The MOVEMENT and the “MADMAN”
The MOVEMENT and the “MADMAN” shows how two antiwar protests in the fall of 1969 — the largest the country had ever seen — pressured President Nixon to cancel what he called his “madman” plans for a massive escalation of the U.S. war in Vietnam, including threats to use nuclear weapons.
At the time, protestors had no idea what they had prevented and how many lives they had saved.
Our film is a deeply researched project told by a variety of voices providing multiple perspectives. We conducted 30 in-depth interviews with antiwar movement organizers, members of Congress, historians, and Nixon administration officials, including three men who worked directly with Kissinger on Nixon’s “madman” plans.
It’s an inspiring story that offers hope in a time of new wars and nuclear threats.
Press coverage and reviews.2025 marks the 50th anniversary of the end of the U.S. war in Vietnam, a time to reflect on the nature and impact of that conflict and to explore what lessons we can draw from it for today.