Episode 12: E Pluribus Unum: Looking at The American Revolution (2025) as a Document of Here and Now

Everything is a Primary Source

S5E12: "E Pluribus Unum: Looking at The American Revolution as a Document of Here and Now"
Documentaries shape the way we remember the past and they also reveal the time in which they’re made. In this episode, I’m joined by Sarah Botstein and David Schmidt, co-directors with Ken Burns of the new film The American Revolution, for a conversation about the craft behind historical storytelling.
Together, we explore why the project was conceived, how they and their team chose what stories to tell, , and why every documentary is ultimately a reflection of “here and now,” just as much as it is a record of the past. This episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at how narrative decisions, source material, and creative choices become primary sources in their own right.
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