The Riot Tapes (1984)

The Riot Tapes (1984) offers a sharp and ironic take on Segalove’s college years during the Vietnam War protests. Using the aesthetics of 1980s television, Segalove reenacts the clichés of 1960s campus life—sex, drugs, politics, and love—with satirical humor. Employing reenactments and archival footage to recount the artist’s political involvement in college, her boyfriend’s becoming-anorexic while dieting to evade the draft, and her discovery that art could offer her a space for political commentary, the work not only critiques the sentimentalization of ’60s activism but also interrogates how the Reagan era reshaped public memory, turning a deeply personal lens onto the political and cultural fissures of both decades. - Amant

Director: Ilene Segalove
Runtime: 30 min
Release Date:
Language: English
Original Language: en
More Films by Director: Ilene Segalove

Frequently Asked Questions

What is The Riot Tapes about?
The Riot Tapes (1984) offers a sharp and ironic take on Segalove’s college years during the Vietnam War protests. Using the aesthetics of 1980s television, Segalove reenacts the clichés of 1960s campus life—sex, drugs, politics, and love—with satirical humor. Employing reenactments and archival footage to recount the artist’s political involvement in college, her boyfriend’s becoming-anorexic while dieting to evade the draft, and her discovery that art could offer her a space for political commentary, the work not only critiques the sentimentalization of ’60s activism but also interrogates how the Reagan era reshaped public memory, turning a deeply personal lens onto the political and cultural fissures of both decades. - Amant
Who directed The Riot Tapes?
The Riot Tapes was directed by Ilene Segalove.
How long is The Riot Tapes?
The Riot Tapes has a runtime of 30m (30 minutes).