HIT & STAY a history of faith and resistance DIRECTORS: Joe Tropea & Skizz Cyzyk Runtime: 97 minutes Color/B&W/ 8&16mm, SD, & HD video

CONTACT: hitandstay@gmail.com / 443-562-1971 Haricot Vert Films 3700 Beech Ave., Baltimore, MD 21211

LOGLINE: The amazing story of radical priests, nuns, and everyday people who risked prison and took on the government to end the Vietnam War. SHORT SYNOPSIS: On May 17, 1968, nine Catholic activists entered a Selective Service office in suburban Catonsville, Maryland, dragged stacks of Draft Board records out into the parking lot, and set them on fire with homemade napalm. They then prayed, and waited to be arrested. In doing so, they kindled a wave of similar protests against the Vietnam War across the country. HIT & STAY, a new documentary film by Joe Tropea and Skizz Cyzyk, tells the story of the Catonsville Nine and those who joined them through interviews with many of the participants, as well as observers ranging from political critic Noam Chomsky to historian Howard Zinn, as the activists went to prison or underground, tangled with the FBI, and ultimately helped change Americaʼs mind about the war.

The Catonsville Nine Photo by Chris Farlikus

LONG SYNOPSIS: On May 17, 1968, nine Catholic activists entered a Selective Service office in suburban Catonsville, Maryland, dragged stacks of Draft Board records out into the parking lot, and set them on fire with homemade napalm. They then prayed, and waited to be arrested. In doing so, they kindled a wave of similar protests against the Vietnam War across the country that swept up dozens of participants and inspired thousands, and then millions. HIT & STAY, a new documentary film by Joe Tropea and Skizz Cyzyk tells the story of the Nine and those who joined them in protesting the war. The Catonsville Nine action had been preceded by a quartet of activists—including Catonsville Nine participant, Father Philip Berrigan—splashing blood on draft files in nearby Baltimore. But it was Catonsville that galvanized the nonviolent antiwar resistance away from protest marches and toward direct actions by ordinary citizens against draft boards. This new form of protest quickly spread to similar actions in Washington, D.C., New York, Milwaukee, and all across the country, drawing the attention of the Federal Bureau of Investigation as well as the increasingly antiwar American public. Through interviews with many of the participants (as well as observers ranging from linguist political critic Noam Chomsky to historian Howard Zinn), HIT & STAY explores the early actions, the activists going to prison or going under-ground, the FBI’s pushback against the movement, the escalating scale and stakes, and the ultimate victory of the protesters in the trial of the Camden 28.

The Catonsville Nine Photo by Chris Farlekus

The Flower City Conspiracy Photo by Gordon Massecar

The Silver Spring Three Photo by Charles Del Vecchio

The Catonsville Nine Photo by Harold Spicer DIRECTOR BIOS: Joe Tropea (Director, Producer, Writer) is a public historian, writer, and filmmaker. He has been making films and video for over a decade, writes occasionally for the Baltimore City Paper, IndyReader, Baltimore Brew, and the history blog underbelly, and is Curator of Photographs and Moving Images at the Maryland Historical Society. This is his feature directorial debut. Skizz Cyzyk (Director, Editor, Director of Photography, Writer) has held positions at MicroCineFest, Maryland Film Festival, Slamdance, and Atlanta Film Festival. A filmmaker since 1983, his previous films include Freaks In Love, Little Castles, “Managers Corner,” and music videos for Beach House, Young Fresh Fellows, and many others. He writes for music and film magazines, is on the Board of Directors for Maryland Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, and performs music with Go Pills, The Jennifers, Garage Sale, and Mink Stole & Her Wonderful Band.

Milwaukee 14 Photos by Gary Ballsipier

Women Against Daddy Warbucks Photos by C. Pekalis (L) and John Goodwin (R)

CAST: Joel Andreas, JHU professor Bill Ayers, Weather Underground

Organization Les Bayless, Silver Spring 3 Dan Berrigan, Catonsville 9 Frida Berrigan, daughter of Phil Berrigan &

Liz McAlister Jerry Berrigan, son of Phil Berrigan & Liz

McAlister Phil Berrigan, Baltimore 4, Catonsville 9 Willa Bickham, support activist Dick Bidwell, East Coast Conspiracy to Save

Lives Noam Chomsky, MIT Ramsey Clark, former U.S. Attorney General Thom Clark, The Four of Us Paul Couming, multi-action activist Shawn Donovan, Delaware actions Barbara Dougherty, multi-action activist Dave Eberhardt, Baltimore 4 Jerry Elmer, multi-action activist Sarah Fahy, East Coast Conspiracy to Save

Lives Jim Forest, Milwaukee 14 Maggie Geddes, Women Against Daddy

Warbucks Ted Glick, multi-action activist Bob Good, Camden 28 Jim Good, multi-action activist Amy Goodman, host Democracy Now! Clare Grady, daughter of John & Teresa

Grady Ellen Grady, daughter of John & Teresa

Grady John Grady Jr., son of John & Teresa Grady Teresa Grady, wife of John Grady Alva Grubb, Catonsville jurist Jim Harney, Milwaukee 14 John Hogan, Catonsville 9

Kathy Kelly, Voices for Creative Nonviolence Joann Malone, DC9 Doug Marvy, Milwaukee 14 Fr. Paul Mayer, Hoover Vacuum Conspiracy Delmar "Molly" Mayfield, retired FBI agent Liz McAlister, Delaware actions Edward McGowan, multi-action activist Patrick McGrath, reporter WBAL-TV (retired) George McVey, support activist Margarita "Marjorie" Melville, Catonsville 9 Thomas Melville, Catonsville 9 James Mengel, Baltimore 4 George Mische, Catonsville 9 Helene Mische, support activist Terry Neist, FBI agent retired Joan Nicholson, multi-action activist Ciaron OʼReilly, Catholic Worker/Christian

anarchist William O'Rourke, author Dean Pappas, support activist Baltimore 4 &

Catonsville 9 Richard “Dick” Rodgers, retired FBI agent Stephen Sachs, Prosecutor Baltimore 4 &

Catonsville 9 Marc Steiner, radio talk show host DeCourcy Squire, Flower City Conspiracy John Swinglish, multi-action activist Joby Taylor, UMBC professor Brendan Walsh, support activist Baltimore 4

& Catonsville 9 Rev. Joseph Wenderoth, East Coast

Conspiracy to Save Lives Laura Whitehorn, Weather Underground

Organization Grenville Whitman, support activist

Catonsville 9 & DC9 Xenia Williams, multi-action activist Howard Zinn, historian

Catonsvile Nine counter-protesters Photo by William Morgenstern

CONTACT:

hitandstay@gmail.com / 443-562-1971 Haricot Vert Films 3700 Beech Ave., Baltimore, MD 21211

www.hitandstay.com