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'''Rory Elizabeth Katherine Kennedy''' (born December 12, 1968)<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ethel Skakel Kennedy {{!}} JFK Library|url=https://www.jfklibrary.org/learn/about-jfk/the-kennedy-family/ethel-skakel-kennedy|access-date=August 26, 2020|website=www.jfklibrary.org}}</ref> is an American documentary filmmaker. Kennedy has made documentary films that center on social issues such as [[addiction]], nuclear radiation, the treatment of [[Prisoner of war|prisoners-of-war]], and the politics of the [[Mexico–United States barrier|Mexican border fence]]. Her films have been featured on many television networks. She is the youngest child of U.S. Senator [[Robert F. Kennedy]] and [[Ethel Kennedy|Ethel Skakel]].
'''Rory Elizabeth Katherine Kennedy''' (born December 12, 1968)<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ethel Skakel Kennedy {{!}} JFK Library|url=https://www.jfklibrary.org/learn/about-jfk/the-kennedy-family/ethel-skakel-kennedy|access-date=August 26, 2020|website=www.jfklibrary.org}}</ref> is an American documentary filmmaker. Kennedy has made documentary films that center on social issues such as [[addiction]], her [[Anti-nuclear movement|opposition to nuclear power]], the treatment of [[Prisoner of war|prisoners-of-war]], and the politics of the [[Mexico–United States barrier|Mexican border fence]].
She is the youngest child of U.S. Senator [[Robert F. Kennedy]] and [[Ethel Kennedy]].


==Early life and education==
==Early life and education==
[[File:3W-0174-Edit (CMYK) - Rory Kennedy (1).jpg|thumb|Kennedy's mother and uncle [[Ted Kennedy|Ted]] introducing the newborn Kennedy to the media at [[Georgetown University Hospital]] on December 19, 1968, a week after her birth]]
[[File:3W-0174-Edit (CMYK) - Rory Kennedy (1).jpg|thumb|Kennedy's mother and uncle [[Ted Kennedy|Ted]] introducing the newborn Kennedy to the media at [[Georgetown University Hospital]] on December 19, 1968, a week after her birth]]
Rory Kennedy was born on December 12, 1968, in [[Georgetown University Hospital]] in [[Washington, D.C.]], to parents [[Robert F. Kennedy]], a former [[United States Attorney General]], U.S. Senator, and [[1968 United States presidential election|1968 U.S. presidential candidate]], and his wife [[Ethel Kennedy]]. She was born [[Posthumous birth|six months]] after [[Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy|her father was assassinated]]. Her mother chose her name "Rory" after the last [[high king of Ireland]], [[Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair|Rory O'Connor]], who ruled in the 12th century.
Rory Elizabeth Katherine Kennedy was born on December 12, 1968, at [[MedStar Georgetown University Hospital|Georgetown University Hospital]] in [[Washington, D.C.]], to parents [[Robert F. Kennedy]], a former [[United States Attorney General]], U.S. Senator, and [[1968 United States presidential election|1968 U.S. presidential candidate]], and his wife [[Ethel Kennedy]]. She was born [[Posthumous birth|six months after]] her [[Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy|father was shot and killed]]. Her mother chose her name "Rory" after the last [[high king of Ireland]], [[Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair|Rory O'Connor]], who ruled in the 12th century.


On December 19, 1968, a week after Rory was born, her mother took her to her father's grave at [[Arlington National Cemetery]].<ref>{{cite book| last=Oppenheimer| first=Jerry| title=The Other Mrs. Kennedy: An Intimate and Revealing Look at the Hidden Life of Ethel Skakel Kennedy| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=exZYWnR3mp8C&q=rory&pg=PP1| date=May 15, 1995| publisher=St. Martin's Paperbacks| isbn=978-0312956004|pages=495–496}}</ref> Kennedy's older brother [[Michael LeMoyne Kennedy]] was assigned as her godparent by their mother. In December 1997, she tried to resuscitate her brother Michael after a skiing accident in Aspen, Colorado, which was fatal.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Writer|first=Lisa Anderson, Tribune Staff|title=A CHILD OF TRAGEDY POSTPONES HER WEDDING|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1999-07-18-9907180289-story.html|access-date=2021-02-07|website=chicagotribune.com|date=July 18, 1999 |language=en-US}}</ref> Friends of the Kennedy family said Rory and Michael spoke almost every day of their lives.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://articles.latimes.com/1998/jan/04/news/mn-4923| title=Kennedy Family, Friends Say Farewell to Michael| date=January 4, 1998| first=Elizabeth| last=Mehren| newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref>
On December 19, 1968, a week after Rory was born, her mother took her to her father's grave at [[Arlington National Cemetery]].<ref>{{cite book| last=Oppenheimer| first=Jerry| title=The Other Mrs. Kennedy: An Intimate and Revealing Look at the Hidden Life of Ethel Skakel Kennedy| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=exZYWnR3mp8C&q=rory&pg=PP1| date=May 15, 1995| publisher=St. Martin's Paperbacks| isbn=978-0312956004|pages=495–496}}</ref> Kennedy's older brother [[Michael LeMoyne Kennedy]] was assigned as her godparent by their mother. In December 1997, she tried to resuscitate her brother Michael after a skiing accident in Aspen, Colorado, which was fatal.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Writer|first=Lisa Anderson, Tribune Staff|title=A CHILD OF TRAGEDY POSTPONES HER WEDDING|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1999-07-18-9907180289-story.html|access-date=2021-02-07|website=chicagotribune.com|date=July 18, 1999 |language=en-US}}</ref> Friends of the Kennedy family said Rory and Michael spoke almost every day of their lives.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-jan-04-mn-4923-story.html| title=Kennedy Family, Friends Say Farewell to Michael| date=January 4, 1998| first=Elizabeth| last=Mehren| newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref>


When Rory was a teenager, she was arrested during a protest outside the South African Embassy. When she was 15, her 28-year-old brother David died from a [[drug overdose]]. Rory graduated from [[Madeira School]] in [[McLean, Virginia]], and then [[Brown University]] in [[Providence, Rhode Island]]. During her sophomore year at Brown, Rory organized a rally in front of a Providence supermarket. In solidarity with migrant farm workers, she urged shoppers to boycott grapes.<ref name="QuietKennedy">{{cite news| url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/jfkjr/stories/rory072199.htm| title=Rory: The Quiet Kennedy| newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]| first=Jennifer| last=Frey| date=July 21, 1999}}</ref>
When Rory was a teenager, she was arrested during a protest outside the South African Embassy. When she was 15, her 28-year-old brother David died from a [[drug overdose]]. Rory graduated from [[Madeira School]] in [[McLean, Virginia]], and then [[Brown University]] in [[Providence, Rhode Island]]. During her sophomore year at Brown, Rory organized a rally in front of a Providence supermarket. In solidarity with migrant farm workers, she urged shoppers to boycott grapes.<ref name="QuietKennedy">{{cite news| url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/jfkjr/stories/rory072199.htm| title=Rory: The Quiet Kennedy| newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]| first=Jennifer| last=Frey| date=July 21, 1999}}</ref>


