Phil Ochs: There But for Fortune

Phil Ochs: There But for Fortune

96 mins | Documentary, Music | Jan. 5, 2011

From civil rights to the anti-war movement to the struggles of workers, folksinger Phil Ochs wrote topical songs that engaged his audiences in the issues of the 1960s and 70s. In this biographical documentary, veteran director Kenneth Bowser shows how Phil's music and his fascinating life story and eventual decline into depression and suicide were intertwined with the history-making events that defined a generation. Even as his contemporaries moved into folk-rock and pop music, Phil followed his own vision, challenging himself and his listeners. Not one to pull punches, Ochs never achieved the commercial success he desperately desired. But his music remains relevant, reaching new audiences in a generation that finds his themes all too familiar.

Phil Ochs: There But for Fortune

96 mins | Documentary, Music | Jan. 5, 2011

Phil Ochs: There But for Fortune
From civil rights to the anti-war movement to the struggles of workers, folksinger Phil Ochs wrote topical songs that engaged his audiences in the issues of the 1960s and 70s. In this biographical documentary, veteran director Kenneth Bowser shows how Phil's music and his fascinating life story and eventual decline into depression and suicide were intertwined with the history-making events that defined a generation. Even as his contemporaries moved into folk-rock and pop music, Phil followed his own vision, challenging himself and his listeners. Not one to pull punches, Ochs never achieved the commercial success he desperately desired. But his music remains relevant, reaching new audiences in a generation that finds his themes all too familiar.
IMDb rating 7.8
Producers S2BN Films, Barking Dog Productions
Original title Phil Ochs: There But for Fortune
Directors Kenneth Bowser
Writers Kenneth Bowser

Cast

Phil Ochs

as Self (Archive Footage)

Tom Paxton

as Self

Jello Biafra

as Self

Billy Bragg

as Self

Joan Baez

as Self

Bob Dylan

as Self