EASTLAND: The Shipwreck That Shook America

Thousands of Chicago factory workers (recent immigrants from Europe) boarded the SS Eastland in the summer of 1915, heading to the annual company picnic for a long anticipated day of merriment. But the steamship had a dark secret that the passengers never knew about until it was too late….844 died in a matter of minutes after the ship rolled over in the Chicago River.

“There was no iceberg, no torpedo, no act of God—someone surely did something wrong,”

"It's Chicago, you know, somebody got paid"

EASTLAND: THE SHIPWRECK THAT SHOOK AMERICA reveals how immigrants in America were victimized by rich and powerful men who exploited the legal system to get away with manslaughter—a story not taken from today’s headlines but from a hundred years ago.

EASTLAND includes stories of heroism and heartache including rescuer Reggie Bowles dubbed “The Human Frog;” Helen Repa, a young nurse described as “a badass” who took charge at the scene, and news photographer Jun Fujita, an immigrant himself, who risked his life capturing iconic images of the disaster.

EASTLAND includes rare newsreel footage that city leaders banned from Chicago theaters in 1915.

“Stunningly effective and shockingly memorable…with real-life characters worthy of a
big-budget feature film.”–Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times

“One of the most compelling and electrifying documentaries I’ve ever seen. A brilliant
film…extraordinary and haunting.”– Chicago Tribune

"Eastland has it all: heroes, villains, corruption, legal shenanigans, carnage, teenage adventurers, greed, humor, injustice, and even romance. This is history at its most vivid" -- Library Journal

The filmmakers hope that Chicago’s most infamous ship disaster and the miscarriage of justice that followed no longer remain one of America’s forgotten tragedies.