I Know I'm Not Alone

Warning: Anti-War topics at hand.

I just got done watching the Michael Franti documentary I Know I'm Not Alone, and I have to say, I'm impressed. I knew the movie would be moving, as it has a touchy subject, but I didn't expect it to be so good.

For those who don't know, Michael Franti is the lead singer of a band named Spearhead, a band who classifies themselves as "political, hip-hop, jam." Quite a mouthful. They're also just a plain great band, and put on arguably the best live show I've ever seen.

In the summer of 2004, Franti and about 10 friends went on a two-week trek thru the streets of Baghdad, Israel, and the Gaza Strip. Just him, them, his guitar & a camera. He interviewed people. Victims of bombings. Soldiers. Widows. Children. Restaurant owners. Taxi Drivers. Israelis. Palastenians. Pro-American folk. Anti-Americans. And he got their views on what's going on with the world.

The end result was this 90 minute documentary. Franti is an admitted outspoken liberal, and this movie does nothing to hide that. But if you don't like that, and are able to just put that aside for 90 minutes, you'll see there is more to the movie than just anti-war propaganda. There is a bunch of good messages hidden in there. And if you're liberal, well then, you should have no problem convincing yourself to check this movie out.

And for all his anti-war sentiment that he has shown, Franti actually does a good job putting that to the back, and just listening to every side of it. And it effects him. In the end, he says "I'm neither for America, Iraq, Israel nor Palastein. I'm for peace, and whichever country takes the first step towards reaching it." Whether left or right, I think that's what everyone wants.

Oh yea, and there are like 8 new spearhead songs on the soundtrack, which is also a huge added benefit for watching this movie!