Riotsville, USA

Riotsville, USA (stylized as RIOTSVILLE, USA) is an American documentary movie. It was completed in 2022. The movie is about "the militarization of the police and the reaction of a nation to the uprisings of the late '60s, creating a counter-narrative to a critical moment in the country's history." It begins showing the "civil unrest in places like Watts and Harlem and how the U.S. military began training for an increased presence in the inner cities." Then it shows "the construction of fake towns, dubbed 'Riotsville,' that the Army and military police used to perform riot control exercises...."

The movie was produced using archival footage from the government and the media. It was directed by Sierra Pettengill. The producers were Jamila Wignot and Sara Archambault. The executive producers were Charlotte Cook and Laura Poitras. It is narrated by Charlene Modeste. The narration was written by Tobi Haslett. The movie was supported by a 2020 grant from the International Documentary Association. Magnolia Pictures scheduled its streaming and limited theatrical release for September 16, 2022.

Riotsville, USA was presented in the "Next" category at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. It was also show at the San Francisco International Film Festival in 2022.

Reception

The movie had mixed but generally positive reviews. Shayna Warner says it "is an impressive weaving of all the moving parts, large and small, that come together to cement one point of view as acceptable." Susannah Gruder called it "a transfixing and troubling archival documentary. . . ." On the other hand, Warren Cantrell found the movie provocative but disorganized and not well focused.