Kunhardt Films — Documentaries
Kunhardt Films specializes in documentaries about the people and ideas that shape American history.
The company, founded in 1987, has won 8 Emmy Awards, 2 Peabody Awards, a DuPont, an IDA (International Documentary Association), and two NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) Image Awards.
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The company, founded in 1987, has won 8 Emmy Awards, 2 Peabody Awards, a DuPont, an IDA (International Documentary Association), and two NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) Image Awards.
Which is your favorite Kunhardt Films title?
Join the Discussion Here in the IMDb Poll Community Forum
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21 titles
- DirectorK.D. DavisonStarsPeter BogdanovichJim JarmuschBenn NorthoverFor over 70 years, Jonas Mekas, internationally known as the "godfather" of avant-garde cinema, documented his life in what came to be known as his diary films. From his arrival in New York City as a displaced person in 1949 to his death in 2019, he chronicled the trauma and loss of exile while pioneering institutions to support the growth of independent film in the United States. Fragments of Paradise is an intimate look at his life and work constructed from thousands of hours of his own video and film diaries-including never-before-seen tapes and unpublished audio recordings. It is a story about finding beauty amidst profound loss, and a man who tried to make sense of it all... with a camera.
- StarsJeff McNealBill CampJeffrey WrightFollows Abraham Lincoln's complex journey to end slavery with insights from journalists, educators and Lincoln scholars, including rare archival materials, that offer a more nuanced look.
- StarsAl SharptonTa-Nehisi CoatesDavid RemnickMulti-part documentary explores the journey of Barack Obama from his early upbringing to the 44th U.S. President, set against the backdrop of the country's unfolding racial history.
- DirectorJohn MaggioStarsGordon ParksKareem Abdul-JabbarMuhammad AliFollows Gordon Parks' stellar career from staff photographer for LIFE magazine, through his artistic development photographing everyday Americans, through his evolution as a novelist and groundbreaking filmmaker.
- DirectorK.D. DavisonStarsGeorge TakeiJon StewartRonald ReaganPresent-day, fraught political reality by exploring historical challenges of the past.
- DirectorGeorge KunhardtPeter W. KunhardtTeddy KunhardtStarsBryan StevensonChristy StevensonHoward StevensonA look at how Alabama attorney Bryan Stevenson struggles to create more fairness in the legal system.
- DirectorGeorge KunhardtPeter W. KunhardtTeddy KunhardtStarsJoe BidenDavid BrooksGeorge W. BushIn-depth look at the life of John McCain, from his time as a POW in Vietnam to his three decades of service in the US Senate.
- DirectorPeter W. KunhardtA look at the final years in the life of Martin Luther King, Jr.
- DirectorJohn MaggioStarsMarion Barry Jr.Carl BernsteinBen Bradlee Jr.A documentary about Ben Bradlee, the iconic editor of The Washington Post.
- DirectorPeter W. KunhardtStarsKenan AkanselSaul BishtSusie Buffet Jr.The legendary investor started out as an ambitious, numbers-obsessed boy from Nebraska and ended up becoming one of the richest and most respected men in the world.
- DirectorBrian OakesStarsJames FoleyUnai AranzadiZac BaillieAn in-depth look at the life and work of American journalist James Foley, who was killed by ISIS terrorists in 2014.
- StarsHenry Louis Gates Jr.CeCe MooreAnita HillBefore the popularity of AncestryDNA, journalist and cultural critic Henry Louis Gates, Jr. divulges the family trees of various celebrities, many times with stunning revelations.
- DirectorPeter W. KunhardtBrian OakesStarsPeter W. KunhardtDossy PeabodyA collection of Abraham Lincoln photos and memorabilia profoundly shapes the lives of one family.
