Crisis: Behind a Presidential Commitment

Thematic Perfect and Otherwise: Documenting American Politics Curated by R.J. Cutler

In 1963, when a federal court order mandates that the all-white University of Alabama must integrate, the state’s governor, George Wallace, personally vows to keep two African American students from registering. In Crisis, five camera crews follow President John F. Kennedy, Deputy Attorney General Nicholas Katzenbach, Governor Wallace, and students Vivian Malone and James Hood in the days surrounding a dramatic showdown. Unable to convince the governor to yield, the Kennedy administration acts quickly to take control of the Alabama National Guard. With urgency and finesse, this cinéma vérité documentary presents a complete portrait of a definitive moment in American history, taking audiences to the epicenter of this suspenseful high-stakes standoff. The film is a stirring continuation of Primary, made several years earlier, in which Robert Drew portrays Kennedy’s successful bid for the Oval Office.  ST

Director

Robert Drew

Producer

Gregory Shuker

Executive Producer

Robert Drew

Editors

Nicholas Proferes, De Nosworthy

Cinematographers

Richard Leacock, James Lipscomb, D A Pennebaker, Hope Ryden

Release Year

1963

Festival Year

2016

Country

United States