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Oscar Zeta Acosta and the Los Angeles Chicano civil rights movement

By Lauren D.
March 20, 2018
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Best known for his volatile friendship with legendary journalist-provocateur, Hunter S. Thompson, Oscar Zeta Acosta was a lawyer, author, and countercultural icon. Writer of two groundbreaking autobiographical novels, Acosta's powerful literary voice, brash courtroom style and notorious revolutionary antics made him a revered figure within the Chicano Movement, and offered one of the most brazen, frontal assaults on white supremacy seen at the time.

Still many remember Acosta as Thompson's bumbling Samoan sidekick in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, rather than for his own work exposing racial bias, hypocrisy, and repression within the California justice system. Rise and Fall of the Brown Buffalo (Friday, March 23, 9:00 p.m.) sets out to right this historical wrong, giving Acosta his due place as an imperfect, but larger-than-life figure in American history. Channeling the spirit of the psychedelic 60s and the joyful irreverence of Gonzo journalism, the film also shows Acosta's personal and creative evolution play out against the backdrop of a society in turmoil. Relevant now more than ever, this untold story probes issues of racial identity, criminal justice, and media representation, while revealing the personal story of a troubled and brilliant man coming to terms with his identity and finding meaning in the struggles of his people.

The map above depicts important locations to the Chicano civil rights movement in Los Angeles, as well as sites where you can see this film in person.

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