Posted: 01/26/2008

Caravan/Prague

(2008)

by Katie Morris

Zack Winestine filmed Caravan/Prague from his bicycle. Joining a group of like-minded activists, he rides from Hanover to Prague to protest the IMF/World Bank summit in 2000. Following the protests in Seattle the year before, the government and police are under great pressure to maintain control, and keep bad press (and activists) away.

The film opens with a scene from the Free Trade summit in Quebec in 2001. A sea of protestors stands in front of a tall chain-linked fence. Behind the fence is a long line of police in riot gear. A few protestors hoisting a couch make their way toward the fence. They set the couch on fire, and the police retaliate by shooting off canisters of something. The crowd gradually disperses. Cut to a plane the previous year.

Receiving a message from an activist email list, Zack Winestine decides to participate in history and join a bicycle caravan featuring the motto “Money or Life.” Without money or leaders, but wagons and an old gypsy caravan featuring solar panels to power the stereo, the group begins their five hundred mile journey. Along the way, the group hands out leaflets, finds food (often in supermarket dumpsters), and agrees unanimously on every decision made.

The caravan trails through charming small German towns and the countryside. Sleeping in squats and occasional hostels, the caravan makes its way to the Czech border, wondering all the way if they will be allowed to cross. Having prior warning of their itinerary, the police frequently escort them through town, and also stop them for inspections. In one case, they charge the bicyclers without warning.

The documentary gives an engaging view into the journey to and the protest in Prague. Aside from our narrator, the film never follows or gets to know any particular person. Instead, it chronicles the clash of non-personal, groupthink mentalities and ideals. Seeing this film, I realized to my surprise that I felt empathy toward the police—at least in some scenes as the caravan travels through Germany. It’s clear they don’t know what to do, and their wary, exasperated expressions say it all as they watch this strange group pass through. On the other hand, there are also definite instances of police brutality included here, and the lively, singing and fire-swinging activists are easy to care about.

Ultimately, I wanted to know more about these people, and actually get a full range of characters involved in this. But there was no individual human story—just a story about civilization and what happens when two opposing sides meet. The result is no surprise—they clash. Winestine’s enjoyable narration and this opportunity to protest with a lively group of activists (without the police watching) make the film worth viewing.

Katie Morris is a freelance writer and film critic in Chicago.

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