Stanley Nelson directs this documentary that chronicles the history of the Black Panther Party. From their formation in 1966 in Oakland, California, the film follows the revolutionary African-American group's rise throughout the '60s and '70s and features interviews with former members, FBI members and street police officers that clashed with the party, in addition to archive footage. Although they gained the backing of Hollywood icons Marlon Brando and Jane Fonda, the radical Nationalist group struggled with inner conflict and exterior pressure during the height of their relevance, struggles that would eventually contribute to their demise