>>> WELCOME BACK. OVER THE COURSE OF HIS STORIED
CAREER, FILMMAKER KEN BURNS HAS
BECOME A BIT OF AN EXPERT ON
EVERYTHING FROM BASEBALL TO THE
CIVIL WAR.
CIVIL WAR. WITH MUCH OF THE COUNTRY AT
HOME, HIS AWARD WINNING
DOCUMENTARIES ARE NOW REACHING
NEW AND YOUNGER AUDIENCES.
WE’RE GOING TO TALK TO KEN ABOUT
THAT IN A MOMENT.
BUT FIRST A LOOK AT WHAT HE DOES
BEST.
BEST. FOR MORE THAN FOUR DECADES,
LEGENDARY FILMMAKER KEN BURNS
BROUGHT HISTORY TO LIFE,
FOCUSING HIS LENS ON MAJOR
CULTURAL INFLUENCES.
CULTURAL INFLUENCES. FROM AMERICA’S FAVORITE PASTIME
TO ICONIC LANDMARKS.
>> TOOK 14 LONG YEARS TO BUILD
THE BRIDGE.
THE BRIDGE. >> BURNS HAS BRIDGED THE GAP
BETWEEN PAST AND PRESENT,
EDUCATING AUDIENCES WITH HIS
EXTENSIVE BODY OF WORK.
HIS DEEP DIVES INTO HISTORY
OFFERING LESSONS NOT OFTEN FOUND
IN ANY TEXTBOOK.
>> THIS IS THE STORY OF US.
GUESS WHAT, THERE IS NO THEM,
WHICH IS WHAT WE TRY TO MAKE UP.
IN THE U.S., IT’S US, NO THEM.
>> THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER BURNS
WON 16 EMMY AWARDS AND TWO OSCAR
NOMINATIONS, ONE OF WHICH CAME
IN 1981 WITH HIS FIRST FILM FOR
PBS, "BROOKLYN BRIDGE."
>> BUT IT WAS HIS 199011-HOUR
SERIES, "THE CIVIL WAR" THAT
SOLIDIFIED HIS REPUTATION AS A
MASTER FILMMAKER.
MASTER FILMMAKER. >> THE CIVIL WAR WAS FOUGHT IN
10,000 PLACES.
10,000 PLACES. >> AN AUDIENCE OF 40 MILLION
TUNED INTO THE FILM WHICH SHOW
CAVED PANNING AND ZOOMING OVER
STILL IMAGES TO CREATE MOVEMENT.
A CAMERA TECHNIQUE KNOWN AS THE
KEN BURNS EFFECT.
BURNS RECEIVING A LIFETIME
ACHIEVEMENT HONOR AT THE 2008
NEWS AND EMMY AWARDS.
>> THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR
THIS EXTRAORDINARY HONOR.
I AM GRATEFUL AND I AM HUMBLED.
>> ABOUT JUST MAKING A LIVING
AND TAKING TERRIBLE RISKS.
>> BURNS KEEPS FINDING STORIES
TO TELL.
TO TELL. >> THE FLEDGLING ANTI-WAR
MOVEMENT FINDS THE VOICE IN
RESISTANCE TO THE DRAFT.
>> HIS WIDE EYED CURIOSITY AND
PASSION.
PASSION. >> THIS IS AMERICAN HISTORY
FIRING ON ALL CYLINDERS.
>> AS BUPDABUNDANT AS OUR COUNTR
RICH HISTORY.
RICH HISTORY. BURNS AND PBS TEAMING UP TO FOR
STUDENTS AT HOME, PROVIDING A
UNIQUE SNAPSHOT OF THE PAST AS
WE LIVE THROUGH AMERICA’S NEXT
HISTORIC CHAPTER.
HISTORIC CHAPTER. KEN BURNS JOINS US NOW.
KEN, I CAN’T THINK OF A MORE
APPROPRIATE GUEST TO HAVE IN
THIS MOMENT THAN YOU.
YOU’VE BEEN CHRONICLING HISTORY
FOR DECADES REALLY.
I WAS JUST CURIOUS, WHERE DOWN
THE MOMENT WE FIND OURSELVES IN
RIGHT NOW WILL FIND ITSELF IN
HISTORY?
HISTORY? >> IT WILL BE HUGE.
IT’S UNPRECEDENTED.
IT’S UNPRECEDENTED. IT WILL BE UP THERE WITH
DISCUSSIONS OF THE DEPRESSION,
OF THE CIVIL WAR, OBVIOUSLY
SECOND WORLD WAR.
IT WAS NICE TO HEAR JULIE
ANDREWS REFERENCE THE KIND OF
TOGETHERNESS THAT WAS NECESSARY
TO DO THAT.
WHAT I WANT, INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM
TO THE LARGER WHAT WE NEED,
COLLECTIVE FREEDOM THAT HAS
ALWAYS GOTTEN US THROUGH TOUGH
TIMES.
TIMES. THIS IS UNPRECEDENTED.
WE DO HAVE HISTORIES OF
PANDEMICSES, THE FLU IN 1918.
