Matt Houghton

October 6th 1975. An epidemic of copy-cat hostage situations is sweeping America.

A man walks into a New York bank with a gun and a radio. Claiming to be part of a left-wing terrorist group, he takes ten hostages and demands $10 million in gold. Borrowing from the culture around him - from newspaper articles about Patty Hearst and the Pacino movie Dog Day Afternoon - he fashions a character for himself, ‘Cat’. As the siege takes hold and armed police surround the bank, tensions run high. Becoming increasingly desperate, Cat makes a phone call that will be cemented in New York legend forever. As renowned rock DJ Scott Muni chats away on-air in his smooth baritone voice, he is interrupted by a newsman bursting into his studio telling him that someone wants to talk to him. What follows is one of the most arresting pieces of live radio ever broadcast.

Breathless, bizarre and with the unmistakable flavour of 70s New York, With A Gun And A Radio is the story of a lost soul. It’s the story of someone who felt as though he had nothing left and, however misguided, found the most extreme and immediate solution to his own isolation. A kaleidoscopic journey through 1970s New York told through a blend of never-before-seen archive material, original interview and moments of drama, the film is a multi-layered exploration of ideas far beyond the bank robbery itself. It is a film about the impact of contemporary culture, the complicity of the media, what drives a person to commit such a drastic act and - most crucially of all - the importance of listening to each other.

Directed by Matt Houghton
Produced by John Battsek, Sarah Thomson, Alistair Payne-James, Matt Houghton
Edited by Matt Houghton, Brett Irwin

A Ventureland, 140 Films, Fee Fie Foe production.