Conrad Rooks | 1966  | USA | 82 min

The hypnotic, psychedelic 1966 cult film written, directed by and starring Conrad Rooks was based on Rooks’ own experiences with drug addiction and his reaffirmation of life while visiting Switzerland. The film depicts its namesake, Chappaqua, New York as a sleepy hamlet in Westchester County, symbolic of drug-free suburban childhood innocence as well as one of the film’s references to Native American culture. (The name Chappaqua derives from the Wappinger Algonquian people and translates to ‘laurel swamp.’)

Chappaqua è un film sperimentale del 1966 scritto, diretto ed interpretato da Conrad Rooks. Il film si avvale dei cameo di esponenti della Beat Generation ed altri personaggi celebri dell'epoca: lo scrittore William S. Burroughs, il guru Swami Satchidananda, i poeti Allen Ginsberg, Peter Orlovsky e Moondog e i musicisti Ravi Shankar e Ornette Coleman.