Woodstock 99: Peace, Love, and Rage is a documentary film that takes a close look at the events that unfolded during the Woodstock 99 music festival, held in Rome, New York, in July 1999. The festival was meant to be a celebration of counterculture and unity, much like the original Woodstock festival held 30 years earlier. However, the reality was far from this idealistic vision.
Over the course of three days, the festival became a hotbed of violence, with reports of assault and sexual harassment rampant throughout the site. The extreme heat, combined with the large crowds and aggressive behavior of some festival-goers, led to a breakdown in order and a general feeling of chaos and lawlessness.
The documentary takes a deep dive into the factors that contributed to the festival's unraveling, including the aggressive marketing tactics used by festival organizers, the exclusion of women and people of color from prominent positions within the festival, and the backlash against the corporate sponsorship that was so central to the event's success.
Through interviews with festival-goers, musicians, and organizers, as well as archival footage from the festival itself, Woodstock 99: Peace, Love, and Rage offers a powerful and thought-provoking examination of the darker side of counterculture and the limits of unity in a society plagued by systemic inequality and a culture of violence.