Can the camera lens capture an historical revolution in real time? To what extent can celluloid immortalize the winds of change? Four decades after his mother visited China, Brazilian filmmaker João Moreira Salles discovers movies she shot there, and wonders if she knew she was witnessing the start of a revolution. The conundrum leads Salles to look at rare and fascinating films documenting revolutions that took place around the world in the 1960s: the students’ protest in Paris, the Soviet invasion that crushed the Prague Spring, and uprisings in Brazil. Through a distinctive combination of archival footage and insightful historical commentary, Salles creates a unique and captivating documentary.

Can the camera lens capture an historical revolution in real time? To what extent can celluloid immortalize the winds of change? Four decades after his mother visited China, Brazilian filmmaker João Moreira Salles discovers movies she shot there, and wonders if she knew she was witnessing the start of a revolution. The conundrum leads Salles to look at rare and fascinating films documenting revolutions that took place around the world in the 1960s: the students’ protest in Paris, the Soviet invasion that crushed the Prague Spring, and uprisings in Brazil. Through a distinctive combination of archival footage and insightful historical commentary, Salles creates a unique and captivating documentary.