UC alum’s rock 'n' roll film comes to campus
'Free to Rock' will play at the TUC Cinema on Nov. 30
By: Brittany Fletcher
Much has been written about the Cold War, but the story of how rock 'n' roll helped bring down the Iron Curtain — and hasten the demise of the former Soviet Union — is a tale less often told.
“Free to Rock,” produced in part by University of Cincinnati alumnus Douglas Yeager, documents how the power of music inspired social upheaval that altered the course of history.
Narrated by Kiefer Sutherland, “Free to Rock” is directed by four-time Emmy winner Jim Brown and features interviews with former President Jimmy Carter and former Communist Party leader Mikhail Gorbachev discussing the role of rock in ending the Cold War.
The film also features interviews and performances by rock icons, including the Beach Boys, Billy Joel, the Beatles and Metallica, and prominent Iron Curtain rock pioneers including Stas Namin, Andrey Makarevich, Boris Grebenshikov and more.
“Free to Rock” will play in the Tangeman University Center Cinema at 12:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 30. The documentary is 60 minutes and will be followed by a Q&A session with members of the film’s production team including Yeager.
Related Stories
UC biologist talks about 'pearmageddon'
March 16, 2026
WLWT talks to UC biologist and Department Head Theresa Culley about invasive, nonnative Callery pear trees that are spreading across Ohio forests after they were introduced by landscapers more than 50 years ago.
Scientists discover how snakes stand upright without limbs
March 12, 2026
Earth.com highlights a study co-authored by UC Professor Bruce Jayne, an expert in snake locomotion, about how snakes stand upright without arms or legs.
Pi Day: Where math meets dessert
March 12, 2026
Pi Day is celebrated on March 14 around the world, as March 14 represents its first three numbers, 3.14. It’s a yearly celebration for math lovers to see who can recite the most digits, talk about its history and have an excuse to eat many, many pies! First, the math: PI is the Greek letter “π” and it is the symbol used in mathematics to represent a constant, as it is the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. It has been calculated to over 50 trillion digits beyond its decimal point and will continue to repeat, as it is an irrational and transcendent number.