==Career==
==Career==
In the 1990s, Rory and fellow Brown classmate Vanessa Vadim (daughter of [[Roger Vadim]] and [[Jane Fonda]]) formed May Day Media, a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., that specializes in the production and distribution of films with a social conscience. ''Women of Substance'' was Kennedy's first documentary. The film was released in 1994, and the idea came out of a paper about female addicts that she wrote while a student at Brown.<ref name=LATimes92014 /> In 1998, Kennedy and another fellow Brown graduate [[Liz Garbus]] founded Moxie Firecracker Films, which specializes in documentaries that highlight pressing [[social issues]].<ref>{{cite web| title=About| url=http://moxiefirecracker.com/about.php| website=Moxie Firecracker Films| access-date=September 14, 2018}}</ref> The television networks that have shown its films include: [[A&E Network|A&E]], the UK's [[Channel 4]], [[Court TV]], [[Discovery Channel]], [[HBO]], [[Lifetime (TV network)|Lifetime]], MTV, [[Oxygen (TV channel)|Oxygen]], [[Public Broadcasting Service|PBS]], [[Sundance Channel (United States)|Sundance Channel]], and [[TLC (TV channel)|TLC]].
In the 1990s, Kennedy and fellow Brown classmate Vanessa Vadim (daughter of [[Roger Vadim]] and [[Jane Fonda]]) formed May Day Media, a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., that specializes in the production and distribution of films with a social conscience. ''Women of Substance'' was Kennedy's first documentary. The film was released in 1994, and the idea came out of a paper about female addicts that she wrote while a student at Brown.<ref name=LATimes92014 /> In 1998, Kennedy and another fellow Brown graduate [[Liz Garbus]] founded Moxie Firecracker Films, which specializes in documentaries that highlight pressing [[social issues]].<ref>{{cite web| title=About| url=http://moxiefirecracker.com/about.php| website=Moxie Firecracker Films| access-date=September 14, 2018}}</ref> The television networks that have shown its films include: [[A&E Network|A&E]], the UK's [[Channel 4]], [[Court TV]], [[Discovery Channel]], [[HBO]], [[Lifetime (TV network)|Lifetime]], MTV, [[Oxygen (TV channel)|Oxygen]], [[Public Broadcasting Service|PBS]], [[Sundance Channel (United States)|Sundance Channel]], and [[TLC (TV channel)|TLC]].


She directed and co-produced ''American Hollow'' (1999), a film about a struggling [[Appalachian Mountains|Appalachian]] family that received critical acclaim and many awards. HBO broadcast the film and [[publishing|publisher]] [[Little, Brown and Company]] simultaneously released Kennedy's companion book. Kennedy presented the documentary at Wittenberg University on September 13, 2001. After the film's presentation, she answered questions.<ref>{{cite press release| url=http://www4.wittenberg.edu/news/2000/rorykennedy.html| title=Filmmaker Rory Kennedy To Appear In Sept. 13 Wittenberg Series Event| date=September 2001| publisher=Wittenberg University| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150507214235/http://www4.wittenberg.edu/news/2000/rorykennedy.html| archive-date=May 7, 2015}}</ref>
She directed and co-produced ''American Hollow'' (1999), a film about a struggling [[Appalachian Mountains|Appalachian]] family that received critical acclaim and many awards. HBO broadcast the film and [[publishing|publisher]] [[Little, Brown and Company]] simultaneously released Kennedy's companion book. Kennedy presented the documentary at Wittenberg University on September 13, 2001.<ref>{{cite press release| url=http://www4.wittenberg.edu/news/2000/rorykennedy.html| title=Filmmaker Rory Kennedy To Appear In Sept. 13 Wittenberg Series Event| date=September 2001| publisher=Wittenberg University| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150507214235/http://www4.wittenberg.edu/news/2000/rorykennedy.html| archive-date=May 7, 2015}}</ref>
In October 2001, Kennedy traveled to Cleveland, Ohio, to address the opening meeting of the National Council of Jewish Women. At the meeting, she spoke about her documentary film-production company ''Change the World Through Film''.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-79151090.html| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150328150043/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-79151090.html| url-status=dead| archive-date=March 28, 2015| title=Filmmaker Rory Kennedy focuses on social issues| date=October 19, 2001| newspaper=[[Cleveland Jewish News]]| first=Arlene| last=Fine}}</ref>
In October 2001, Kennedy traveled to Cleveland, Ohio, to address the opening meeting of the National Council of Jewish Women. At the meeting, she spoke about her documentary film-production company ''Change the World Through Film''.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-79151090.html| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150328150043/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-79151090.html| url-status=dead| archive-date=March 28, 2015| title=Filmmaker Rory Kennedy focuses on social issues| date=October 19, 2001| newspaper=[[Cleveland Jewish News]]| first=Arlene| last=Fine}}</ref>


Kennedy directed and co-produced the [[Emmy Award]]-nominated series ''Pandemic: Facing AIDS'' (2003), which premiered at the [[International AIDS Conference]] in [[Barcelona]], Spain, on July 8, 2002. It was funded by the [[Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation]], and it tells the real stories of [[AIDS]] patients outside the Western world. It was broadcast in America as a five-part series on HBO in June 2003.<ref name=bit>{{cite magazine| url=http://filmmakermagazine.com/archives/issues/summer2003/features/global_crisis.php#.V6BoSbgrJdg| title=True Tales from the Global Crisis| last=Kopple| first=Barbara| magazine=[[Filmmaker (magazine)|Filmmaker]]| date=Summer 2003| access-date=September 14, 2018}}</ref>
Kennedy directed and co-produced the [[Emmy Award]]-nominated series ''Pandemic: Facing AIDS'' (2003), which premiered at the [[International AIDS Conference]] in [[Barcelona]], Spain, on July 8, 2002. It was funded by the [[Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation]], and tells the stories of [[AIDS]] patients outside the Western world. It was broadcast in America as a five-part series on HBO in June 2003.<ref name=bit>{{cite magazine| url=http://filmmakermagazine.com/archives/issues/summer2003/features/global_crisis.php#.V6BoSbgrJdg| title=True Tales from the Global Crisis| last=Kopple| first=Barbara| magazine=[[Filmmaker (magazine)|Filmmaker]]| date=Summer 2003| access-date=September 14, 2018}}</ref>


Kennedy directed and co-produced ''A Boy's Life'' (2004), the story of a young boy and his family in rural [[Mississippi]]. The movie premiered to rave reviews at the 2003 [[Tribeca Film Festival]] and was awarded the Best Documentary prize at the [[Woodstock Film Festival]]; it was later broadcast on [[HBO]].
Kennedy directed and co-produced ''A Boy's Life'' (2004), the story of a young boy and his family in rural [[Mississippi]]. The movie premiered at the 2003 [[Tribeca Film Festival]] and was awarded the Best Documentary prize at the [[Woodstock Film Festival]]; it was later broadcast on [[HBO]].


When Kennedy was asked in a March 24, 2004, interview with [[Salon (website)|''Salon'']] about her interest in the [[Southern United States|American South]], she cited her father's experiences in the region as an inspiration and starting point.<ref>Traister, Rebecca (March 24, 2004). [http://dir.salon.com/story/ent/feature/2004/03/24/kennedy/index.html "A harrowing, inspiring ''Boy's Life''"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071223062137/http://dir.salon.com/story/ent/feature/2004/03/24/kennedy/index.html |date=December 23, 2007 }} ''Salon''. Accessed August 25, 2009.''</ref> In the same article, she goes on to mention that showing class differences in American culture also motivates her.
When Kennedy was asked in a March 24, 2004, interview with [[Salon (website)|''Salon'']] about her interest in the [[Southern United States|American South]], she cited her father's experiences in the region as an inspiration and starting point.<ref>Traister, Rebecca (March 24, 2004). [http://dir.salon.com/story/ent/feature/2004/03/24/kennedy/index.html "A harrowing, inspiring ''Boy's Life''"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071223062137/http://dir.salon.com/story/ent/feature/2004/03/24/kennedy/index.html |date=December 23, 2007 }} ''Salon''. Accessed August 25, 2009.''</ref> In the same article, she goes on to mention that showing class differences in American culture also motivates her.
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She directed and co-produced ''Indian Point: Imagining the Unimaginable'' (2004) for HBO, which was broadcast on September 9, 2004. The film takes a "what if" look at the catastrophic consequences of a [[Radioactive decay|radioactive]] release at the [[Indian Point Energy Center]], a three-unit [[nuclear power|nuclear-power]] plant station, located {{convert|35|mi|km}} north of [[midtown Manhattan]], New York City, New York.
She directed and co-produced ''Indian Point: Imagining the Unimaginable'' (2004) for HBO, which was broadcast on September 9, 2004. The film takes a "what if" look at the catastrophic consequences of a [[Radioactive decay|radioactive]] release at the [[Indian Point Energy Center]], a three-unit [[nuclear power|nuclear-power]] plant station, located {{convert|35|mi|km}} north of [[midtown Manhattan]], New York City, New York.