- DirectorPeter W. KunhardtStarsRamona BanuelosDavid BrinkleyPat BuchananOn Aug. 9, 1974, Richard Milhous Nixon became the first American president to resign from office. From 1971 to 1973, he had secretly recorded his private conversations, purportedly for the purpose of historical record, but in the wake of the Watergate scandal the revelation of the tapes led to his downfall. Fearing that the blunt and candid remarks on the tapes would sully the presidency forever, Nixon sought to prevent their public release for the rest of his life after leaving office. However, after his death in 1994, the government began releasing the 3,700 hours of recordings. The final tapes were made public on Aug. 20, 2013. In 1982, John Ehrlichman, Nixons former chief domestic advisor, voiced concern about the Nixon tapes, noting, The problem is that historians are going to grab an hour of tapeand if you listen to a snippet of tape, youre going to form an impression of this man thats going to be wrong. Sometime, hopefully, there will be a committee of historians who will listen to all the tapes and go into all the archives and then come out and say Richard Nixon was the strangest collection, the strangest paradoxical combination of any man I ever heard of. And theyll be right. Only Chief of Staff H.R. Bob Haldeman, Deputy Assistant Alexander Butterfield and Special Assistant Stephen Bull knew of the recordings. Those who did not know included John Ehrlichman, National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger, Deputy National Security Advisor Andrew Haig, Attorney General John Mitchell and Secretary of State William Rogers, among others. It was voice activated everything was taped which was probably stupid, Nixon conceded in 1983. The declassified tapes revealed the Presidents opinions on a vast number of topics, including the Vietnam War, the Pentagon Papers leak, his Supreme Court appointments, and other matters of state. Nixon derided anti-war protesters in private conversations with Henry Kissinger, saying, It really burns me up. We have no pride do we anymore, Henry? He had equally harsh words for young Vietnam vet John Kerry, calling him quite a phony. Years later, Nixon insisted that despite the anti-war sentiment in Congress and the media, That was not the voice of America. The voice of America was the silent majority. Nixons angry reaction to the New York Times publication of thousands of secret Pentagon documents detailing Americas involvement in Vietnam revealed his growing hatred of the press. This is treasonable action on the part of the bastards that put it out, he exclaimed to Henry Kissinger. Daniel Ellsberg of the Rand Corporation, who released the papers to the Times, became a target of his anti-Semitic outbursts. The Jews are, are born spies, he said, and asked Chief of Staff Haldeman to look at any sensitive areas around where Jews are involved. With two vacancies open on the Supreme Court and pressure mounting to nominate a woman, Nixon told the press his list of candidates included Mildred Lillie and Sylvia Bacon. But behind closed doors, he told John Mitchell, I would like to sorta get them off the woman kick if we can. Years later, Nixon called the appointment of the Supreme Court justices the most important achievement domestically of his presidency. Internationally, Nixon described his historic trip to China in 1972 as a watershed moment, and cited his trip to Moscow to negotiate an arms control agreement, as another major foreign policy achievement. The press is the enemy. The press is the enemy. The press is the enemy, Nixon can be heard telling Henry Kissinger. You must keep up the attack on the media. Youve got to keep destroying their credibility, he told Special Counsel Charles Colson. Whether calling them sons of bitches or bastards, Nixons distaste of reporters was only thinly veiled in interviews, and entirely open behind closed doors. After the Watergate break-in, Nixon discussed with Bob Haldeman bailing out the five men arrested saying, Well, they took a hell of a risk. And they have to be paid. Later, he told speechwriter Pat Buchanan, The Watergate thing well, thats going to pass. Thatll be over. Theyll indict a few people, and then the goddam things over. Despite Nixons reelection landslide victory and the achievement of what he called, peace with honor in Vietnam, Watergate did not pass. At the Senate Watergate hearing on July 16, 1973, former Deputy Assistant Alexander Butterfield revealed the secret electronic listening devices in the office of the president. Facing certain impeachment, Nixon subsequently resigned.
- 20136 epsTV-PG8.7 (292)TV Mini SeriesStarsHenry Louis Gates Jr.Vincent BrownBernard E. Powers Jr.Professor Gates describes the history of the African American people by talking to historians, authors, and the people who made history.
- StarsMeryl StreepGloria SteinemLetty Cottin PogrebinThis series documents stories of women's contributions to some of the most important moments in the history of America.
- DirectorPeter W. KunhardtStarsGloria SteinemPhyllis SchlaflyHugh Hefner[HBO] HD. A vivid portrait of Gloria Steinem whose career as a journalist and a pivotal member of the feminist movement has left an indelible mark.
- DirectorMichael EpsteinStarsPaul Goldberger
- StarsDaniel GilbertDallas MalloyKenneth SiddonsThis 3-part series opens a window into real lives, exploring ways to improve our social relationships, cope with emotional issues, and become more positive, resilient individuals. Each episode weaves together the compelling personal stories of ordinary people and the latest in brain science research, along with revealing comments from celebrities such as Chevy Chase, Larry David, Elizabeth Gilbert, Alanis Morissette, Katie Couric and Richard Gere.Hosted by Daniel Gilbert, Harvard psychologist and best-selling author of Stumbling on Happiness.
- StarsMeryl StreepStephen ColbertMike NicholsOur American Stories exploring the dynamic and shifting relationship America had with her new immigrants in the 20th century. Becoming American - exploring the many journeys to becoming American that defined the "Century of Immigration" (1820s - 1924) and transformed the United States from a sleepy agrarian country into a booming industrial power. Making America - tells the story of the peopling of the New World, of how land came to define the settling and identity of America, and of how the guests' ancestors were part of this history. Know Thyself - takes up the search for the guests' ancestries where the historical record leaves off and links their distinctive family histories to the broader history of "the family of man."
- Teddy Kennedy passed away in 2009 but not after a lengthy career in the US Senate and the last of the Kennedy Brothers in politics. Here is the acclaimed HBO documentary Teddy In His Own Words, as he takes you on a journey of his life and career filled with triumphs and tragedies.