Rory Kennedy
Birthday:
12 December 1968, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
Birth Name:
Rory Elizabeth Katherine Kennedy
Rory Kennedy was born on December 12, 1968 in Washington, District of Columbia, USA as Rory Elizabeth Katherine Kennedy. She is a producer and director, known for Last Days in Vietnam (2014), Ethel (2012) and Ghosts of Abu Ghraib (2007). She has been married to Mark Bailey since August 2, 1999. They have three children.
I was attracted to filmmaking in college because of my love of storytelling. You can have such an impact and reach a broader audience than c...Show more »
I was attracted to filmmaking in college because of my love of storytelling. You can have such an impact and reach a broader audience than conventional journalism. Show less «
I've always been interested in Vietnam, feel it's a seminal event in our nation's history, and have explored it over the years - but I hadn'...Show more »
I've always been interested in Vietnam, feel it's a seminal event in our nation's history, and have explored it over the years - but I hadn't been interested in doing a documentary about it. I felt there had been a lot done about Vietnam, and didn't know if I could add anything new to the discussion. Show less «
You need to think, when you get involved in wars, how you're going to get out of them.
You need to think, when you get involved in wars, how you're going to get out of them.
I'm not sure I would make a direct connection between having press attention as a young person and being interested in the media as an older...Show more »
I'm not sure I would make a direct connection between having press attention as a young person and being interested in the media as an older person. I came to it more organically, coming from a family of Irish Catholic storytellers. Storytelling is a pastime and important part of my family's history and culture. Show less «
I think it can be really powerful, and one of the reasons I love making films is I do feel they can reach beyond the statistics and the numb...Show more »
I think it can be really powerful, and one of the reasons I love making films is I do feel they can reach beyond the statistics and the numbers and the complexities of a particular issue and really highlight the humanity in a way that an article or newspaper story might not be able to do. Show less «
I'm all for having an empowered first lady who can really use that position to improve conditions, be a role model and make change.
I'm all for having an empowered first lady who can really use that position to improve conditions, be a role model and make change.
I had long been resistant to doing a documentary about my mother for personal reasons. And I thought there was no way she'd want to, but the...Show more »
I had long been resistant to doing a documentary about my mother for personal reasons. And I thought there was no way she'd want to, but then I asked her and she said 'yes.' Show less «
The thing is that my father's story helps to communicate what was at stake with my mother, and my mother and father had so much a partnershi...Show more »
The thing is that my father's story helps to communicate what was at stake with my mother, and my mother and father had so much a partnership that his story is integral to her story, as her story is to his - really, her story can't be told without his story. Show less «
I think there is a lot to be said for the respect that our parents had for children, and for my brothers and sisters and me at a very young ...Show more »
I think there is a lot to be said for the respect that our parents had for children, and for my brothers and sisters and me at a very young age, and for exposing them to the world and what's out there. Show less «
I am now using media as a tool to bring attention to marginalized people.
I am now using media as a tool to bring attention to marginalized people.
I've been doing documentaries for about 25 years and want to continue to do that, but I love the idea of working in a different medium. Adve...Show more »
I've been doing documentaries for about 25 years and want to continue to do that, but I love the idea of working in a different medium. Advertising pushes the envelope creatively, and there is some really great work being done right now, so I'm excited to jump into it. Show less «
With Makers: Women in Hollywood (2014), I didn't direct it, but I produced it, and what we did is followed the money of Hollywood and how th...Show more »
With Makers: Women in Hollywood (2014), I didn't direct it, but I produced it, and what we did is followed the money of Hollywood and how that intersects with issues relating to women and, frankly, sexism. Show less «
There's a great op-ed piece by Kurt Johnson, who runs The List Project, that I recommend everyone read. He was talking about how he's been t...Show more »
There's a great op-ed piece by Kurt Johnson, who runs The List Project, that I recommend everyone read. He was talking about how he's been trying to get out of Iraq who were our allies, who are now subject to torture, and their families are being killed because of their alliance to the United States. Show less «
When I graduated from Brown after majoring in women's studies, I made my first PBS documentary, Women of Substance. My first feature documen...Show more »
When I graduated from Brown after majoring in women's studies, I made my first PBS documentary, Women of Substance. My first feature documentary was called American Hollow (1999), which I did for HBO and was at the Sundance Film Festival. Show less «
Rory Kennedy's Photos
