Shaped by the dynamic between two conflicting forces-a vigorous mood of possibility, and an urgent sense of disillusionment born of new and sometimes terrible knowledge-Berkeley was the heart of the American rebellion of the sixties. As the filmmakers note, "At its core (it) was about transformation: a broad, somewhat vague, exploratory impulse having to do more with the soul of America than any specific problem. It was about imagining new ways of living." This interpretive history is structured around interviews with ten people whose political journeys continued throughout the era; articulate, critical, and insightful, their thoughts provide a balance of perspectives for a wealth of archival footage and historical material. Part I: Confronting the University deals with the Free Speech movement as a reaction to McCarthyism and an outgrowth of the Civil Rights movement. Part II, Confronting America, the antiwar rebellion and the rise of the counterculture and Black Panthers. Part III, Confronting History, the growing revolutionary ferment: the Third World Strike and People's Park.