Ratamata

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A lot of people think that the young people are very bad today.

I don't consider that at all.

I think 200 years ago that the moral and social order of the world was even worse than what it is now.

Well, I live in Skokie and I think it's getting worse each day and all the racial problems and everything is happening.

My view is, I don't know, people think that I'm just a little punk.

I don't know much about what's going on, but still I think that I am part of what's happening today.

Excuse me, ma 'am, are you glad you're alive? Oh, definitely.

Do you think there's anything else in life? Yeah, freedom.

Well, there's not much to say.

We're just high school seniors in Chicago.

What about life? What about it? What about it? I like it.

Sure, I like it.

I mean, I really wouldn't want to die.

Just yet anyway.

Well, it's exciting, to say the least.

Well, there's always so many different things to do that you really can't get too bored.

What about some exciting things? Well, how about some exciting things? I don't know, I just like to do stuff with other kids and goof around.

Just to go out and have fun, I guess.

I think it's the greatest country in the world for the past 196 years, and I think anyone here that doesn't think it's the greatest country in the world should get out of this country.

Why do you think it's the greatest country in the world? Because in a simple sentence, I would say that we have been the provider of the world for the past 50 years, and we've given all of our largesse, all of our food, all of our clothing, all of our medicine, and the fact that a lot of nations in the world think as an ingrate really means nothing.

The fact is we have been the great provider of the world.

I see on your truck it says a real American square.

What does that mean? I am saying this to...there has been a phrase been uttered here in this country for the early moral nation and the great ideas that have made a great thing say that you're a square if you do that.

Well, I'm proud to be a square, and I call myself a real American square.

Veterans Day, well, we should observe it and remember that we must follow our president in peace on our goodwill towards men.

We fought for it, you boys did, and others will also.

Thanks a lot and God bless all of you.

About me? I'm a junior at Pialatine High School, and I come from a broken home or whatever.

It's really interesting.

Are you happy? Yeah, I am, really.

Why am I happy? Because I came down to Chicago to have a good time, and it's something...

We're going to go to the art museum and dig all the pictures.

Do I dread the quality of my life? I don't know.

What do you mean by that? Gee, not much to say.

I travel a lot.

I'm a pom -pom girl at school, and I twirl in a bunch of other neat stuff.

Are you popular? No, I'm not popular.

I'm a pom -pom girl.

Oh, you're a pom -pom girl? Yeah, it's something...

You know, you're interested in school.

It really helps you get into things.

That's school spirit.

Oh, yeah, school spirit really helps.

Do you think it's important? School is a bore.

They don't teach you anything.

You just sit at a desk and they make you, you know, just listen to things you don't want to hear.

Well, then why do you have school spirit? Because you have to have school spirit to be a pom -pom girl.

To be a pom -pom girl, you have to be involved.

To stay in school, you have to be involved or you'll drop out.

I sell a lot to the youths, but I'm not really too much in with it because I mostly think as an older person, I'm out, let's see, I'm out for money.

That's why I'm at the show, like I'm a businessman, you might say.

So I'm out to make a buck and I'm not out until like the kids that came here were out to have fun.

I don't go to school and like I don't go too much, let's put it that way.

I'm on a half -day program.

I do that kind of a, I work on a half -day thing and I work the other half -day.

So I figured I don't want to go to college and I'm going to be probably selling all my life.

And like, well, if I'm not going to go to college, I better have money to live with.

And I figured if I work, save the bread, I'd have enough to live with.

I think we're the kids that are going to take over.

I think we're going to make it.

I don't know, I guess you know that we're in there, you know, we got some good, wholesome fun here and shit like that.

You know, partying, getting off, getting high, wearing bell bottoms, big bell bottoms and shit like that.

You know, they might just get it on and you know, get it together and shit like that.

You know, when they're gone, you know, who's there to say, blah, blah, blah, blah, and shit like that, you know? Well, Veterans Day? Well, more of what I'm concerned about is the United States and all the countries on our side.

That we have all no other alternative but to protect the United States.

Because of the fact too many things have been invented.

Cigarettes, marijuana, dope and narcotics, beers, whiskeys and wines with chemicals going to the moon.

Electricity, automobiles and gas and money because of the fact everything has been paid for.

Not only that, but I also feel that Democrats and Republicans, Christian and Catholic, all black and white should get on the paths of righteousness where the day will come when we will have to fight in battle to protect each other, not against each other.

I'm sure a lot of people do not want the wars, but we have no other alternative but to protect the United States of America.

And to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, for liberty and justice for all.

Date Of Production

1971

Abstract

Shot by filmmaker Jeff Kreines on Veterans Day in 1970 when he was only 16 years old, the film showed at the Ann Arbor Film Festival and was selected as a “Young Chicago Filmmakers Festival” award-winner. Kreines left high school not long after he completed RATAMATA to focus on making films full-time. RATAMATA is a portrait of the diverse opinions of Chicagoans (ranging from high school students to habitual mayoral candidate Lar Daly) as they reflect on the general state of affairs in America, the war in Vietnam, social and racial conflict, freedom and personal liberty, happiness, and social justice.

Run Time

0:08:20

Format

16mm

Extent

300 feet

Color

B&W

Sound

Optical

Reel/Tape Number

1/1

Has Been Digitized?

Yes

Language Of Materials

English

Element

Print

Form

Amateur
Short

Subject

Chicago (Ill.)
Teenagers
Youth
Holidays

Related Collections

SERIES: Young Chicago Filmmaker’s Festival

Related Places

North America ➜ United States ➜ Illinois ➜ Chicago ➜ Loop

Main Credits

Kreines, Jeff (is filmmaker)

Additional Credits

Cohen, Aaron (sound)

Participants And Performers

Daly, Lar (is interviewee)

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