Friday, filmmaker and producer Hilary Armstrong joins us in ‘The War Room’ to talk about her film,‘California State Of Mind: Legacy of Pat Brown,’ which is about her grandfather and 32nd Governor of California, Edmund G. “Pat” Brown, Sr. “My grandfather had a love affair,” Director Sascha Rice says in the film’s trailer. “My Grandfather was in love with California.”
Brown, who is the father of current California Governor Edmund G. “Jerry” Brown, Jr., served as governor of California from 1959-1967. He came into office during a period when water infrastructure development in the state was in dire straits and The Free Speech Movement, lead by Mario Savio, swept through the state and brought student rights to the forefront of political discussions.
“[Brown] arrived on the scene just at the right time where his moderation and friendliness enabled him to accomplish be things in California,” says Warren Christopher, secretary of state under President Clinton. The film also includes commentary from Nancy Pelosi and Arnold Schwarzenegger, as well as family stories about Brown.
And indeed, under his tenure, Brown accomplished a lot: The water infrastructure he developed for California that served 16 million people is still in use today, now serving 37.5 million people. Enrollment in higher education has almost doubled and spending for the University of California system doubled and tripled for the state universities.
Watch below for the full trailer. Armstrong’s film will be featured in the Sonoma Film Festival on Thursday, April 12 at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, April 15 at 9:30 a.m. Both screenings will be held at The Sonoma Valley Woman’s Club. To purchase tickets, go here.
