On March 16, 1968, Robert F. Kennedy declared his candidacy for President of the United States in the U.S. Senate Caucus Room, the exact location where his late brother John F. Kennedy had proclaimed his candidacy in 1960. Today, which marks 50 years to that day, Netflix announced that acclaimed director Dawn Porter’s (Gideon’s Army, Spies of Mississippi, Trapped) new original documentary series Bobby Kennedy For President will launch globally on April 27, 2018.
Executive produced by Laura Michalchyshyn and produced by RadicalMedia, Trilogy Films and LooksFilm, the eye-opening and transformative four-part series utilizes rare and never-before-seen archival footage – much of it digitized for the first time – along with new interviews with those that worked closely with RFK and knew him well.
“I am honored that Netflix entrusted me with a story of this scale,” said Porter. “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. 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.”
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. 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 who’s life was tragically cut short when he was assassinated on June 6, 1968 at age 42.
With new interviews with RFK confidantes and staffers, including 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 — Porter reveals anew what America gained and what it lost in the life, vision, politics, and enduring legacy of Bobby Kennedy.
