011, the Occupy Wall Street movement propelled issues of economic inequality into the spotlight. 99% - The Occupy Wall Street Collaborative Film goes behind the scenes of the movement, revealing what happened and why. Personal stories imbue analysis of big picture issues with the real-world struggles of those compelled to take action, speak up, march, and risk arrest and brutality by police forces around the country. Supporters, participants, and critics shed light on why and how this movement took off with such explosive force, and ask what the next phase of the movement might encompass. An unprecedented collaboration of almost 100 filmmakers across the country, the production process of this feature film offers a diverse way of bringing meaning and context to the movement that swept up America, and much of the world, with its story.

Courtesy of Participant Media

During the protests of 2011, Human Rights Watch called on officials to respect the rights of protesters and to ensure transparency in investigations of police misconduct. Human Rights Watch stated that officials should respect protesters' rights to free speech and assembly and prevent and investigate the use of excessive force against them. Apparent police misconduct and the unnecessary use of force in response to ongoing Occupy Wall Street protests around the country heightened the need for vigilance on the part of public officials to ensure that excessive force was neither authorized nor used with impunity.