Boston, MA: "The Airwaves Belonged to the People: WBCN and The American Revolution" is coming to Maine. The acclaimed documentary chronicles the early days of the legendary Boston-based rock station that redefined radio’s relationship with its listeners and helped fuel the political, social, and cultural movements that transformed America in the late 1960's and early 1970's.

The film will screen at the Maine Film Center in Waterville, July 3-9, and at the Harbor Theater in Boothbay Harbor on July 8. For tickets and showtimes, please visit https://theamericanrevolution.fm/

“I’m thrilled to bring 'The Airwaves Belonged to the People: WBCN and the American Revolution to Maine',” says Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Bill Lichtenstein. “WBCN was a community of young people, musicians, journalists, activists, and listeners who believed the airwaves could belong to the people. Its impact stretched across New England and the nation. At a time when many Americans feel powerless, the film is a reminder of how media, dissent, music, and collective action can bring social change.”

The documentary first enjoyed a successful film festival run in 2018. It was later distributed to PBS stations nationwide and accompanied by a companion book from MIT Press/Penguin Random House, WBCN and the "American Revolution: How a Radio Station Defined Politics, Counterculture and Rock and Roll." An initial theatrical release in 2020 was cut short by the Covid pandemic, but the film has now returned to theaters, with packed houses and rousing screenings.

The film’s return to theaters is part of a New England release aimed at building toward a national rollout. Its focus on independent media, dissent, democracy, and the power of people to use media for social change has struck a powerful chord with audiences: clips from the film posted on Instagram have drawn more than 150,000 views from around the country.

The film draws on more than 100,000 audio and visual items from the era, including never-before-exhibited footage shot by Andy Warhol. It features Bruce Springsteen’s first radio interview and live in-studio performance, Patti Smith’s first live radio broadcast with her band, and rare archival material from Jane Fonda, Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Garcia, David Bowie, Bette Midler, and Lou Reed. The documentary tells the story of how radio, politics, and rock and roll converged at a turbulent moment in American history.