NARA Commemorates RFK and 40th Anniversary of Historic Film
Press Release · Thursday, August 28, 2008
Press Release
August 28, 2008
National Archives Commemorates Robert F. Kennedy and 40th Anniversary of Historic Film
Special Screening and Discussion of Charles Guggenheim’s Robert F. Kennedy Remembered
More Information
Washington, DC…On Wednesday, September 24, 2008, at 7 PM, The Charles Guggenheim Center for the Documentary Film at the National Archives will present a screening and panel discussion of Charles Guggenheim’s 1968 Academy Award®-winning film Robert Kennedy Remembered.
In the aftermath of Senator Robert F. Kennedy’s tragic death (June 6, 1968), filmmaker Charles Guggenheim was commissioned to quickly create a tribute to be shown the following August at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. When it was screened and simultaneously broadcast on all major television networks, Robert Kennedy Remembered brought convention proceedings to a standstill and provided, in the words of NY Times reporter Russell Baker, “…a brief moment of unity”. The film later won the Academy Award® in the category of Live Action Short Subject.
The screening of the 30-minute film will be preceded by opening remarks from Archivist of the United States Allen Weinstein and Charles Guggenheim’s daughter producer Grace Guggenheim (Berga: Soldiers of Another War).
A panel discussion will follow the 30-minute film. Distinguished journalist John Seigenthaler, Sr., who served as administrative assistant to Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, will moderate a discussion including Jules Witcover, veteran political columnist and author of The Year the Dream Died: Revisiting 1968 in America; Peter Vogt, who was a production assistant on the film, and Robert Wykes, who composed the film’s stirring score.
Several examples of Charles Guggenheim’s TV spots produced for Robert Kennedy’s campaign will also be shown. Guggenheim is considered a pioneer of the political film genre.
The program, which is free and open to the public, will take place in the William G. McGowan Theater at the National Archives Building in Washington, DC, which is located on the National Mall at Constitution Avenue and 7th Street, NW, and is fully accessible. Seating for this program is on a first-come, first-served basis.
The Charles Guggenheim Center for the Documentary Film at the National Archives was established in 2004 in honor of four-time Oscar®- winner and past president of the Foundation for the National Archives Charles Guggenheim. The Center’s mission is to advance public understanding of the process, challenges, and social impact of documentary filmmaking and to promote the education of young people and professionals. The Center is both a living legacy of an internationally acclaimed producer and director and an extension of America's premier resource for documentary film research.
# # #
For press information contact the National Archives Public Affairs staff at 202-357-5300.
08-135
This page was last reviewed on January 7, 2013.
Contact us with questions or comments.