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At 4:00 a.m. on August 22, 1971, eight anti-Vietnam War protestors went up a ladder outside the federal building in Camden, New Jersey and broke into the offices of the local draft board. For two hours they shredded Selective Service records before they were surprised by FBI agents. Twenty coconspirators were also soon arrested and in 1973 the "Camden 28," each facing sentences of 47 years on 7 felony counts, went on trial.

THE CAMDEN 28 explores how and why these individuals, including four Catholic priests and a Protestant minister, intentionally placed themselves at risk of arrest and imprisonment while protesting the war in Vietnam. The activists claimed that their civil disobedience was meant to call attention to their belief that killing-even in war-was morally indefensible.

From 1967 to 1971, similar break-ins had occurred at numerous draft boards throughout the country, but the 63-day trial of the Camden 28, which received national media attention, was the only one which saw the defendants acquitted. THE CAMDEN 28 tells its story through archival footage, U.S. Government films, interviews with many of the defendants, the FBI informant who betrayed them, the defense and prosecution attorneys, and witnesses, plus re-creations of some of the key testimony at an emotionally moving reunion of the trial participants 31 years later.

THE CAMDEN 28 tells a story of friendship and betrayal played out against the backdrop of one of the most turbulent periods in recent American history. It is also a reminder of the power of ordinary citizens when they organize to protest the actions of their government.

"A poignant documentary recalling the all-but-forgotten trial of 28 Vietnam War opponents, mostly members of the Catholic Left, who were prosecuted for breaking into a draft board office in August 1971. Thirty-five years later, the participants, who were acquitted of any crime, proudly recall their accomplishment."—Stephen Holden, The New York Times

"If protest seems futile, THE CAMDEN 28 shows how it can be done: this stirring film chronicles Vietnam war resistors, comprised mostly of priests and devout Catholics, who set out to burn draft records and ultimately, helped turn the tide of public opinion. A surprising story unfolds, full of twists and turns, betrayals and redemption."—Anthony Kaufman, San Francisco Film Society

"For aging rads, it's something of a gift; for the under-30 conscientious, it could be an inspiration."—Michael Atkinson, The Village Voice