A Colony of Radicals Review: An Eight-Minute Reflection on War, Peace and Resistance – A Critique Review

A Colony of Radicals is a short documentary film that delves into the story of Lucien Price, a journalist for the Boston Globe, and his friend Fred “Fritz” Demmler, a portrait artist from Pittsburgh. During the days of World War I, Demmler visited Price at a utopian collective of social radicals who opposed war, known as the “Colony of Radicals.” Price and Demmler discussed the possibility of imprisonment for those who opposed participating in the war.

This film raises profound questions about war and its relevance in today’s world. It’s a chilling realization that the world and its leaders have remained largely unchanged over the past century. War has been a constant in human history, with conflicts erupting since the dawn of time. It seems unlikely that this pattern will change anytime soon. It’s disheartening to consider how many times history has witnessed the creation of these events, resulting in the loss of countless lives due to the misguided decisions of so-called leaders. While there may have been no other options at certain historical moments, it’s evident that wars rarely revolve around the concept of “good vs. evil.” Instead, they are driven by the interests of their leaders. While it may be noble and heroic to fight for a just cause, it becomes absurd to engage in war solely to satisfy the selfish desires of individuals we will never meet and who clearly don’t care about us.

The question arises: what is the purpose of killing or being killed simply because someone else orders us to do so? Is it truly impossible to believe that, in the vast expanse of human history, we haven’t discovered alternative ways to resolve our differences? These questions have persisted throughout most wars, particularly in the last century or so. It’s both awe-inspiring and disheartening to think that, just over a century ago, we were still grappling with these fundamental issues.

Years ago, these two men posed a question that many are still pondering today. What makes this film particularly captivating is the exploration of these similarities, the realization that everything seems to be an endless cycle of political madness, and the unexpected discovery of inspiration and hope in the idea that, perhaps, one day, people will find a way to live like this so-called colony of radicals, who simply aspire to live and let live. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if this kind of thought spread among people instead of hate speech and the allure of egomaniacal leaders who only inspire the worst in us?

Directed, produced, and written by historian and filmmaker Charles Kaufmann, the film results in a fascinating and engaging watch that surpasses its brief duration. At just eight minutes, Kaufmann manages to narrate Price and Demmier’s story, provoke thought, and inspire us to emulate these genuine rebels. So, make sure to watch it as soon as possible!


Director’s Biography:

Charles Kaufmann is an award-winning writer, historian, filmmaker, composer, and the founding director of The Longfellow Chorus, a professional non-profit performing arts organization in Portland, Maine. He has given lecture screenings of his feature-length documentary “Samuel Coleridge-Taylor and His Music in America, 1900–1912” at Oberlin Conservatory; Boston University African-American Studies; Yale-Norfolk Festival; SUNY Buffalo; Georgetown University; Colour of Music Black Classical Musicians Festival, Charlestown, South Carolina; and Pasadena City College.

His short documentary, “That’s None of My Business,” about the attempt on November 1, 1963, by two youthful civil rights activists to desegregate a concert in Jackson, Mississippi, by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra was premiered in January 2022 in-theatre at Music for Galway (a music festival in Ireland), and screened in March 2022 at the Oxford Film Festival, Oxford, Mississippi, and in November 2022 at the North Dakota Human Rights Film Festival, Fargo, North Dakota.

During 2025, he has given lecture screenings of his feature documentary “TENACITY: The Story of Edwin and Elise Harleston” at Fisk University (Nashville) and Charleston Library Society, and will screen and talk about this film in February 2026 in the Nickelodeon Theatre, Columbia, South Carolina, arranged by University of South Carolina Press.