Rebels with a Cause is a documentary on the sixties that focuses on the history, ideas, and legacy of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). Through an examination of the largest and most influential student organization of that tumultuous decade, the film explores the values and motivations of a generation of young people who sought to make a better world and the issues and individuals who influenced them. Beginning in 1960 with only a handful of students and high ideals, SDS claimed more than 100,000 members and close to 400 chapters across the country at its peak in 1968. Rebels with a Cause captures the spirit of the organization and the decade-long movement that changed the country dramatically. Director Helen Garvy was herself a member of SDS and helped found the Harvard chapter in 1964.