An Act of Conscience

An Act of Conscience
Directed by	Robbie Leppzer
Written by	Robbie Leppzer Sara Elinoff
Produced by	Robbie Leppzer
Starring	Randy Kehler Betsy Corner
Narrated by	Martin Sheen
Cinematography	Robbie Leppzer
Edited by	Robbie Leppzer
Music by	Steven Schoenberg
Production company	Turning Tide Productions
Distributed by	Cinemax
Release dates	January 1997 (1997-01) (Sundance) April 15, 1997 (1997-04-15) (Cinemax)
Running time	90 minutes[1]
Country	United States
Language	English

An Act of Conscience is a 1997 American documentary film directed, shot and edited by Robbie Leppzer. It centers around war tax resisters Randy Kehler and Betsy Corner, and the years-long struggle that ensued after the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) seized their home in Colrain, Massachusetts, in 1989, to collect $27,000 in unpaid taxes and interest. When the house is sold to another couple, Kehler, Corner, and hundreds of supporters occupy the property in protest.

An Act of Conscience is narrated by actor Martin Sheen, who volunteered his time to do so;^[2] the film features appearances by Jesuit priest and anti-war activist Daniel Berrigan, as well as political folk singer Pete Seeger, both in support of Kehler and Corner.^[3] Over 90 hours of footage was filmed for the documentary.^[4]

An Act of Conscience premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 1997, and it aired on Cinemax later that same year on April 15, which is recognized as Tax Day in the United States. The film received generally positive reviews from critics, who characterized the events documented as engaging and thought-provoking.