Woody Guthrie was the most important folk/protest singer of his generation, whose significance today can be measured by the pantheon of artists including Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Bono and Willie Nelson who acknowledge their debt to him.

This Machine Kills Fascists is a compelling two and a half hour documentary, narrated by Billy Bragg. and chronicling the life and times of Woody Guthrie through rare photos and footage, excerpts from over 40 Guthrie compositions and contemporary interviews with friends, family and musicians.

The documentary captures the flavour of Guthrie’s musical achievement in writing and performing songs that eloquently captured the mood of ordinary people. Songs like This Land is your Land, Pastures of Plenty, Pretty Boy Floyd and Do Re Mi illuminate a whole era of American history by dealing with the telling issues of the day such as economic depression, homelessness and social and racial justice.
Guthrie’s life and times provide some remarkable ingredients for the documentary. The film takes his classic songs and traces their stories to relevant locations such as Okemah, Oklahoma and Pampa, Texas, where Guthrie spent his early years and New York, where he lived from 1940.

Historical and rare documentary photos and footage are combined with contemporary film of social and economic events. Also included is all the extant footage of Guthrie, playing with the likes of Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, rare film of Pete Seeger from the forties and contemporary interviews with his surviving friends and family and musicians whom he influenced. These include his son Arlo, his daughter Nora, close friend Pete Seeger, manager Harold Leventhal, biographer Ed Cray, and Guthrie scholars such as Guy Logsdon, Loralee Cooley, Henrietta Yurchenco, Phil Buehler and Jorge Arevelo.

‘Both vivid biography and an essential history lesson, it offers the unique chance to experience Woody up close and personal and assess his life and work through the memories of those who knew him.... But this is more than a potent and moving documentary. This Machine Kills Fascists is nothing less than an alternative history of 20th century America.' * * * * * Uncut
‘I've read all the books and trawled through the archives, but there's some great footage and photographs I'd not seen before. ... It's a great story and they've told it really well’ Billy Bragg