PURGE THIS LAND is an essay film centered around the legacy of the radical abolitionist John Brown . The music for the piece was composed by my partner Jeff Parker (who plays in the band Tortoise and is a member of the AACM) and references black creative music coming out of Chicago and Detroit in the 1960's. He is also seen at the end of the film, along with my son. The title is taken from John Brown's letter of 1859: 'I...am now quite certain that the crimes of this guilty land will never be purged away but with blood.'