Silver Spring, Maryland, June 5, 2008—SILVERDOCS announced today details of its 40th Anniversary screening of Filmmaker Charles Guggenheim’s ROBERT KENNEDY REMEMBERED, including a discussion that examines how that film captured the media moment and defined the candidate. The screening will take place Monday, June 23, 2008 at the Newseum in Washington, DC. Shown simultaneously on all television networks during the 1968 Chicago Democratic National Convention, this moving tribute to a man who had hoped to win the presidency created a historic moment when it brought the proceedings to a standstill and the crowd, in tears, to its feet. Commissioned by the Kennedy family, the film begins with the funeral train to Washington, DC and follows the triumphs and tragedies in the late Senator’s life with extraordinary newsreel footage, archival stills, and home movies.

The program will also feature several of Guggenheim’s 1968 TV spots for Robert Kennedy, which remain influential for both their effectiveness and authentic approach to political storytelling. They are notable for their use of documentary style. The one-minute spots include: CHILDREN-FOOTBALL; CAPITOL STEPS; SCHOOL-POVERTY; FARM WIVES-TAXES; and FARMERS-TEN CHILDREN. The program culminates in a panel discussion. Participants include: AFI’s Founding Director, George Stevens, Jr., who introduced filmmaker Charles Guggenheim to candidate Robert Kennedy; celebrated journalist Frank Mankiewicz who served as Kennedy’s press secretary, and filmmaker Grace Guggenheim, who oversees Guggenheim Productions.

“Documentary has the ability to frame history, the moving images become our collective memory. In this historic election year, it is appropriate to look back at 1968 and examine how documentary film informed our understanding and influenced politics, then and now,” said Festival Director Patricia Finneran. “Charles Guggenheim's film about Robert Kennedy captures the extraordinary spirit of the man and, when seen in context, the complex passions tragedies, hopes and fears of that pivotal year.”

SILVERDOCS also announced additional details for its 2008 programming strand “1968 And Beyond,” a series of documentaries exploring some of the cultural moments 40 years ago that continue to influence us. The program features contemporary independent films and classic archival selections.

“This year’s sidebar invites us to peer through a cinematic window on the cultural moments that defined an era. At SILVERDOCS you can listen to the music that moved us and sample the movies that captured the spirit of the time,” said Festival Programmer, Sky Sitney. “While Bob Dylan, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones created the soundtrack of rebellion, filmmakers like Albert and David Maysles, Frederick Wiseman and Charles Guggenheim captured the moving images.”

Films screening in “1968 And Beyond” include the North American Premiere of Simon Brook’s GENERATION 68, which sets the tone with a raucous tour through Paris, London, Prague, New York and beyond focusing on the fashion, art, music and movies set against the civic rebellion and political conflicts of the time; the Maysles brothers GIMME SHELTER and WHAT’S HAPPENING! THE BEATLES IN THE U.S.A; Frederick Wiseman’s LAW AND ORDER; and Emile de Antonio’s IN THE YEAR OF THE PIG. Several films in the Festival lineup also touch upon the era, such as Adrian Wills’ ALL TOGETHER NOW, Alan and Susan Raymond’s AN AMERICAN FAMILY; and Alex Gibney’s GONZO: THE LIFE AND WORK OF DR. HUNTER S. THOMPSON.

1968 AND BEYOND

GIMME SHELTER / USA, 1970, 91 minutes (Directors: Albert Maysles and David Maysles)— When the Maysles set out to document the Rolling Stones’ 1969 U.S. tour—a mere four months after Woodstock had defined the Love Generation—they couldn’t anticipate the violence that would plague the concert at Altamont. The Maysles captured what began as a flower-power love-in and degenerated into a near-riot.

GENERATION 68 / France, 2007, 53 minutes (Director: Simon Brook)—Student protests, political art, actor activists, sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll—1968 was the year everything changed. Featuring Milos Forman, Vaclav Havel, Dennis Hopper, Mary Quant and others, the film explores the cultural moment from a European perspective, adding to our understanding of what Newsweek called “the year that made us who we are.” North American Premiere.

IN THE YEAR OF THE PIG / USA, 1969, 103 minutes (Director: Emile de Antonio)—Released at the height of the U.S. war in Vietnam, IN THE YEAR OF THE PIG elicited both high praise and outrage for its staunch opposition to U.S. policy. Allowing the architects of the war to speak for themselves, the filmmaker uses the liberties of independent cinema to counter the corporate censorship of television news.

LAW AND ORDER / USA, 1969, 81 minutes (Director: Frederick Wiseman)—A master of direct cinema, Frederick Wiseman is revered for films that document the impact of social institutions on society. In LAW AND ORDER, we see the Kansas City police department’s daily routine, with interactions that range from comedic and benign to undeniably bigoted and violent. LAW AND ORDER reveals the violence that results from a deeply ingrained social crisis of racism and poverty.

