The first four days in September 2008, all eyes across the world were focused on one town: Saint Paul, Minnesota. It was in this capital city's sprawling, luxurious hockey arena, Xcel Energy Center, that the 2008 Republican National Convention was held. I Was a Vagina Before I Was a Black Man captures what went on in the surrounding downtown area: a normally sleepy collection of buildings, streets and parks that became an arena for protests, speeches, concerts and confrontations amongst thousands of people from all over the globe.

A collaboration between John Ervin and his brother, cinematographer Bruce Ervin, I Was a Vagina Before I Was a Black Man brings you four days that shook the world!

John and Bruce capture the international discontent that bubbled like freshly laid tar under the late summer sun. Amidst the sweaty throngs who made their voices heard were the California-based anti-war collective Code Pink, the national advocacy group Iraq Veterans Against the War, the impromptu performance crew Lobbyists for McCain - and The Abu Ghraib Man, who silently kept his arms extended for hours on end in 90-degree heat.

"Heat" also took the form of squads of black-uniformed riot police, who, when not blockading portions of the downtown from so-called agitators, fired tear gas and pepper spray and hauled individuals off to a nearby detention center. It was in front of the detention center that one of the largest protests, The Poor People's March, reached fever pitch. Even this thousand-strong assemblage doubled in size, thanks to the cancellation of Rage Against the Machine's concert on the capital steps, and quickly found itself engulfed in the now legendary "Mickey's Diner Riot."

Not all was acrimony and revolt, as legions of colorfully adorned, provocatively outfitted demonstrators lent their wardrobes, masks and enormous displays to an Insurgent Mardi Gras. They were joined by an assortment of apolitical cranks and exhibitionists in need of an audience. Even in this sea of humanity swam a few brave GOP supporters, including one young lady who graciously agreed to be interviewed - and nearly stole the show with her own brand of "alternative livin'!"

Complimenting the spectacle is music by the New York-based band Lone Vein, whose track "Stage My Own Death" pulsates throughout. Commentary is provided by the neon news-stream encircling the Minnesota Public Radio building. Helicopters flocked like birds of prey, giving off the same ominous vibe as Hurricane Gustav, which threatened to drown Louisiana that Labor Day week with the same force as Katrina exactly three years before.