Rory directed and co-produced ''[[Homestead Strike]]'' (2006) as part of [[History (U.S. TV channel)|The History Channel]]'s <!--note: it was called "The History Channel in 2006--> series, ''[[10 Days that Unexpectedly Changed America]]'' (April 2006).
Kennedy directed and co-produced ''[[Homestead Strike]]'' (2006) as part of [[History (U.S. TV channel)|The History Channel]]'s <!--note: it was called "The History Channel in 2006--> series, ''[[10 Days that Unexpectedly Changed America]]'' (April 2006).


She was a co-executive producer for ''[[Street Fight (film)|Street Fight]]'' (2005), which chronicles the 2002 [[Newark, New Jersey]], unsuccessful mayoral campaign of [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] [[Cory Booker]] — then a [[Newark, New Jersey#Local government|Newark Municipal Councilman]] — against Democratic eighteen-year [[incumbent]] [[List of Mayors of Newark, New Jersey|Mayor]] [[Sharpe James]]. The film earned an [[Academy Award]] nomination for [[Academy Award for Best Documentary (Feature)|Best Documentary (Feature)]]. (Booker later won the mayoral election on May 9, 2006, against Democratic [[Ronald Rice]]; James did not seek re-election for another four-year term in 2006.)
She was a co-executive producer for ''[[Street Fight (film)|Street Fight]]'' (2005), which chronicles the 2002 [[Newark, New Jersey]], unsuccessful mayoral campaign of [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] [[Cory Booker]] — then a [[Newark, New Jersey#Local government|Newark Municipal Councilman]] — against Democratic eighteen-year [[incumbent]] [[List of Mayors of Newark, New Jersey|Mayor]] [[Sharpe James]]. The film earned an [[Academy Award]] nomination for [[Academy Award for Best Documentary (Feature)|Best Documentary (Feature)]]. (Booker later won the mayoral election on May 9, 2006, against Democratic [[Ronald L. Rice|Ronald Rice]]; James did not seek re-election for another four-year term in 2006.)


Kennedy directed and co-produced ''[[Ghosts of Abu Ghraib]]'' (2007), which premiered at the [[Sundance Film Festival]] and won the 2007 Primetime Emmy Award for Best Documentary. Kennedy first learned of the [[Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse|Abu Ghraib prison practices]] when images came out in the media, which were accompanied by a ''New Yorker'' article by Seymour Hersh. According to Kennedy, she was "horrified and shocked and disgusted" by the images of the naked prisoners and laughing American soldiers. She conducted interviews with people who were present at the prison along with those directly involved in the abuse. Kennedy's opinion of the participants changed after she interviewed them, when she began feeling they "were very humane and very much like me" and discovered they "were not monsters."<ref name=Ghosts>{{cite news| url=http://www.popmatters.com/feature/rory-kennedy-reveals-the-ghosts-of-abu-ghraib/| title=Rory Kennedy Reveals the Ghosts of Abu Ghraib| date=June 15, 2007| first=Bruce| last=Dancis| magazine=[[PopMatters]]}}</ref>
Kennedy directed and co-produced ''[[Ghosts of Abu Ghraib]]'' (2007), which premiered at the [[Sundance Film Festival]] and won the 2007 Primetime Emmy Award for Best Documentary. Kennedy first learned of the [[Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse|Abu Ghraib prison practices]] when images came out in the media, which were accompanied by a ''New Yorker'' article by Seymour Hersh. According to Kennedy, she was "horrified and shocked and disgusted" by the images of the naked prisoners and laughing American soldiers. She conducted interviews with people who were present at the prison along with those directly involved in the abuse. Kennedy's opinion of the participants changed after she interviewed them, when she began feeling they "were very humane and very much like me" and discovered they "were not monsters."<ref name=Ghosts>{{cite news| url=http://www.popmatters.com/feature/rory-kennedy-reveals-the-ghosts-of-abu-ghraib/| title=Rory Kennedy Reveals the Ghosts of Abu Ghraib| date=June 15, 2007| first=Bruce| last=Dancis| magazine=[[PopMatters]]}}</ref>
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In 2024, Kennedy directed and produced ''[[The Synanon Fix]]'' a documentary series revolving around [[Synanon]] for HBO.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/synanon-documentary-hbo-rory-kennedy-1235343629/|title=Synanon Documentary Set at HBO From Director Rory Kennedy (EXCLUSIVE)|website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|first=Joe|last=Otterson|date=August 17, 2022|access-date=January 21, 2024}}</ref>
In 2024, Kennedy directed and produced ''[[The Synanon Fix]]'' a documentary series revolving around [[Synanon]] for HBO.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/synanon-documentary-hbo-rory-kennedy-1235343629/|title=Synanon Documentary Set at HBO From Director Rory Kennedy (EXCLUSIVE)|website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|first=Joe|last=Otterson|date=August 17, 2022|access-date=January 21, 2024}}</ref>


In an electrifying development for film enthusiasts in Canada, Kennedy was selected to lead the Film Master Series Conference organized by Film Training Manitoba (FTM) in [[Winnipeg]], Canada. The event took place on February 10 and 11, 2024 at the Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology. The initiative was designed to foster [[workforce development]] for Canada’s film industry by providing a platform for attendees to learn from world-renowned film professionals. “Rory Kennedy is an outstanding and tenacious filmmaker, and Film Training Manitoba and our partners are so honoured to be working with her to deliver this important workforce development initiative,” Said Film Training Manitoba’s Executive Director [[Adam Smoluk]]. <ref name="Documentarian Kennedy to speak at film conference">{{cite web |url= https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/uncategorized/2024/01/09/documentarian-kennedy-to-speak-at-film-conference|title=Documentarian Kennedy to speak at film conference|access-date=2021-06-15 |author=Staff |date=January 9, 2024 |publisher=Winnipeg Free Press }}</ref>
In early 2024, Film Training Manitoba based in Winnipeg, Canada announced Kennedy as the distinguished speaker for the Manitoba Film Master Series which took place at the Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology (MITT). The Film Master Series included a session with Kennedy instructing specifically for women, non-binary, and Trans participants.<ref name="Oscar-nominated documentarian to speak at Film Training Manitoba's masterclass series">{{cite web |url= https://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/oscar-nominated-documentarian-to-speak-at-film-training-manitoba-s-masterclass-series-1.6715151|title=Documentarian Kennedy to speak at film conference|access-date=2024-01-07 |author= Dan Vadeboncoeur |date=January 7, 2024 |publisher=CTV }}</ref>


