To remember the passing of JFK, we are showing a documentary double feature, both exploring how the JFK assassination has affected journalism, trust, and the American identity. Special guests to follow.
5:15 pm: Rush To Judgment provides a frank argument that Lee Harvey Oswald could not have murdered John F. Kennedy. Including parade witness interviews who were omitted from the official inquiry and commentary from other professionals, this documentary is a shining example of how clear-eyed journalism remains fresh despite the passage of time.
(dir. Emile de Antonio, U.S, 1967, 98 m)
“Rush to Judgment is sober and unexcited, making its points with quiet and controlled definiteness, sans hysterics or frenzied accusations. Lane and collaborator Emile de Antonio have let their material present itself, utilizing wryness as their main weapon to sow seeds of doubt.” – Variety Magazine
7:30 pm: Oswald’s Ghost attempts to untangle the mythologies and American government paranoia that were perhaps born from both the Vietnam War and the JFK assassination. Using never-before-seen archival material and interviews with journalists, politicians, and activists, director Robert Stone offers an unflinching look at the aftermath of an American trauma, drawing parallels between it and the 9/11 attacks. (dir. Robert Stone, U.S, 2007, 90 m)
“…ultimately its wealth of archival footage (much of which is unfamiliar) and insightful interviews with knowledgeable sources make Oswald’s Ghost a relentlessly gripping cinematic examination.” – Hollywood Reporter
Speakers:
Robert Stone – Stone has a long history making documentary films, including the Academy Award-nominated Radio Bikini (1988). His films Guerrilla: The Taking of Patty Hearst (2004) and Oswald’s Ghost (2008) both received Emmy nominations for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking; Gleiberman hailed them as “two of the most explosively insightful documentaries of the last decade.”
Doug Stone – Writer / filmmaker Doug Stone has been studying the JFK case since he saw Oliver Stone’s film JFK in 1991. He contends that during Lee Oswald’s ambush, a defective AR15 rifle in the Secret Service car directly behind the presidential limousine accidentally discharged and caused the fatal head injury, and that this gunshot was the infamous “grassy knoll gunshot” that has caused widespread belief that Kennedy was murdered by agents of his own government.
