Damer.com: Projects-Aquarius Rising (Pierre Sogol) 1967 Film Documenting Hippie Life in CA

Project on Aquarius Rising (by Pierre Sogol)
Bringing a rare 1967 film documenting hippie life in California back to life
Grateful thanks to Rob Menzies for providing the source VHS tape from which these excerpts were drawn
This material is informing a number of projects including Holly Rae Harman's history of the Ben Lomond Holiday Commune
and Ralph Abraham's HIP Santa Cruz History Project.
Thanks also to Leon Tabory for making human connections and of course to Al Lundell for doing all the edits!
Please note, we are trying to find the filmmaker, please contact me if you have any information.

The Chapters of the Film
(from a 1992 re-edit of the 1967 original, all done by Pierre Sogol of Santa Cruz)

Aquarius Rising Chapter 1 (by Pierre Sogol)
Go direct to Google Video here
Aquarius Rising Chapter 1: Hippie life in California, 1967 by filmmaker Pierre Sogol. Chapter 1 starts with a lot of statements, then documents a Be-In in Orange County, Various festivals in LA, the Sunset Riots (in 1966?) and the resulting hearings (?).

Aquarius Rising Chapter 2 (by Pierre Sogol)
Go direct to Google Video here
Aquarius Rising Chapter 2: Hippie life in California, 1967 by filmmaker Pierre Sogol. In this chapter they visit the "strawberry fields" LSD commune in the hills near Thousand Oaks, CA. They also stop in at the nearby Renaissance Pleasure Faire.

Aquarius Rising Chapter 3 (by Pierre Sogol)
Go direct to Google Video here
Aquarius Rising Chapter 3: Hippie life in California, 1967 by filmmaker Pierre Sogol. In this episode, the gang goes to the "New Mecca" (San Francisco). Scenes from the Haight, hippie wedding, Summer of Love, Natasha's tale, Oregon LSD trip, Nancy (who reappears frequently in other chapters), July 4th in Golden Gate Park.

Aquarius Rising Chapter 4 (by Pierre Sogol)
Go direct to Google Video here
Aquarius Rising Chapter 4: Hippie life in California, 1967 by filmmaker Pierre Sogol. Here we hear from Nancy, and witness open drug dealing on the streets of Haight-Ashbury during the Summer of Love.

Aquarius Rising Chapter 5 (by Pierre Sogol)
Go direct to Google Video here
Aquarius Rising Chapter 5: Hippie life in California, 1967 by filmmaker Pierre Sogol. In this episode we have more scenes from OM Holiday Commune (Ben Lomond). Next we go to Love Street to Betty's house (Elizabeth Gips) in the Haight for a group discussion. Then jump to a public hearing about hippies, end with Stephen on guitar.

Chapter 6 of Aquarius Rising, Pierre Sogol's 1967 film about hippes in California from Bruce Damer on Vimeo.
Aquarius Rising Chapter 6 (by Pierre Sogol)
Aquarius Rising Chapter 6: Hippie life in California, 1967 by filmmaker Pierre Sogol. Here we witness Camilla (visiting the famous Betty) and tripping on LSD on the beach at Bodega Bay. Next a trip on OM Holiday Commune's magic bus down to Ben Lomond Holiday Commune, Nancy the "Florence Nightingale of the Haight" arrives, and some good sitar was played.

Aquarius Rising Chapter 7 (by Pierre Sogol)
Go direct to Google Video here
Aquarius Rising Chapter 7: Hippie life in California, 1967 by filmmaker Pierre Sogol. This last chapter or "appendix" shows various scenes and rolls credits and opinions.

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Aquarius Rising Chapter 1 (by Pierre Sogol) Go direct to Google Video here Aquarius Rising Chapter 1: Hippie life in California, 1967 by filmmaker Pierre Sogol. Chapter 1 starts with a lot of statements, then documents a Be-In in Orange County, Various festivals in LA, the Sunset Riots (in 1966?) and the resulting hearings (?).	Aquarius Rising Chapter 2 (by Pierre Sogol) Go direct to Google Video here Aquarius Rising Chapter 2: Hippie life in California, 1967 by filmmaker Pierre Sogol. In this chapter they visit the "strawberry fields" LSD commune in the hills near Thousand Oaks, CA. They also stop in at the nearby Renaissance Pleasure Faire.
Aquarius Rising Chapter 3 (by Pierre Sogol) Go direct to Google Video here Aquarius Rising Chapter 3: Hippie life in California, 1967 by filmmaker Pierre Sogol. In this episode, the gang goes to the "New Mecca" (San Francisco). Scenes from the Haight, hippie wedding, Summer of Love, Natasha's tale, Oregon LSD trip, Nancy (who reappears frequently in other chapters), July 4th in Golden Gate Park.	Aquarius Rising Chapter 4 (by Pierre Sogol) Go direct to Google Video here Aquarius Rising Chapter 4: Hippie life in California, 1967 by filmmaker Pierre Sogol. Here we hear from Nancy, and witness open drug dealing on the streets of Haight-Ashbury during the Summer of Love.
Aquarius Rising Chapter 5 (by Pierre Sogol) Go direct to Google Video here Aquarius Rising Chapter 5: Hippie life in California, 1967 by filmmaker Pierre Sogol. In this episode we have more scenes from OM Holiday Commune (Ben Lomond). Next we go to Love Street to Betty's house (Elizabeth Gips) in the Haight for a group discussion. Then jump to a public hearing about hippies, end with Stephen on guitar.	Chapter 6 of Aquarius Rising, Pierre Sogol's 1967 film about hippes in California from Bruce Damer on Vimeo. Aquarius Rising Chapter 6 (by Pierre Sogol) Aquarius Rising Chapter 6: Hippie life in California, 1967 by filmmaker Pierre Sogol. Here we witness Camilla (visiting the famous Betty) and tripping on LSD on the beach at Bodega Bay. Next a trip on OM Holiday Commune's magic bus down to Ben Lomond Holiday Commune, Nancy the "Florence Nightingale of the Haight" arrives, and some good sitar was played.
Aquarius Rising Chapter 7 (by Pierre Sogol) Go direct to Google Video here Aquarius Rising Chapter 7: Hippie life in California, 1967 by filmmaker Pierre Sogol. This last chapter or "appendix" shows various scenes and rolls credits and opinions.