==Activism and politics==
==Activism and politics==
Kennedy advocates for several social activism organizations and sits on the board of numerous non-profit organizations.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ctforum.org/panelist/rory-kennedy|title=The Connecticut Forum - the Connecticut Forum}}</ref> In March 2010, Kennedy gave a presentation at The Ritz-Carlton, where she spoke on the effects of alcohol and drug abuse and concluded that addiction and domestic violence "are intricately connected." She also voiced her support of treatment options, calling them "more important than the criminal justice approach". Executive director and CEO of Comprehensive Alcoholism Rehabilitation Programs Robert Bozzone agreed with her opinion and added, "If you listen to Rory, treatment is more effective than incarceration."<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.palmbeachdailynews.com/news/news/rory-kennedy-delivers-message-of-social-justice-to/nMF2k/| title=Rory Kennedy delivers message of social justice to CARP fundraiser| newspaper=[[Palm Beach Daily News]]| first=Chris| last=Paine| date=March 24, 2010}}</ref> Referring to the [[shooting of Michael Brown]], Kennedy believed the reason it garnered national media attention "is that it's a touch point that indicates a larger social challenge that we all need to mull over and try to grapple with in a thoughtful and considerate way, and I think it has to do both with race and class."<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/09/01/rory-kennedy-on-last-days-in-vietnam-the-parallels-between-vietnam-and-iraq-and-ferguson.html| date=September 1, 2014| journal=The Daily Beast| title=Rory Kennedy on 'Last Days in Vietnam,' the Parallels Between Vietnam and Iraq, and Ferguson| first=Marlow| last=Stern}}</ref>
Kennedy advocates for several social activism organizations and sits on the board of numerous non-profit organizations.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ctforum.org/panelist/rory-kennedy|title=The Connecticut Forum - the Connecticut Forum}}</ref> In March 2010, Kennedy gave a presentation at The Ritz-Carlton, where she spoke on the effects of alcohol and drug abuse and concluded that addiction and domestic violence "are intricately connected." She also voiced her support of treatment options, calling them "more important than the criminal justice approach". Executive director and CEO of Comprehensive Alcoholism Rehabilitation Programs Robert Bozzone agreed with her opinion and added, "If you listen to Rory, treatment is more effective than incarceration."<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.palmbeachdailynews.com/news/news/rory-kennedy-delivers-message-of-social-justice-to/nMF2k/| title=Rory Kennedy delivers message of social justice to CARP fundraiser| newspaper=[[Palm Beach Daily News]]| first=Chris| last=Paine| date=March 24, 2010}}</ref> Referring to the [[shooting of Michael Brown]], Kennedy believed the reason it garnered national media attention "is that it's a touch point that indicates a larger social challenge that we all need to mull over and try to grapple with in a thoughtful and considerate way, and I think it has to do both with race and class."<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/09/01/rory-kennedy-on-last-days-in-vietnam-the-parallels-between-vietnam-and-iraq-and-ferguson.html| date=September 1, 2014| journal=The Daily Beast| title=Rory Kennedy on 'Last Days in Vietnam,' the Parallels Between Vietnam and Iraq, and Ferguson| first=Marlow| last=Stern}}</ref>


Kennedy announced her support of [[Barack Obama]] as the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]]'s nominee in the [[2008 United States presidential election|2008 U.S. presidential election]] in an [[op-ed]] essay, "Two fine choices, one clear decision - Obama".<ref>{{cite news |last=Kennedy |first=Rory |date=February 2, 2008 |title=Rory Kennedy: Two Fine Choices, One Clear Decision - Obama |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/02/02/ED39UQKTS.DTL |access-date=August 25, 2009 |newspaper=[[San Francisco Chronicle]]}}</ref> She endorsed Democratic presidential nominee [[Hillary Clinton]] in 2016.<ref>{{cite journal| title=Fuse Film Interview: Rory Kennedy defends "Last Days in Vietnam"| url=http://artsfuse.org/127135/fuse-film-interview-rory-kennedy-defends-last-days-in-vietnam/| date=May 7, 2015| last=Keough| first=Peter| journal=[[The Arts Fuse]]}}</ref>
On January 11, 2019, Kennedy co-authored a [[Rolling Stone]] opinion piece with [[Red Hot Chili Peppers]] singer [[Anthony Kiedis]] and the Malibu Foundation's Trevor Neilson on the current [[climate crisis]].<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.yahoo.com/news/anthony-kiedis-california-front-lines-200312385.html| work=RollingStone| title=Anthony Kiedis: 'California Is on the Front Lines of the Climate Crisis'| date=February 28, 2018}}</ref>


On January 11, 2019, Kennedy co-authored a [[Rolling Stone]] opinion piece with [[Red Hot Chili Peppers]] singer [[Anthony Kiedis]] and the Malibu Foundation's Trevor Neilson on the current [[climate crisis]].<ref>{{cite news |date=February 28, 2018 |title=Anthony Kiedis: 'California Is on the Front Lines of the Climate Crisis' |url=https://www.yahoo.com/news/anthony-kiedis-california-front-lines-200312385.html |work=RollingStone}}</ref> Also in 2019, Kennedy co-founded the [[Climate Emergency Fund]] along with [[Getty family]] heiress [[Aileen Getty]]. The fund has distributed over $4 million to several environmental activist organizations including [[Extinction Rebellion]] and [[Just Stop Oil]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-05-11 |title=Climate Emergency Fund Backers List Includes Jeremy Strong, Chelsea Handler |url=https://observer.com/2023/05/jeremy-strong-stars-climate-emergency-fund/ |access-date=2024-10-10 |website=Observer |language=en-US}}</ref>
===2008 Barack Obama endorsement===
Kennedy announced her support of [[Barack Obama]] as the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]]'s nominee in the [[2008 United States presidential election|2008 U.S. presidential election]] in an [[op-ed]] essay, "Two fine choices, one clear decision - Obama", in the ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'' stating:


On April 1st, 2024, during an appearance on [[Good Morning America]] to promote her new docuseries, ''[[The Synanon Fix]]'', Kennedy expressed her wish that voters in the [[2024 United States presidential election]] not vote for her brother, [[Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.]], to avoid pulling Democrat votes away from [[Joe Biden]].<ref>{{cite episode |last=Kennedy |first=Rory |date=April 1, 2024 |title=Rory Kennedy Discusses New Documentary, 'The Synanon Fix' |url=https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/culture/video/rory-kennedy-discusses-new-documentary-series-synanon-fix-108703807 |access-date=April 1, 2024 |series=[[Good Morning America]]}}</ref> She has endorsed Biden's candidacy, making the announcement alongside five of RFK Jr.’s other siblings<ref>{{cite web |last1=O'Donnell |first1=Kelly |last2=Lebowitz |first2=Megan |last3=Richards |first3=Zoë |title=Kennedy family members endorse Biden over RFK Jr. |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/kennedy-family-members-endorse-biden-rfk-jr-rcna148303 |website=NBC News |access-date=22 April 2024 |language=en |date=18 April 2024}}</ref>
{{blockquote|Last Monday, I was very moved to see my uncle, Sen. [[Ted Kennedy]], and my cousin, [[Caroline Kennedy]], publicly endorse Sen. Barack Obama. I thought their statements of support were brave, intelligent and responsible. Given the importance of this election, and the remarkable strength of our candidates, it's not an easy decision for anyone looking to cast a vote for a new direction in this country. ... . Recently, my mother, [[Ethel Kennedy]], said of Obama: 'I think he feels it. He feels it just like Bobby did. He has the passion in his heart. He's not selling you. It's just him.' I agree. Obama is a genuine leader. We Americans - women included - desperately need that kind of leader now. Not a president of a particular gender or a specific race, but a president with a different vision, one who inspires a sense of hope.<ref>{{cite news| first=Rory| last=Kennedy| title=Rory Kennedy: Two Fine Choices, One Clear Decision - Obama| date=February 2, 2008| url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/02/02/ED39UQKTS.DTL| newspaper=[[San Francisco Chronicle]]| access-date=August 25, 2009}}</ref>}}


After Biden [[Withdrawal of Joe Biden from the 2024 United States presidential election|dropped out]], Kennedy endorsed Vice President [[Kamala Harris]]'s [[Kamala Harris 2024 presidential campaign|campaign]], after their siblings denounced her brother Robert Jr.'s decision to endorse former President [[Donald Trump]], calling the move a "betrayal."<ref>{{cite web |last=Lebowitz |first=Megan |title=Members of the Kennedy family denounce RFK Jr.'s decision to endorse Trump |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/kennedy-family-members-denounce-rfk-jr-trump-endorsement-rcna168024 |website=NBC News |access-date=24 August 2024 |language=en |date=24 August 2024}}</ref>
Kennedy subsequently endorsed Democratic presidential nominee [[Hillary Clinton]] in 2016.<ref>{{cite journal| title=Fuse Film Interview: Rory Kennedy defends "Last Days in Vietnam"| url=http://artsfuse.org/127135/fuse-film-interview-rory-kennedy-defends-last-days-in-vietnam/| date=May 7, 2015| last=Keough| first=Peter| journal=[[The Arts Fuse]]}}</ref>


