How Good Documentaries Transcend Borders, and Why We Need Them Now More Than Ever

A good documentary doesn’t just tell a story; it makes you question what you think you know, and helps you to understand lives that are different from your own. Rory Kennedy ‘91 is a celebrated documentary filmmaker; Randall Poster ‘83 is a film music supervisor, who has worked with filmmakers such as Wes Anderson and Martin Scorsese. Last year, they helped launch the John F. Kennedy Jr. Film Initiative, which is housed at Watson. Like John, they’re both Brown alums; John was Rory’s cousin, and Randy’s classmate. Through screenings, discussions, and workshops, this Initiative connects world-class documentarians with the Brown community, at a time when more and more students are looking to use narrative storytelling in their research and activism. On this episode, Watson’s Director Ed Steinfeld talks with Rory and Randall about their careers in film, the motivation behind the Initiative, and the power documentaries have to affect social change. You can sign up to for updates about the initiative here. You can learn more about the full slate of programming here (Fall Event announcements will be added in the coming days). You can learn more about Watson’s other podcasts here.