Screening of Sam Katz's documentary episode 'Liberation' on 1968-1990 Philadelphia, with testimony from people who lived through those conflicts, presented by The Philadelphia Citizen.
The Philadelphia Citizen is screening In Pursuit, Episode 9: Liberation at the Fitler Club on Monday, November 9. It's part of In Pursuit, a ten-part documentary series by historian Sam Katz that's been rolling out throughout 2026, each hour-long episode taking a look at American history from a new angle. Katz produced the series and won the 2021 Library of Congress/Ken Burns Prize for Film; Andrew Ferrett directed it, Nathaniel Popkin wrote it, and Michael Boatman narrates, with an original score by Daniel Slatkin.
This particular episode, Liberation, covers 1968 to 1990—a heavy stretch of years for Philadelphia. It starts with the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. and follows the city through the rise of police commissioner Frank L. Rizzo and the 1985 MOVE house fire that killed 16 people, five of them children. The screening includes testimony from people who lived through those conflicts first-hand, so it's not just a retelling of the timeline; it's a look at those years from the people who were actually there.
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If you've been following the series, this is the ninth of ten episodes, so it's getting toward the end of the run. If you're just jumping in, it's a good place to start, especially if those years in Philly history feel close to home. The screening is presented by The Philadelphia Citizen, and the night is set up with a happy hour from 5:30 to 6 PM followed by the program from 6 to 7:30 PM. It's at the Fitler Club, 1 South 24th Street Ballroom, Philadelphia, PA 19103. Entry is $5, and it's free for Change Philly Movement and Fitler Club members.