CAN YOU IMAGINE AN INDIAN
VILLAGE THAT IS DECIMATED BY A
NEW DISEASE THAT KILLS 98% OF
YOUR VILLAGE.
YOUR VILLAGE. CITIES IN THE 18th AND 19th
CENTURY IN AMERICA THAT WERE
OVERRUN WITH CHOLERA, YELLOW
FEVER OR SOME OTHER PANDEMIC.
TERRIFYING THINGS WE’RE GOING
THROUGH RIGHT NOW.
THERE ARE MEMORIES OF THAT.
MORE IMPORTANT, I THINK, THE
DEPRESSION AND WORLD WAR II
TEMPERED US FOR THE KIND OF
SHARED SACRIFICE THAT WE ARE
EXPERIENCING TODAY.
EXPERIENCING TODAY. THIS IS A HUGELY IMPORTANT
MOMENT.
MOMENT. >> LET’S TALK ABOUT THAT SHARED
SACRIFICE.
SACRIFICE. I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT PEOPLE
ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE PITCHING
IN MAYBE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN
SOME OF THEIR LIFETIMES.
HOW DO YOU THINK THIS WILL
CHANGE US AS PEOPLE GOING
FORWARD?
FORWARD? >> YOU KNOW, HUMAN NATURE
REMAINS THE SAME, THE QUANTITIES
OF GREED AND AGAIN WOFT,
PURRIENCE AND
PURRIENCE AND PURRIENCE, EITHER ALL THERE.
WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO RESET,
GET AWAY FROM KNEE JERK
DECISIONS, EASIER TO AROUSE A
MOB THAN IT IS TO APPEAL TO OUR
BETTER SELF.
BETTER SELF. WE’RE SEEING PEOPLE REALIZE THE
CENTRAL ROLE GOVERNMENT PLAYED
IN OUR LIVES.
IT’S BEEN VERY EASY OVER THE
LAST SEVERAL DECADES TO KNEE
JERK AND BASH GOVERNMENT, I KNOW
WE NOW SEE GOVERNMENT BECOMES
THE FOCAL POINT, THE FOLCRUM TO
GET US THROUGH.
THE FACT WE CAN SHED RED STATE,
BLUE STATE, DEMOCRAT,
REPUBLICAN, WILL BE CENTRAL TO
SOLVING THE PROBLEM.
HOPEFULLY WE DON’T JUST THEN GO
BACK TO THE OLD WAYS, THAT WE
REALLY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO
RESET.
RESET. HALF OF THAT FOR ME IS GETTING
PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THE POWER
OF HISTORY, WHAT A GREAT TEACHER
IT IS FOR US.
THAT’S WHY PBS AND I ARE
INVOLVED IN THIS SORT OF MASSIVE
EFFORT TO REALIZE WE’VE GOT NOW
AN AUDIENCE AT HOME, NOT JUST
THE STUDENTS AND THE TEACHERS,
BUT THE PARENTS AND THE
COMMUNITIES THAT NEED TO BE
REMINDED THAT THERE ARE A SET OF
AMERICAN FACTS THAT WE KNOW AND
ARE VERIFIABLE AND THAT WE NEED
TO TELL OUR HISTORICAL STORIES
TO ONE ANOTHER TO HELP US GET
THROUGH THESE REALLY TOUGH
TIMES.
TIMES. >> KEN, I THINK IT’S INTERESTING
YOU SAY A LOT OF PEOPLE USE THE
PHRASE HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF,
HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF.
YOU SAY, NO, THAT’S NOT THE
CASE.
CASE. >> NO, MARK TWAIN IS SUPPOSED TO
HAVE SAID HISTORY DOESN’T ARE
REPEAT ITSELF BUT IT RHYMES.
IF HE DID SAY IT, IT’S PERFECT.
I’VE NEVER FINISHED A PROJECT
WHERE I HAVEN’T LOOKED UP AND
SAID, OH, MY GOODNESS, IT’S
HAPPENING TODAY.
HAPPENING TODAY. HUMAN NATURE DOESN’T CHANGE,
HODA.
HODA. IT’S SUPER IMPOSES ITSELF GOOD
AND BAD OVER WHAT RANDOM SERIES
OF EVENTS ARE GOING ON.
WE SEE THEMES, THEY ARE ECHOS.
IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT TO TAKE
OUR KIDS, ON PBS TONIGHT I’M ON
A WEBINAR WITH TEACHERS TO
REMIND ABOUT THEMES OF FREEDOM,
LEADERSHIP, ABOUT HARD TIMES,
ABOUT RACE, ABOUT WOMEN, ABOUT
ART, ABOUT INNOVATION, ALL OF
THESE THINGS THAT OCCUR AND
RECUR, THAT ECHO AND RHYME
THROUGHOUT AMERICAN HISTORY THAT
WILL ARM US IN THE BEST POSSIBLE
WAY TO DEAL WITH THIS PRESENT
MOMENT, TO BE OPEN TO THE
POSSIBILITIES OF REAL
FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE AND TO SHED
WHAT THAT BEEN SEVERAL DECADES
OF JUST HORRIFIC DIVISION.
IT’S MADE SOMEBODY SOME MONEY
SOMEWHERE, BUT IT DOESN’T MEAN
ANYTHING.
