About Us

The Alexander Berkman Social Club is a group of anarchists who want to talk about what anarchism is, how anarchists see things and what anarchy could look like. Named after the editor of San Francisco’s mighty The Blast, we hope to have continual monthly meetings that are open to all. If you come you’ll get a membership card, the chance to win thousands of dollars (alright – the odd book or two) and hopefully something to think about and act on. You failed the audition for “So You Think You Can Dance,” and you just don’t seem with it. Don’t worry. The ABSC will have you. See you there!

Monday, October 20, 2008

Lucio - tomorrow night at Roxie (SF)

Tomorrow night the 7th Annual San Francisco International Documentary Film Festival will be screening Lucio, a documentary about the anarchist expropriator Lucio Urtubia, at the Roxie Cinema. More information can be found at the film’s web site. From the film festival synopsis:


Lucio Uturbia’s working-class roots sapped his faith in capitalist and religious institutions. His upbringing under Franco’s regime drew him towards the philosophical tenets of anarchism. And his talent for forgery helped him to cripple the world’s largest bank. The story of how this bricklayer with a skill for forgery brought down powerful institutions without resorting to violence is riveting and inspiring.

The stunning style of the film matches the rapid and almost unimaginable trajectory of Lucio’s tale. Testimony from Lucio and his cohorts intermingle with a mesmerizing procession of archival evidence and tasteful re-enactments. Directors Aitor Arregi and Jose Mari Goenaga create tension and excitement without sacrificing gravitas or distracting us from the simple lessons at the heart of the film—difficult feats to achieve in the face of such drama.

The sensibility of this former fugitive is pure and enchanting: fight power altruistically without ever aspiring to hold power. In this context, Lucio’s fate makes perfect sense, and his fight on behalf of anarchism comes across as a sober commitment to a solid philosophy, not as the empty gestures of a marginalized troublemaker. With great respect for the fight against political, economic and social injustice in Spain and around the world, LUCIO chronicles one man but recognizes a global struggle.

-Deborah L. Jaramillo, SilverDocs

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