“Underground Orange” is Punk Rock Theatre Anarchy
The United States has a long history of colonialism. While the U.S. military may not be physically present in these countries anymore, the effects of those foreign affairs decisions are still rippling through generations. In Underground Orange, Michael Taylor Jackson unpacks America’s involvement in Argentina and the role Henry Kissinger played. Underground Orange, though, is not your typical film about historic foreign affairs. Jackson presents his contemporary thoughts on the impact of Operation Condor through a punk rock theater company.
An American tourist (Jackson) has come to Argentina to see the gravesite of the Argentinian pirate who conquered his hometown of Monterey in 1818. Upon arrival, the tourist is immediately robbed as he’s trying to exchange money. Unable to check into his hotel, he sleeps at the graveyard and is discovered by members of a polyamorous theater troupe. They name him Yankee and invite him to join their play that is a fictional trial: The State of Argentina v. Henry Kissinger. They need someone to play Henry Kissinger, and who better than a Yankee.
courtesy of Underground Orange
Underground Orange is not merely a movie about making a play, although it does touch on the inherent difficulty that comes from making art in a time of social uncertainty. When rights are being stripped, is making art worthwhile? Underground Orange, and I, would argue yes. Art is a form of protest and a way to share information. In the film, Yankee learns about the role of Kissinger and the United States in the current state of Argentina. It’s something Yankee, and likely many people reading this who went to American public school, wasn’t taught. As a country, we like to bury the past and pretend we’re better than our ancestors, but we’re not. Some of our ancestors fought for human rights and some of them worked to take those rights away. It’s the same as life now, but the difference is that the present can change when the past cannot.
courtesy of Underground Orange
“In politics, obedience and support are the same,” says one of the characters in the film. In 2025, people are exhausted by politics. Every day, a fresh hell seems to come about and we’re forced to once again argue that people have a right to exist. Whether that be trans people, immigrants, women, queer people, or anyone in the minority, we all deserve equal rights. Many people are identifying as “not political,” but by doing so they’re making things easier for the power hungry to grab all they can. Underground Orange argues that a person’s mere existence is political, even if they don’t want it to be. From the air we breathe to the clothes we wear, every one of our decisions holds a political weight. In Underground Orange, the theater/activist group debates about what the best form of activism is, but none of them can agree. Activism looks different for all of us, but the important thing is recognizing that our individual actions do serve a larger purpose.
In all aspects, there’s a punk rock feeling to Underground Orange. From its avant garde presentation to its ragtag group of people living on the fringes, the film is angry about the world it's living in. The people involved see a way forward, and while it may not be perfect, it goes back to the idea that our present and future are all we can work with. We shouldn’t forget the past, but we should use it as fuel to make something better for the future.
support your local film critic!
~
support your local film critic! ~
Beyond the Cinerama Dome is run by one perpetually tired film critic
and her anxious emotional support chihuahua named Frankie.
Your kind donation means Frankie doesn’t need to get a job…yet.
Follow me on BlueSky, Instagram, Letterboxd, & YouTube. Check out Movies with My Dad, a new podcast recorded on the car ride home from the movies.