The depth and breadth of filmmaker Rory Kennedy’s documentaries span such topics as the global AIDS crisis, human rights, domestic abuse, poverty, drug addiction and political corruption. At the same time her body of work connects personal stories to these and other issues, casting illumination on the human condition. She has produced and directed more than 35 documentaries, winning a primetime Emmy Award in 2007 for Ghosts of Abu Ghraib, which was honored as Outstanding Nonfiction Special; Kennedy directed and was a producer on the documentary which was also nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.
Kennedy has additionally garnered primetime Emmy nominations for American Hollow (as director/producer) in 2000, Bobby Fischer Against the World (as producer) in 2012 and Ethel (as director/producer) in 2013. The latter, which she directed, was a personal portrait of her mother, Ethel Kennedy, the widow of U.S. Sen. Robert Kennedy. Cinematographer Buddy Squires, whose work on the film earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Cinematography for Nonfiction Programming, recalled that having access to Ethel Kennedy “was an amazing opportunity. She is an extraordinary woman. It was a privilege and a gift to spend time with her and the entire clan. They’re interesting, warm, smart, thoughtful, funny people. When Rory calls you and says ‘you can come up to Hyannis Port for five days and talk to mom and my siblings,’ you jump at the chance.”
Squires’ cinematography meshed with family photos and home movies to shed light on the life of the Kennedys and Ethel’s resilience, humor, grace and amazing spirit which have remained constant through difficult times, most tragically the assassination of her husband in 1968; six months later, her youngest, Rory, was born, giving Ethel her 11th child to raise.
In sharp contrast to Ethel, the next documentary directed by Rory Kennedy was Last Days in Vietnam, which chronicles the evacuation and fall of Saigon to the North Vietnamese Army in 1975. The film debuted in January at the Sundance Film Festival, went into wide theatrical release last month and is scheduled to air on PBS in April 2015 as part of the American Experience series. Focusing on the final days of that evacuation, Kennedy captures dramatic stories on the ground as American personnel and Vietnamese families prepare to flee Saigon. She offers perspectives on what happened by tapping into the memories of key figures including a U.S. Army captain who was part of an unsanctioned operation to transport Vietnamese to an American air base, then onto ships bound for the Philippines. Last Days in Vietnam is a document of the times, uncovering much that was previously not widely known, yielding a mix of both tragic and uplifting events.
Kennedy’s documentaries over the years have enjoyed theatrical runs and appeared on HBO, PBS, Lifetime Television, A&E, Court TV, The Oxygen Network and The Learning Channel. Now she’s looking to diversify her television exposure–and for that matter web play–with shorter form fare. Kennedy recently joined the roster of Nonfiction Unlimited for commercials and branded content.
“There’s interesting work being done in the commercial field right now,” observed Kennedy. “Both advertising and documentaries are largely about storytelling. I love storytelling–it’s what I’ve been doing for the last 20 years. Commercials represent an interesting challenge. Clearly it’s a different format but I look forward to telling stories within a shorter time frame–whether in commercials or some of the shorts and other forms emerging on different platforms. Also, for documentaries sometimes the reach can be limited. There is some real potential to reach much larger audiences with commercial work. And there’s progressive work being done in the field–positive messaging that can impact people’s lives, and some positive imaging that can impact the lives of girls and women. I think of the ‘Real Beauty’ Dove campaign in that light; it’s interesting and progressive work.”
As for her approach to spotmaking and branded content, Kennedy related, “Every documentary I do is different. There is not a formula for making a documentary. Each one requires its own approach, creative input and figuring out what the film wants to be and how to deliver it. I have made PSAs that are 30 seconds and a minute long, shorts that are five or 10 minutes and features that are two hours. There are clearly different challenges to each of these formats. But in all of them you have to figure out what you want to say, which is what we did for Last Days in Vietnam. It can often all come back to a simple idea. What I love about filmmaking is that it always pushes you to think about things in new ways, to push your creative abilities, and I have full confidence in being able to do all that for commercials and branded projects.”
Kennedy’s alluded to short-form experience prior to joining Nonfiction includes a series of “Speak Truth to Power” PSAs that addressed human rights and featured interviews with human rights activists.
Regarding what led her to gravitate towards Nonfiction Unlimited as her roost for spots and branded content, Kennedy cited the production company’s track record. “They have a roster of documentary filmmakers who have moved successfully into commercials. It’s the same trajectory that I am on. A company that has had success with that transition and can provide support is ideal for me.”
Kennedy also noted that Nonfiction has a number of women directors. “Women have proven themselves capable of delivering really compelling storylines that people respond to,” she said. “We can bring different perspectives to material that can deepen and enrich it, helping content to connect with audiences.”
Fall 2014 Directors Intro
Lance Acord
Debra Granik
Rory Kennedy
Theodore Melfi
Bennett Miller
