Phil Ochs: There But for Fortune

The story

From civil rights to the anti-war movement to the struggles of workers, folksinger Phil Ochs wrote topical songs that engaged his audiences in the issues of the 1960s and 70s. In this biographical documentary, veteran director Kenneth Bowser shows how Phil's music and his fascinating life story and eventual decline into depression and suicide were intertwined with the history-making events that defined a generation. Even as his contemporaries moved into folk-rock and pop music, Phil followed his own vision, challenging himself and his listeners. Not one to pull punches, Ochs never achieved the commercial success he desperately desired. But his music remains relevant, reaching new audiences in a generation that finds his themes all too familiar.

Cast & crew

Phil OchsSelf (archive footage)

Tom Paxton

Tom PaxtonSelf

Jello BiafraSelf

Christopher HitchensSelf

Billy BraggSelf

Joan BaezSelf

Ed SandersSelf

Pete SeegerSelf

Sean PennSelf

Abbie HoffmanSelf (archive footage)

Paul KrassnerSelf

Larry SlomanSelf