==Personal life==
==Personal life==
Following college graduation, Kennedy moved to New York and then briefly to Los Angeles.<ref name=TwoFamilies />
Following college graduation, Kennedy moved to New York and then briefly to Los Angeles.<ref name=TwoFamilies />
Kennedy's brother [[Michael LeMoyne Kennedy]] died in December 1997 as a result of a skiing accident. She was with him at the time of the accident and tried to save his life by giving him [[mouth-to-mouth resuscitation]]. Despite her efforts, he had been fatally injured and his blood stained her mouth.<ref name=QuietKennedy /> Kennedy attended his funeral in January 1998.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.cnn.com/US/9801/03/kennedy.pm/index.html?_s=pm:us| title=Michael Kennedy laid to rest| date=January 3, 1998| publisher=CNN}}</ref>
Kennedy's brother [[Michael LeMoyne Kennedy]] died in December 1997 as a result of a skiing accident. She was with him at the time of the accident and tried to save his life by giving him [[mouth-to-mouth resuscitation]]. Despite her efforts, he had been fatally injured.<ref name=QuietKennedy /> Kennedy attended his funeral in January 1998.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.cnn.com/US/9801/03/kennedy.pm/index.html?_s=pm:us| title=Michael Kennedy laid to rest| date=January 3, 1998| publisher=CNN}}</ref>


On August 2, 1999, Kennedy married [[Mark Bailey (writer)|Mark Bailey]] in Greece at the mansion of shipping tycoon [[Vardis Vardinoyiannis]]. Kennedy met Bailey in Washington through mutual friends after graduating from Brown University.<ref name=TwoFamilies /> The wedding was originally scheduled for July 17 in [[Hyannis Port, Massachusetts]], but was postponed after the plane piloted by her cousin [[John F. Kennedy, Jr.]] and passengers [[Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy]] (his wife) and her sister, Lauren Bessette [[John F. Kennedy, Jr., plane crash|crashed en route to the event]]. The tent erected for the wedding instead became a site for family prayers during the search for her cousin.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/index/jfk/jfk058.htm| title=Rory Kennedy full of mixed emotions| newspaper=[[USA Today]]|date=July 21, 1999}}</ref>
On August 2, 1999, Kennedy married [[Mark Bailey (writer)|Mark Bailey]] in Greece at the mansion of shipping tycoon [[Vardis Vardinoyiannis]]. Kennedy met Bailey in Washington through mutual friends after graduating from Brown University.<ref name=TwoFamilies /> The wedding was originally scheduled for July 17 in [[Hyannis Port, Massachusetts]], but was postponed after the plane piloted by her cousin [[John F. Kennedy, Jr.]] and passengers [[Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy]] (his wife) and her sister, Lauren Bessette [[John F. Kennedy, Jr., plane crash|crashed en route to the event]]. The tent erected for the wedding instead became a site for family prayers during the search for her cousin.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/index/jfk/jfk058.htm| title=Rory Kennedy full of mixed emotions| newspaper=[[USA Today]]|date=July 21, 1999}}</ref>


In October 1999, Kennedy and her husband moved with their dog Clementine to a new home in a West Village neighborhood they reportedly "loved."<ref name=TwoFamilies />
In October 1999, Kennedy and her husband moved to a new home in a West Village neighborhood they reportedly loved.<ref name=TwoFamilies />


Rory and Mark have two daughters, Georgia Elizabeth Kennedy-Bailey (b. 2002) and Bridget Katherine Kennedy-Bailey (b. 2004), and one son, Zachary Corkland Kennedy-Bailey (b. 2007).<ref name="globe">Beggy, Carol and Mark Shanahan, Mark (July 17, 2009). [http://www.boston.com/ae/celebrity/articles/2007/07/17/busy_moore_takes_time_to_sing_local_costars_praises/ "Busy Moore Takes Time to Sing Local Costar's Praises"]. ''[[The Boston Globe]]''. Accessed August 25, 2009.</ref>
Kennedy and her husband have two daughters and a son.<ref name="globe">Beggy, Carol and Mark Shanahan, Mark (July 17, 2009). [http://www.boston.com/ae/celebrity/articles/2007/07/17/busy_moore_takes_time_to_sing_local_costars_praises/ "Busy Moore Takes Time to Sing Local Costar's Praises"]. ''[[The Boston Globe]]''. Accessed August 25, 2009.</ref>


Around the time of the birth of her second daughter in 2004, Kennedy and her husband purchased a home.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.brownstoner.com/blog/2013/01/a-kennedy-sells-park-slope-townhouse-2/| website=Brownstoner| date=January 17, 2013| title=A Kennedy Sells Park Slope Townhouse}}</ref> Kennedy went on maternity leave from her filmmaking career for the birth of her son in 2007.<ref name=Ghosts /> She sold her Shelter Island home in December 2009.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://hamptons.curbed.com/archives/2009/12/17/rory_kennedy_sells_shelter_island_waterfront_for_nearly_3_million.php| title=Rory Kennedy Sells Shelter Island Waterfront for Nearly $3 Million| date=December 17, 2009| first=Nicki| last=Donato| journal=Curbed Hamptons}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.newsday.com/classifieds/real-estate/real-li-1.812034/rory-kennedy-sells-shelter-island-home-for-2-967-million-1.1657150| title=Rory Kennedy sells Shelter Island home for $2.967 million| newspaper=[[Newsday]]| date=December 16, 2009| first=Laura| last=Mann}}</ref>
Around the time of the birth of her second daughter in 2004, Kennedy and her husband purchased a home.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.brownstoner.com/blog/2013/01/a-kennedy-sells-park-slope-townhouse-2/| website=Brownstoner| date=January 17, 2013| title=A Kennedy Sells Park Slope Townhouse}}</ref> Kennedy went on maternity leave from her filmmaking career for the birth of her son in 2007.<ref name=Ghosts /> She sold her Shelter Island home in December 2009.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://hamptons.curbed.com/archives/2009/12/17/rory_kennedy_sells_shelter_island_waterfront_for_nearly_3_million.php| title=Rory Kennedy Sells Shelter Island Waterfront for Nearly $3 Million| date=December 17, 2009| first=Nicki| last=Donato| journal=Curbed Hamptons}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.newsday.com/classifieds/real-estate/real-li-1.812034/rory-kennedy-sells-shelter-island-home-for-2-967-million-1.1657150| title=Rory Kennedy sells Shelter Island home for $2.967 million| newspaper=[[Newsday]]| date=December 16, 2009| first=Laura| last=Mann}}</ref>
Line 91: Line 92:
Prior to the 1990s, Kennedy was said to have been known solely for being the child who was born after the assassination of her father, Robert F. Kennedy. Following the plane crash of her cousin John F. Kennedy, Jr., she established notability for being the cousin whose wedding he planned to attend. Anita Gates of ''The New York Times'' wrote that Kennedy would understandably want to be known as "the one who became a filmmaker."<ref name=TwoFamilies>{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/11/28/movies/television-radio-a-filmmaker-now-known-for-two-families.html| title=TELEVISION/RADIO; A Filmmaker Now Known for Two Families| date=November 28, 1999| first=Anita| last=Gates| newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref>
Prior to the 1990s, Kennedy was said to have been known solely for being the child who was born after the assassination of her father, Robert F. Kennedy. Following the plane crash of her cousin John F. Kennedy, Jr., she established notability for being the cousin whose wedding he planned to attend. Anita Gates of ''The New York Times'' wrote that Kennedy would understandably want to be known as "the one who became a filmmaker."<ref name=TwoFamilies>{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/11/28/movies/television-radio-a-filmmaker-now-known-for-two-families.html| title=TELEVISION/RADIO; A Filmmaker Now Known for Two Families| date=November 28, 1999| first=Anita| last=Gates| newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref>