ROBERT KENNEDY REMEMBERED / USA, 1968, 30 minutes (Director: Charles Guggenheim)—Academy-Award winning ROBERT KENNEDY REMEMBERED was made following his tragic death in June in time for the Democratic Convention in August of ’68. It captures the essence of a man who inspired the hoped of a generation with his message of hope and commitment to social justice.

WHAT’S HAPPENING! THE BEATLES IN THE U.S.A. / USA 1964, 81 minutes (Directors: Albert Maysles and David Maysles)—A lively, humorous and candid account of The Beatles’ arrival in America in 1964. The Maysles use their signature verité style to chronicle the Fab Four’s lives as fame descended upon them. We see the crazed arrival at JFK airport, unguarded moments in the Plaza Hotel, and the band’s frenzied homecoming.


RELATED WORKS

ALL TOGETHER NOW / USA 2008 (Director: Adrian Wills)—A faithful behind-the-scenes story of the unprecedented partnership between The Beatles and Cirque du Soleil, explores the making of the “LOVE” stage production at the Mirage in Las Vegas. The film captures the collaborations of Sir Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono Lennon and Olivia Harrison, Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté, LOVE director Dominique Champagne and producers Sir George Martin and his son Giles Martin as they create an homage to the vision and music of The Beatles. Director Adrian Wills is scheduled to attend along with other special guests.

GONZO: THE LIFE AND WORK OF DR. HUNTER S. THOMPSON / USA, 2007, 118 minutes (Director: Alex Gibney)—Oscar-winner Alex Gibney (Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, Taxi to the Dark Side) cuts through the larger-than-life mythology of gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson to present an intimate, illuminating and highly entertaining look at the man who chronicled and personified the rebellious spirit of the 1960s and 1970s.

AN AMERICAN FAMILY Series / USA 1973 840 minutes (Directors: Alan and Susan Raymond)—In 1973, 10 million viewers tuned in to PBS to watch the Louds become the first “reality TV family” in history. The 12-hour cinema verite series chronicled the family’s life and captured sensitive moments, including the husband and wife filing for divorce and the eldest son’s affirmation of his homosexuality. SILVERDOCS presents the rarely-seen series in its entirety.

CHEVOLUTION / USA, 2008, 90 minutes (Directors: Luis Lopez and Trisha Ziff)—Songs and films pay tribute to Ernesto “Che” Guevara, but he lives on most famously through Alberto Korda’s photograph of his somber yet fiercely proud face. This vibrant study of the image that has outlived the man traces the construction of a mythology launched by a revolution, adopted by worldwide rebellion, and exploited by capitalism.


LA PALOMA / Germany/France, 2008, 88 minutes (Director: Sigrid Faltin)—Long before corporate distribution and file-sharing fused music with globalization, songs traversed the globe. LA PALOMA follows Sebastián de Iradier’s 1861 song, La Paloma, from the Basque country to Latin America, Hawaii, back to Europe, and finally to Africa. In each country, the tune remained while the meaning changed dramatically.


2008 SPONSORS. Founding: CPB; Leadership: Comcast, Entertainment Weekly; Official Providers: American Airlines, Courtyard by Marriott; Downtown Silver Spring; Gibson Guitar; Lipton Pure Leaf; Toyota; Official Media: Current TV; The Gazette; Maryland Public Television; WAMU-88.5; Washington City Paper; Washington Life.

About SILVERDOCS
The SILVERDOCS: AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival honors excellence in filmmaking, supports the diverse voices and free expression of independent storytellers and celebrates the power of documentary to improve our understanding of the world. Now in its sixth year, the festival runs June 16-23 at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in the Washington, DC area, and has expanded by two days to meet growing demand. The 2008 Festival features 108 films representing 64 countries to be presented to over 21,000 attendees, including the influential audiences of the nation’s capital and media professionals from around the world. The concurrent five-day SILVERDOCS International Documentary Conference presents thought-provoking presentations and engages a diverse group of over 1,000 filmmakers and industry leaders concerned with the future of non-fiction storytelling, production and distribution. For more information, go to www.SILVERDOCS.com.

About the American Film Institute
AFI is a national institute providing leadership in screen education and the recognition and celebration of excellence in the art of film, television and digital media. Additional information about AFI is available at AFI.com.

About Discovery Communications
Discovery Communications is the world’s number-one nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.5 billion cumulative subscribers in over 170 countries. Discovery empowers people to explore their world and satisfy their curiosity through 100-plus worldwide networks, led by Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Science Channel, Planet Green, Investigation Discovery and HD Theater, as well as leading consumer and educational products and services, and a diversified portfolio of digital media services including www.HowStuffWorks.com. Discovery Communications is owned by Discovery Holding Company (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB), Advance/Newhouse Communications and John S. Hendricks, Discovery's founder and chairman. For more information, please visit www.discoverycommunications.com.