"A President to Remember: In the Company of John F. Kennedy"

Q & A with Director Robert Drew

Multi-Award-Winning American Cinéma-Vérité Pioneer

Acclaimed documentarian Robert Drew revisits some of the most important moments in our nation’s history with a powerful and timely new look at the rise of one of an American President , whose ideals and actions would often stand in stark contrast to those of today’s administration.  Combining footage from the director’s four groundbreaking films, which follow John F. Kennedy from his presidential campaign to his days in the Oval Office, A President to Remember: In the Company of John F. Kennedy premieres during the Tribeca Film Festival on April 26, 2008 at 8:30 p.m. at Pace University’s Michael Shimmel Center for the Arts.

Q:  How would you describe “direct cinema?”  And how did you develop the idea for candid film reporting?

A:  Direct cinema and cinéma-vérité are two labels that have been applied to my candid films.  I would describe my films as offering a close look at people during important events in their lives.  That requires finding stories that are about to happen, being there when they do happen and editing the footage to tell the story through the actions of people.  Our cameras move freely with characters throughout the developing story.  We observe and record.  We do not intervene.  We do not light.  We do not ask questions.

I spent 15 years working at LIFE magazine, most of the time in candid still picture reporting.  I was amazed that TV was still locked to its tripods.  I imagined great things if our candid still pictures could speak and move.

Q:  For Primary, your first film, why did you choose Kennedy as your subject as opposed to one of the other candidates?  For how many days did you follow the Senator on his presidential campaign?

A:  I was fascinated by the story of the young Senator working against impossible odds.
He was too young, too Catholic, too rich and he had the whole Democratic Party against him.  I thought what a wonderful story.

We filmed Senator Kennedy for five days during the Wisconsin primary.
Q:  How did you initially approach Senator Kennedy and was he receptive from the start to a candid film that follows his campaign?  Were there any restrictions as to what you were permitted to shoot?

A:  Through contacts who were close to Kennedy, I wound up in his living room in Georgetown.  He was wearing a bathrobe, sneezing and coughing and said “What do you want?”  In a few minutes I explained to him the idea of a film journalism that would see things happen without interviews and very little narration and let the story tell itself. His reaction was cautious, but he said if I didn’t hear from him the next day we would be on.

There were no restrictions at all.

Q:  You say you eliminate interviews and minimize narration.  Why?

A:  Film is a living medium.  The more verbal it becomes, the more like a lecture it becomes.  Lectures are dull in a living medium.

Q:  Once Kennedy became President, was it more difficult to get access to him?  You were privy to a lot of sensitive information, were there times that you were asked to leave the room or turn off the cameras?

A:  Access was not difficult for the first year of his Presidency.

We were photographing the President in a meeting with the Joint Chiefs of Staff.  Kennedy had forgotten the camera so completely, that when the subject turned toward Cuba (the invasion of Cuba had not yet taken place), an admiral had to remind the President that we were still filming. Kennedy turned to me, smiled and we got up and left the meeting.

Q:  Did the White House have any approval or control over what footage was included in your four original documentaries?

A:  When I proposed photographing Crisis in the Oval Office, the conditions that I sought were that I could shoot whatever happened, but that if something were said that would compromise the Presidency, I would remove it from the sound track.

The White House had no control over Primary, Adventures in the New Frontier or Faces of November. 

Q:  Jacqueline Kennedy was known to be shy about media coverage.  Was she concerned about the intimacy of cameras following the personal life of her family?

A:  After the election and before his swearing in, Kennedy and I were discussing ways to use our new filming techniques in conveying his upcoming Presidency.  Kennedy called Jacqueline over to tell her about our ideas.  They involved having one of our teams move into the White House with her.  Suddenly she turned very cold and said, “Nobody moves into the White House with me.”  Kennedy said, “Oh, no we didn’t mean that.” and tried to change the subject.
Q:  Why did you feel it was important to release another film about President Kennedy today?

A:  I think the contrast between our current President and John F. Kennedy could be instructive on many levels, to many people, including candidates and voters.

Q:  What were your criteria for deciding what footage to include in A President to Rememberand what to omit?  Was this a painful process for you?

A:  For me, all editing is challenging and you could say a painful process.  My criteria
was to tell a story of the man and within that include as much of his wit and character  as I could.

Q:  What do you think about how documentaries are made today – and what are your opinions about “reality TV?”

A:  Reality TV is a surprising, amazing concoction, to me, of showmanship, but it‘s the furthest thing from reality.  It’s a manipulated, artificial environment.

Documentaries have exploded in many directions.  I’m afraid that very few have moved in the direction of candid film reporting.  Of those that have, many are lacking in filmic skill.  But now that small cameras are falling into more hands we are seeing some fine works.  I find that those that are well done are surprising and thrilling.

For more information, please visit www.drewassociates.net.

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