Rory Kennedy

Directing

Rory Kennedy

Born December 12, 1968 · Washington, D.C., USA (age 57)

Rory Elizabeth Katherine Kennedy (born December 12, 1968) is an American documentary filmmaker. Kennedy has made documentary films that center on social issues such as addiction, nuclear radiation, the treatment of prisoners-of-war, and the politics of the 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…

Known For

Freefall: A Reckoning for Boeing
NEW
Freefall: A Reckoning for Boeing · 2026
Freefall: A Reckoning for Boeing
6.82026
MovieDocumentary
Following the highly publicized death of Boeing whistleblower John Barnett, the investigation continues into the once-iconic aviation giant, uncovering startling new revelations and insider accounts in the wake of a deepening corporate crisis..
Queen of ChessQueen of Chess · 2026
Queen of Chess
7.52026
MovieDocumentary
A Hungarian girl dreams of conquering international men’s chess. After a 15-year battle against world champion Garry Kasparov and her domineering father, Judit Polgár revolutionizes the sport’s patriarchal culture to become one of the greatest chess prodigies in history and the greatest woman chess player of all time.
Downfall: The Case Against BoeingDownfall: The Case Against Boeing · 2022
Downfall: The Case Against Boeing
7.12022
MovieDocumentary
Investigators reveal how Boeing’s alleged priority of profit over safety could have contributed to two catastrophic crashes within months of each other.
Epidemic AfricaEpidemic Africa · 1999
Epidemic Africa
10.01999
MovieDocumentary
A documentary short about the growing number of African children orphaned by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The film was screened at the United Nations Headquarters (NYC) for World Aids Day in December 1999, and before members of US Congress as part of a briefing on the HIV/AIDS epidemic in April 2000.
The Volcano: Rescue from WhakaariThe Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari · 2022
The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari
7.22022
MovieDocumentaryDrama
A close examination of the Whakaari / White Island volcanic eruption of 2019 in which 22 lives were lost, the film viscerally recounts a day when ordinary people were called upon to do extraordinary things, placing this tragic event within the larger context of nature, resilience, and the power of our shared humanity.
Thank You, Mr. President: Helen Thomas at the White HouseThank You, Mr. President: Helen Thomas at the White House · 2008
Thank You, Mr. President: Helen Thomas at the White House
7.02008
MovieDocumentary
This documentary profiles iconic journalist Helen Thomas who has held a front-row seat at White House press conferences for more than 60 years.
Con ManCon Man · 2003
Con Man
6.22003
MovieDocumentary
The true story of James Hogue, a brilliant impostor who embraced the American art of self-invention, fabricated a spectacular series of fictional identities for himself, and successfully conned his way into Princeton University.
American HollowAmerican Hollow · 1999
American Hollow
6.41999
MovieDocumentary
This documentary follows the lives of the Bowling family as they fight to survive in dirt-poor Appalachia. Matriarch Iree has given birth to 13 children, but only two have left to seek better lives in Ohio while the rest have married and started their own impoverished families near home. Uneducated and unskilled, all are unemployed, and domestic violence and alcoholism pose serious problems. The filmmakers explore the family's relationships through interviews and footage of their daily lives.

Filmography

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The Fence (La Barda)The Fence (La Barda) · 2010
The Fence (La Barda)
6.92010
MovieDocumentary
In Oct. 2006, the U.S. government decided to build a 700-mile fence along its troubled 2000-mile-plus border with Mexico. Three years, 19 construction companies, 350 engineers, thousands of construction workers, tens of thousands of tons of metal and $3 billion later, was it all worth it? When Arizona recently enacted one of the most extreme immigration laws in the country, the Obama administration responded by filing a lawsuit against the state. This dispute was merely the latest symptom of a greater national problem: the lack of a comprehensive, workable U.S. immigration policy. In its place, lawmakers have resorted to a series of half-measures, the most expensive of which — the U.S.-Mexico border fence — extends through the desert 150 miles south of the Arizona state capital.

Producer

Without a Net: The Digital Divide in AmericaWithout a Net: The Digital Divide in America · 2017
Without a Net: The Digital Divide in America
2017
MovieDocumentary
Many of us assume that the world, or at least the country, is now fully connected, but throughout American classrooms there exists a digital divide. In a shockingly large number of schools, access to technology, connectivity, and teacher-training is nonexistent. Many of those underserved schools are located just a few miles from fully equipped schools with technologically adept teachers in better funded districts. This new film from Rory Kennedy, in which we see the situation through the eyes of students, educators, policy experts, and advocates across the country, clearly lays out the steps we must take a to bring our public education system into the 21st century.

Director