She has elicited sympathy in some corners. Edward Klein wrote in his book ''The Kennedy Curse: Why Tragedy Has Haunted America's First Family for 150 Years'' that Rory Kennedy "had suffered more from the Kennedy Curse than any other member of the family." Klein then listed the deaths of her father and brother David, as well as her role in unsuccessfully attempting to save the life of her brother Michael Kennedy.<ref>{{cite book| title=The Kennedy Curse: Why Tragedy Has Haunted America's First Family for 150 Years| year=2004| pages=[https://archive.org/details/kennedycursewhyt00kleirich/page/218 218]–219| first=Edward| last=Klein| publisher=St. Martin's Griffin| isbn=978-0312312930| url=https://archive.org/details/kennedycursewhyt00kleirich| quote=rory.|url-access=subscription }}</ref>
Edward Klein wrote in his book ''The Kennedy Curse: Why Tragedy Has Haunted America's First Family for 150 Years'' that Rory Kennedy "had suffered more from the Kennedy Curse than any other member of the family." Klein then listed the deaths of her father and brother David, as well as her role in unsuccessfully attempting to save the life of her brother Michael Kennedy.<ref>{{cite book| title=The Kennedy Curse: Why Tragedy Has Haunted America's First Family for 150 Years| year=2004| pages=[https://archive.org/details/kennedycursewhyt00kleirich/page/218 218]–219| first=Edward| last=Klein| publisher=St. Martin's Griffin| isbn=978-0312312930| url=https://archive.org/details/kennedycursewhyt00kleirich| quote=rory.|url-access=subscription }}</ref>


Kennedy has spoken of her work and its relation to that of her father. "I don't think of it as a continuation of his work, but I certainly think I was influenced by the person that he was and have made a range of choices because of what he contributed to the world. I have enormous respect for all that he accomplished in his short life and how much he was able to move people and touch people. I've certainly been inspired by that."<ref name=Ghosts /> On January 14, 2010, Full Frame announced Kennedy and Liz Garbus would be the recipients of that year's Career Award. In the press release, Full Frame called the duo's work "unique".<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.dukechronicle.com/blogs/playground/posts/2010/01/15/full-frame-honor-garbus-kennedy| newspaper=[[The Chronicle (Duke University)|The Chronicle]]| first=Andrew| last=Hibbard| date=January 14, 2010| title=Full Frame to honor Garbus, Kennedy| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141103051352/http://www.dukechronicle.com/blogs/playground/posts/2010/01/15/full-frame-honor-garbus-kennedy| archive-date=November 3, 2014| location=Durham, North Carolina}}</ref>
Kennedy has spoken of her work and its relation to that of her father. "I don't think of it as a continuation of his work, but I certainly think I was influenced by the person that he was and have made a range of choices because of what he contributed to the world. I have enormous respect for all that he accomplished in his short life and how much he was able to move people and touch people. I've certainly been inspired by that."<ref name=Ghosts /> On January 14, 2010, Full Frame announced Kennedy and Liz Garbus would be the recipients of that year's Career Award. In the press release, Full Frame called the duo's work "unique".<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.dukechronicle.com/blogs/playground/posts/2010/01/15/full-frame-honor-garbus-kennedy| newspaper=[[The Chronicle (Duke University)|The Chronicle]]| first=Andrew| last=Hibbard| date=January 14, 2010| title=Full Frame to honor Garbus, Kennedy| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141103051352/http://www.dukechronicle.com/blogs/playground/posts/2010/01/15/full-frame-honor-garbus-kennedy| archive-date=November 3, 2014| location=Durham, North Carolina}}</ref>
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*[[Kennedy tragedies]]
*[[Kennedy tragedies]]
*[[Kennedy family]]
*[[Kennedy family]]

*[[Template:Kennedy family tree|Kennedy family tree]]


==References==
==References==
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{{Robert F. Kennedy}}
{{Robert F. Kennedy}}
{{Kennedy family|state=collapsed}}
{{Kennedy family|state=collapsed}}

{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kennedy, Rory}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kennedy, Rory}}
[[Category:1968 births]]
[[Category:1968 births]]

Latest revision as of 16:01, 19 November 2024

Rory Kennedy
Kennedy in 2011
Born
Rory Elizabeth Katherine Kennedy

(1968-12-12) December 12, 1968 (age 55)
Washington, D.C., U.S.
EducationBrown University (BA)
OccupationDocumentary filmmaker
Years active1990–present
Spouse
​
(m. 1999)​
Children3
Parent(s)Robert F. Kennedy
Ethel Skakel
FamilyKennedy family

Rory Elizabeth Katherine Kennedy (born December 12, 1968)[1] is an American documentary filmmaker. Kennedy has made documentary films that center on social issues such as addiction, her opposition to nuclear power, the treatment of prisoners-of-war, and the politics of the Mexican border fence.

She is the youngest child of U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy and Ethel Kennedy.

Early life and education

[edit]
Kennedy's mother and uncle Ted introducing the newborn Kennedy to the media at Georgetown University Hospital on December 19, 1968, a week after her birth

Rory Elizabeth Katherine Kennedy was born on December 12, 1968, at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C., to parents Robert F. Kennedy, a former United States Attorney General, U.S. Senator, and 1968 U.S. presidential candidate, and his wife Ethel Kennedy. She was born six months after her father was shot and killed. Her mother chose her name "Rory" after the last high king of Ireland, Rory O'Connor, who ruled in the 12th century.

On December 19, 1968, a week after Rory was born, her mother took her to her father's grave at Arlington National Cemetery.[2] Kennedy's older brother Michael LeMoyne Kennedy was assigned as her godparent by their mother. In December 1997, she tried to resuscitate her brother Michael after a skiing accident in Aspen, Colorado, which was fatal.[3] Friends of the Kennedy family said Rory and Michael spoke almost every day of their lives.[4]

When Rory was a teenager, she was arrested during a protest outside the South African Embassy. When she was 15, her 28-year-old brother David died from a drug overdose. Rory graduated from Madeira School in McLean, Virginia, and then Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. During her sophomore year at Brown, Rory organized a rally in front of a Providence supermarket. In solidarity with migrant farm workers, she urged shoppers to boycott grapes.[5]

Career

[edit]

In the 1990s, Kennedy and fellow Brown classmate Vanessa Vadim (daughter of Roger Vadim and Jane Fonda) formed May Day Media, a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., that specializes in the production and distribution of films with a social conscience. Women of Substance was Kennedy's first documentary. The film was released in 1994, and the idea came out of a paper about female addicts that she wrote while a student at Brown.[6] In 1998, Kennedy and another fellow Brown graduate Liz Garbus founded Moxie Firecracker Films, which specializes in documentaries that highlight pressing social issues.[7] The television networks that have shown its films include: A&E, the UK's Channel 4, Court TV, Discovery Channel, HBO, Lifetime, MTV, Oxygen, PBS, Sundance Channel, and TLC.

She directed and co-produced American Hollow (1999), a film about a struggling Appalachian family that received critical acclaim and many awards. HBO broadcast the film and publisher Little, Brown and Company simultaneously released Kennedy's companion book. Kennedy presented the documentary at Wittenberg University on September 13, 2001.[8] In October 2001, Kennedy traveled to Cleveland, Ohio, to address the opening meeting of the National Council of Jewish Women. At the meeting, she spoke about her documentary film-production company Change the World Through Film.[9]

Kennedy directed and co-produced the Emmy Award-nominated series Pandemic: Facing AIDS (2003), which premiered at the International AIDS Conference in Barcelona, Spain, on July 8, 2002. It was funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and tells the stories of AIDS patients outside the Western world. It was broadcast in America as a five-part series on HBO in June 2003.[10]

Kennedy directed and co-produced A Boy's Life (2004), the story of a young boy and his family in rural Mississippi. The movie premiered at the 2003 Tribeca Film Festival and was awarded the Best Documentary prize at the Woodstock Film Festival; it was later broadcast on HBO.

When Kennedy was asked in a March 24, 2004, interview with Salon about her interest in the American South, she cited her father's experiences in the region as an inspiration and starting point.[11] In the same article, she goes on to mention that showing class differences in American culture also motivates her.

