“Citizen George” is a well-timed documentary that offers important lessons for navigating today’s era of political conflict with hope and courage.
- Waging Nonviolence
Since the age of 19, George has been conscious of his life’s purpose—to use whatever gifts he has to work for justice and peace. Today, at 86 years of age, George’s message of a nonviolent revolution is more urgent than ever.
CITIZEN GEORGE presents the life and work of Philadelphia-based Quaker activist George Lakey, a non-violent revolutionary who has worked his entire life for justice and peace, guided by his ideal of societal transformation. The film moves back and forth in time, highlighting specific events of George’s activist life—including fighting for civil rights, anti-Vietnam War activism, LGBTQ rights, human rights in Sri Lanka and climate justice. In addition to detailing his life as an activist, CITIZEN GEORGE tells George’s personal journey as a husband, father and out gay man. Animated sequences, inspired by graphic novels, illustrate scenes from George’s life. His story provides life-giving lessons to those struggling to make sense of the current troubling political climate, illuminate a path forward, and inspire those willing to work for change to face today’s moment.
CITIZEN GEORGE builds a life, layer by layer. It is a portrait of a rebel with a mission and an uncanny skill for serving up whatever the situation needs—fire or water, heat or cold—by asking himself, “Where can I make a contribution? Where am I led?”
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The Director
CITIZEN GEORGE is directed by Glenn Holsten, a storyteller who creates human-driven films from the arts to the sciences. Glenn has directed nearly two dozen full-length documentaries that have been screened at film festivals, broadcast on public television and cable television, and now are featured on a multitude of streaming platforms. Glenn’s work centers around issues of social justice, mental health and the arts. He is drawn to stories of beauty and struggle, recovery and hope.
Glenn has directed dozens of award-winning short films, including Beyond the Bullet: Gun Violence Survivors Speak; We Breathe, We Live: Brotherly Love Protest Stories, a film that uses the power of storytelling to present the first-person experiences of men who participated in the Black Lives Matters protests in Philadelphia during the summer of 2020. Glenn is currently directing a documentary about Kiyoshi Kuromiya, the Philadelphia-based Japanese American author, civil rights, anti-war, gay liberation and HIV/AIDS activist.
Click here to see the trailer for Holsten's latest film Jamie Wyeth and the Unflinching Eye, which depicts the life and work of Jamie Wyeth, heir to a three-generation dynasty of painters, who has carved out a singular path in the art world.