ANYTHING. AS I SAID IN YOUR CLIP, THERE’S
ONLY US AND THERE’S NO THEM.
IF ANYBODY TELLS YOU THERE’S A
THEM, WALK AWAY FROM THEM.
>> PEGSPEAKING OF HARD TIMES, OU
UNEMPLOYMENT NUMBERS ARE SKY
HIGH, THE ECONOMY IS GOING DOWN.
A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED.
WHAT DOES HISTORY TELL US ABOUT
OUR ABILITY TO BOUNCE BACK AFTER
SOMETHING LIKE THIS?
>> THERE ARE THREE TRUTHS, YOU
KNOW. IT’S GOING TO CHANGE.
YOU NEED TO GET HELP FROM
OTHERS, AND YOU HAVE TO BE KIND
TO YOURSELF.
TO YOURSELF. HISTORY CONTINUALLY TELLS THAT
NOT JUST IN AN INTIMATE
PSYCHOLOGICAL WAY BUT IN A
COLLECTIVE WAY.
COLLECTIVE WAY. WE WILL GET THROUGH THIS.
THINGS WILL BE VERY, VERY
DIFFERENT, AND THAT WE HAVE TO
BE MINDFUL, PARTICULARLY THOSE
OF US FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAVE A
SPACE, TO HAVE A CONVERSATION
LIKE THIS OR TO BE ABLE TO TALK
TO STUDENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY
THAT SOME PEOPLE DON’T.
THERE ARE OTHERS THAT ARE
RUSHING TOWARDS THIS FIRE, NOT
TRYING TO SHELTER AWAY FROM IT.
THERE ARE PEOPLE REALLY
SUFFERING HARD TIMES THAT WE
KNOW THAT THE DISEASE IS
DISPROPORTIONATELY HURTING
DISPROPORTIONATELY HURTING AFRICAN-AMERICANS AND PEOPLE OF
COLOR.
COLOR. THAT IS A TERRIBLE THING.
SO WE HAVE TO OBVIOUSLY GUARD
OURSELVES AND OUR FAMILIES.
BUT LET’S NOT LOSE THE ULTIMATE
AMERICAN SENSE OF COMMUNITY, OF
THE U.S., WE CAN BE MINDFUL TO
THOSE LESS FORTUNATE THAN
OURSELVES.
OURSELVES. WE’LL GET THROUGH A TRAGEDY IF
WE TRY TO BRING BACK THAT LOVE
AND SENSE OF COMMUNITY WE HAVE
HAD TO EMPLOY AT TIMES WHEN
THINGS HAVE BEEN SUPER TOUGH TO
US.
US. >> A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE GOING TO
BE INTERESTED IN THE KEN BURNS
CLASSROOM.
CLASSROOM. WE ALREADY LEARNED A LOT IN THE
FIVE MINUTES WE’VE BEEN
TOGETHER.
TOGETHER. IN THE LAST COUPLE OF SECONDS,
THEY SAY BASEBALL, BASEBALL
MIGHT BE BACK IN THE SUMMERTIME.
JUST YOUR QUICK THOUGHTS ON
THAT?
THAT? >> WELL, I HOPE SO.
IT’S WHY WHEN IT WENT OUT WE
JUST DECIDED TO FOR FREE PBS
STREAM THE ENTIRE BASEBALL
SERIES.
SERIES. NOW THURSDAY NIGHTS THEY ARE
PLAYING ROOSEVELTS, THAT WILL BE
FOLLOWED BY THE NATIONAL PARKS
AND OUR HISTORY OF WORLD WAR II
CALLED THE WAR.
WE’RE WORKING WITH PBS LEARNING
MEDIA TO PREPARE EVEN MORE
ROBUST AGENDAS.
ROBUST AGENDAS. WE’VE GOT OUR OWN WEBSITE
CONNECTED TO PBS BECAUSE UNUM,
WHICH MEANS ONE, IN WHICH WE’RE
SHARING THE WAY IN WHICH THE
PAST STORIES, AS YOU AND I HAVE
BEEN TALKING ABOUT INTERACT WITH
THE PRESENT MOMENT, WHATEVER
THAT PRESENT MIGHT BE, MIGHT BE
E.R.A. AND WOMEN GETTING THE
VOTE 100 YEARS AGO.
IT MIGHT BE PANDEMICS.
IT MIGHT BE A VARIETY OF THINGS,
HARD TIMES THAT WE’RE TALKING
ABOUT.
ABOUT. SO I’M HOPING THAT WE CAN.
HISTORY HAS ALWAYS BEEN THAT
CASTOR OIL YOU HOLD YOUR NOSE
AND THINK BUT IT’S REALLY GOING
TO BE THE BIGGEST HELP IN US
GETTING OUT OF THIS.
>> ALL RIGHT.
KEN BURNS, WE APPRECIATE YOU
AGAIN.
AGAIN. THE KEN BURNS CLASSROOM IS
AVAILABLE AS ARE ALL OF YOUR
DOCUMENTARIES ON PBS.
WE APPRECIATE YOU, KEN.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> THANK YOU.
BE WELL.