She directed and co-produced Indian Point: Imagining the Unimaginable (2004) for HBO, which was broadcast on September 9, 2004. The film takes a "what if" look at the catastrophic consequences of a radioactive release at the Indian Point Energy Center, a three-unit nuclear-power plant station, located 35 miles (56 km) north of midtown Manhattan, New York City, New York.

Kennedy directed and co-produced Homestead Strike (2006) as part of The History Channel's series, 10 Days that Unexpectedly Changed America (April 2006).

She was a co-executive producer for Street Fight (2005), which chronicles the 2002 Newark, New Jersey, unsuccessful mayoral campaign of Democratic Cory Booker — then a Newark Municipal Councilman — against Democratic eighteen-year incumbent Mayor Sharpe James. The film earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary (Feature). (Booker later won the mayoral election on May 9, 2006, against Democratic Ronald Rice; James did not seek re-election for another four-year term in 2006.)

Kennedy directed and co-produced Ghosts of Abu Ghraib (2007), which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and won the 2007 Primetime Emmy Award for Best Documentary. Kennedy first learned of the Abu Ghraib prison practices when images came out in the media, which were accompanied by a New Yorker article by Seymour Hersh. According to Kennedy, she was "horrified and shocked and disgusted" by the images of the naked prisoners and laughing American soldiers. She conducted interviews with people who were present at the prison along with those directly involved in the abuse. Kennedy's opinion of the participants changed after she interviewed them, when she began feeling they "were very humane and very much like me" and discovered they "were not monsters."[12]

She directed Thank You, Mr. President: Helen Thomas at the White House for HBO Documentary Films, which premiered on HBO on August 18, 2008. According to reviews, the 40-minute-long documentary provided an interesting, though brief, glimpse into the iconic journalist.[13]

On June 30, 2009, Kennedy was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.[14]

Kennedy directed The Fence (La Barda), which premiered at the opening night of The Sundance Film Festival 2010. The film made its debut on HBO on September 16, 2010. Favorably received, it details the woeful inadequacies of the border fence between the United States and Mexico, which has increased migrants' deaths, but does not deter illegal immigration.[15][16]

In 2011, she produced and directed Ethel, which was a documentary about her mother. The movie premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and aired on HBO on October 18, 2012.[17] Reviews portrayed the documentary as a moving tribute, but criticized its lack of depth.[17][18] Kennedy conducted interviews with her siblings over five days at the Kennedy family compound in Hyannis Port. For the finished film, she went through "some 100 hours" of archive footage, photos and home videos.[19]

Kennedy speaks at a screening of her 2018 documentary, Above and Beyond: NASA’s Journey to Tomorrow

Last Days in Vietnam was directed by Kennedy and co-produced with Keven McAlester; the documentary film debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2014. During production of the film, she spoke with U.S. military and Vietnam nationals now in the U.S. and said the most exciting part of the film to her was "telling the untold stories about Americans and Vietnamese who were on the ground, who went against U.S. policy and risked their lives to save Vietnamese".[6] Kennedy was reported to have signed with production company Nonfiction Unlimited in May 2014.[20] In September 2014, Last Days in Vietnam opened at the Nuart Theater in Los Angeles.[6] Kennedy had difficulty getting some of the people featured in her film to get involved. Out of them, she believed Henry Kissinger had the most reluctance to the project. On their reluctance, Kennedy stated: "I think a lot of those folks suffered post-traumatic stress from that moment. When I asked them to relive it, it really took a toll. Many of the people told me it took them a week to recover from the interviews. I've gotten tons of emails from people in Vietnam who can't see the film because it's too traumatic for them."[21] Last Days in Vietnam was nominated as Best Documentary Feature for the 87th Academy Awards.[22]

In 2024, Kennedy directed and produced The Synanon Fix a documentary series revolving around Synanon for HBO.[23]

In early 2024, Film Training Manitoba based in Winnipeg, Canada announced Kennedy as the distinguished speaker for the Manitoba Film Master Series which took place at the Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology (MITT). The Film Master Series included a session with Kennedy instructing specifically for women, non-binary, and Trans participants.[24]

Activism and politics

[edit]

Kennedy advocates for several social activism organizations and sits on the board of numerous non-profit organizations.[25] In March 2010, Kennedy gave a presentation at The Ritz-Carlton, where she spoke on the effects of alcohol and drug abuse and concluded that addiction and domestic violence "are intricately connected." She also voiced her support of treatment options, calling them "more important than the criminal justice approach". Executive director and CEO of Comprehensive Alcoholism Rehabilitation Programs Robert Bozzone agreed with her opinion and added, "If you listen to Rory, treatment is more effective than incarceration."[26] Referring to the shooting of Michael Brown, Kennedy believed the reason it garnered national media attention "is that it's a touch point that indicates a larger social challenge that we all need to mull over and try to grapple with in a thoughtful and considerate way, and I think it has to do both with race and class."[27]

Kennedy announced her support of Barack Obama as the Democratic Party's nominee in the 2008 U.S. presidential election in an op-ed essay, "Two fine choices, one clear decision - Obama".[28] She endorsed Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton in 2016.[29]

On January 11, 2019, Kennedy co-authored a Rolling Stone opinion piece with Red Hot Chili Peppers singer Anthony Kiedis and the Malibu Foundation's Trevor Neilson on the current climate crisis.[30] Also in 2019, Kennedy co-founded the Climate Emergency Fund along with Getty family heiress Aileen Getty. The fund has distributed over $4 million to several environmental activist organizations including Extinction Rebellion and Just Stop Oil.[31]

On April 1st, 2024, during an appearance on Good Morning America to promote her new docuseries, The Synanon Fix, Kennedy expressed her wish that voters in the 2024 United States presidential election not vote for her brother, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., to avoid pulling Democrat votes away from Joe Biden.[32] She has endorsed Biden's candidacy, making the announcement alongside five of RFK Jr.’s other siblings[33]

After Biden dropped out, Kennedy endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris's campaign, after their siblings denounced her brother Robert Jr.'s decision to endorse former President Donald Trump, calling the move a "betrayal."[34]

Personal life

[edit]

Following college graduation, Kennedy moved to New York and then briefly to Los Angeles.[35] Kennedy's brother Michael LeMoyne Kennedy died in December 1997 as a result of a skiing accident. She was with him at the time of the accident and tried to save his life by giving him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Despite her efforts, he had been fatally injured.[5] Kennedy attended his funeral in January 1998.[36]

On August 2, 1999, Kennedy married Mark Bailey in Greece at the mansion of shipping tycoon Vardis Vardinoyiannis. Kennedy met Bailey in Washington through mutual friends after graduating from Brown University.[35] The wedding was originally scheduled for July 17 in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, but was postponed after the plane piloted by her cousin John F. Kennedy, Jr. and passengers Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy (his wife) and her sister, Lauren Bessette crashed en route to the event. The tent erected for the wedding instead became a site for family prayers during the search for her cousin.[37]

In October 1999, Kennedy and her husband moved to a new home in a West Village neighborhood they reportedly loved.[35]

Kennedy and her husband have two daughters and a son.[38]

Around the time of the birth of her second daughter in 2004, Kennedy and her husband purchased a home.[39] Kennedy went on maternity leave from her filmmaking career for the birth of her son in 2007.[12] She sold her Shelter Island home in December 2009.[40][41]

According to Trulia.com, Kennedy purchased a home in Malibu, California, in January 2013 and currently resides there.[42]

Public image

[edit]

Prior to the 1990s, Kennedy was said to have been known solely for being the child who was born after the assassination of her father, Robert F. Kennedy. Following the plane crash of her cousin John F. Kennedy, Jr., she established notability for being the cousin whose wedding he planned to attend. Anita Gates of The New York Times wrote that Kennedy would understandably want to be known as "the one who became a filmmaker."[35]

