Bobby Kennedy For President Documentary Series Coming To Netflix
Robert F. Kennedy was a late entry in the 1968 primary race. Moved by the Tet Offensive in Vietnam in February, he declared his candidacy for President of the United States on March 16, 1968. Bobby made the announcement the U.S. Senate Caucus Room, the exact location where his late brother John F. Kennedy had proclaimed his candidacy in 1960. Netflix’s upcoming new original documentary series Bobby Kennedy For President will detail the candidacy.
Bobby Kennedy for President was directed by Dawn Porter’s (Gideon’s Army, Spies of Mississippi, Trapped), who reminds us “what America gained and what it lost in the life, vision, politics,” along with the enduring legacy of RFK.
“Bobby Kennedy remains one of the most important and influential figures in American political history, and we all felt that there was no better time to study his life and legacy,” Porter said in a statement. “We take care to closely examine his transformation from law-and-order leader to a trailblazer with a progressive focus on civil rights and social justice in a tumultuous time for the country. I gravitate to making films that shed a light on truth and justice, and RFK’s story inspires me personally, and has helped me grow as a filmmaker and a citizen.”
The four-part series will present rare and never-before-seen archival footage, a lot of which has newly been digitized, along with new interviews with “those that worked closely with RFK and knew him well.” The interview include Harry Belafonte, Rep. John Lewis, Rep. Neil Gallagher, Dolores Huerta, Ambassador William Vanden Heuvel, Paul Schrade, Franklin A. Thomas, William Arnone, Marian Wright Edelman and Peter Edelman.
“Bobby Kennedy’s passion and vision helped his brother John get elected President, sparked a country’s conscience, guided the nation through terrifying crises, and inspired a generation,” reads the press statement. “He was Attorney General, a United States Senator, and a candidate for President. RFK also riled the establishment as he sharpened his political acumen, and challenged America to become the best version of itself. Bobby Kennedy For President examines the impact of the “Bobby Phenomenon,” and the continuing influence of one of the United States’ most iconic figures whose life was tragically cut short when he was assassinated on June 6, 1968 at age 42.”
The series is being executive produced by Laura Michalchyshyn and produced by RadicalMedia, Trilogy Films and LooksFilm.
Bobby Kennedy For President launches globally on April 27, 2018.