Edward Klein wrote in his book The Kennedy Curse: Why Tragedy Has Haunted America's First Family for 150 Years that Rory Kennedy "had suffered more from the Kennedy Curse than any other member of the family." Klein then listed the deaths of her father and brother David, as well as her role in unsuccessfully attempting to save the life of her brother Michael Kennedy.[43]

Kennedy has spoken of her work and its relation to that of her father. "I don't think of it as a continuation of his work, but I certainly think I was influenced by the person that he was and have made a range of choices because of what he contributed to the world. I have enormous respect for all that he accomplished in his short life and how much he was able to move people and touch people. I've certainly been inspired by that."[12] On January 14, 2010, Full Frame announced Kennedy and Liz Garbus would be the recipients of that year's Career Award. In the press release, Full Frame called the duo's work "unique".[44]

Works

[edit]

Bibliography

[edit]
  • Kennedy, Rory; Lehman, Steve; Bailey, Mark (1999). American Hollow. Boston. Bulfinch Press (Little, Brown). ISBN 0-8212-2631-2

See also

[edit]


References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Ethel Skakel Kennedy | JFK Library". www.jfklibrary.org. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  2. ^ Oppenheimer, Jerry (May 15, 1995). The Other Mrs. Kennedy: An Intimate and Revealing Look at the Hidden Life of Ethel Skakel Kennedy. St. Martin's Paperbacks. pp. 495–496. ISBN 978-0312956004.
  3. ^ Writer, Lisa Anderson, Tribune Staff (July 18, 1999). "A CHILD OF TRAGEDY POSTPONES HER WEDDING". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved February 7, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ Mehren, Elizabeth (January 4, 1998). "Kennedy Family, Friends Say Farewell to Michael". Los Angeles Times.
  5. ^ a b Frey, Jennifer (July 21, 1999). "Rory: The Quiet Kennedy". The Washington Post.
  6. ^ a b c Appleford, Steve (September 20, 2014). "Rory Kennedy recounts the 1975 fall of Saigon in new film". Los Angeles Times.
  7. ^ "About". Moxie Firecracker Films. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
  8. ^ "Filmmaker Rory Kennedy To Appear In Sept. 13 Wittenberg Series Event" (Press release). Wittenberg University. September 2001. Archived from the original on May 7, 2015.
  9. ^ Fine, Arlene (October 19, 2001). "Filmmaker Rory Kennedy focuses on social issues". Cleveland Jewish News. Archived from the original on March 28, 2015.
  10. ^ Kopple, Barbara (Summer 2003). "True Tales from the Global Crisis". Filmmaker. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
  11. ^ Traister, Rebecca (March 24, 2004). "A harrowing, inspiring Boy's Life" Archived December 23, 2007, at the Wayback Machine Salon. Accessed August 25, 2009.
  12. ^ a b c Dancis, Bruce (June 15, 2007). "Rory Kennedy Reveals the Ghosts of Abu Ghraib". PopMatters.
  13. ^ McNamara, Mary (August 18, 2008). "Review: 'Thank You, Mr. President: Helen Thomas at the White House' on HBO". The New York Times. Retrieved July 1, 2013.
  14. ^ Stewart, Andrew (June 30, 2009). "AMPAS Invites 134 to join ranks". Variety.
  15. ^ Grove, Lloyd (September 14, 2010). "A Kennedy on the Fence". The Daily Beast. Retrieved July 1, 2013.
  16. ^ Hale, Mike (September 15, 2010). "Fences Make Good Neighbors? This One Has Its Doubters". The New York Times. Retrieved July 1, 2013.
  17. ^ a b Stanley, Alessandra (October 17, 2012). "Cheerfulness Amid Calamity". The New York Times. Retrieved July 1, 2013.
  18. ^ Stuever, Hank (October 11, 2012). "HBO's 'Ethel': A Kennedy daughter, born late, reaches into the vault of memories". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 1, 2013.
  19. ^ Zibart, Eve. "Rory Kennedy on the Making of 'Ethel'". Boston Common.
  20. ^ Jardine, Alexandra (May 7, 2014). "Greg Bell Signs with Backyard, Rory Kennedy Joins Nonfiction and More". Advertising Age.
  21. ^ Pond, Steve (September 19, 2014). "Rory Kennedy: 'We Haven't Learned the Lessons From Vietnam'". TheWrap.
  22. ^ McDonnell, Brandy (February 20, 2015). "Oscar-nominated documentary 'Last Days in Vietnam' has Oklahoma ties". Tulsa World. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
  23. ^ Otterson, Joe (August 17, 2022). "Synanon Documentary Set at HBO From Director Rory Kennedy (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
  24. ^ Dan Vadeboncoeur (January 7, 2024). "Documentarian Kennedy to speak at film conference". CTV. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  25. ^ "The Connecticut Forum - the Connecticut Forum".
  26. ^ Paine, Chris (March 24, 2010). "Rory Kennedy delivers message of social justice to CARP fundraiser". Palm Beach Daily News.
  27. ^ Stern, Marlow (September 1, 2014). "Rory Kennedy on 'Last Days in Vietnam,' the Parallels Between Vietnam and Iraq, and Ferguson". The Daily Beast.
  28. ^ Kennedy, Rory (February 2, 2008). "Rory Kennedy: Two Fine Choices, One Clear Decision - Obama". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved August 25, 2009.
  29. ^ Keough, Peter (May 7, 2015). "Fuse Film Interview: Rory Kennedy defends "Last Days in Vietnam"". The Arts Fuse.
  30. ^ "Anthony Kiedis: 'California Is on the Front Lines of the Climate Crisis'". RollingStone. February 28, 2018.
  31. ^ "Climate Emergency Fund Backers List Includes Jeremy Strong, Chelsea Handler". Observer. May 11, 2023. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  32. ^ Kennedy, Rory (April 1, 2024). "Rory Kennedy Discusses New Documentary, 'The Synanon Fix'". Good Morning America. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
  33. ^ O'Donnell, Kelly; Lebowitz, Megan; Richards, Zoë (April 18, 2024). "Kennedy family members endorse Biden over RFK Jr". NBC News. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  34. ^ Lebowitz, Megan (August 24, 2024). "Members of the Kennedy family denounce RFK Jr.'s decision to endorse Trump". NBC News. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  35. ^ a b c d Gates, Anita (November 28, 1999). "TELEVISION/RADIO; A Filmmaker Now Known for Two Families". The New York Times.
  36. ^ "Michael Kennedy laid to rest". CNN. January 3, 1998.
  37. ^ "Rory Kennedy full of mixed emotions". USA Today. July 21, 1999.
  38. ^ Beggy, Carol and Mark Shanahan, Mark (July 17, 2009). "Busy Moore Takes Time to Sing Local Costar's Praises". The Boston Globe. Accessed August 25, 2009.
  39. ^ "A Kennedy Sells Park Slope Townhouse". Brownstoner. January 17, 2013.
  40. ^ Donato, Nicki (December 17, 2009). "Rory Kennedy Sells Shelter Island Waterfront for Nearly $3 Million". Curbed Hamptons.
  41. ^ Mann, Laura (December 16, 2009). "Rory Kennedy sells Shelter Island home for $2.967 million". Newsday.
  42. ^ Sheftell, Jason (February 19, 2013). "Filmmaker Rory Kennedy, daughter of Robert F. Kennedy, buys $2.9 million home on Malibu's Point Dume". New York Daily News.
  43. ^ Klein, Edward (2004). The Kennedy Curse: Why Tragedy Has Haunted America's First Family for 150 Years. St. Martin's Griffin. pp. 218–219. ISBN 978-0312312930. rory.
  44. ^ Hibbard, Andrew (January 14, 2010). "Full Frame to honor Garbus, Kennedy". The Chronicle. Durham, North Carolina. Archived from the original on November 3, 2014.
  45. ^ "Review: Netflix doc 'Downfall: The Case Against Boeing' explores cost of greed over safety". Los Angeles Times. February 18, 2022. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
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