Jon Alpert

Directing

Jon Alpert

Born January 1, 1948 · Port Chester, New York, USA (age 78)

​From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jon Alpert (born c. 1948) is an American journalist and documentary filmmaker, known for his use of a cinéma vérité approach in his films. A native of Port Chester, New York, Alpert is a 1970 graduate of Colgate University, and has a black belt in karate. Alpert has traveled widely as an investigative journalist, and has made films for NBC, PBS, and HBO. Ov…

Known For

Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent RenaudArmed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud · 2025
Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud
★ 7.22025
MovieDocumentary
On March 13, 2022, filmmaker Brent Renaud was killed by Russian soldiers, the first American journalist to die while reporting on the war in Ukraine. His younger brother and collaborator, Craig Renaud, recovered Brent’s body and his final recordings from Ukraine and brought them back to their childhood home in Arkansas. As Brent’s journey to his final resting place unfolds, the film chronicles the years he and his brother spent covering some of the world’s most dangerous conflicts.
RedemptionRedemption · 2013
Redemption
★ 6.32013
MovieDocumentary
Redemption is a documentary about New York City's canners - the men and women who survive by redeeming bottles and cans they collect from curbs, garbage cans and apartment complexes. You've seen them combing through the trash, but never got to meet them. The film is an unexpected and intimate look at post-industrial gleaners, struggling at the edge of our society.
Cuba and the CameramanCuba and the Cameraman · 2017
Cuba and the Cameraman
★ 7.52017
MovieDocumentary
This revealing portrait of Cuba follows the lives of Fidel Castro and three Cuban families affected by his policies over the last four decades.
Life of Crime: 1984-2020Life of Crime: 1984-2020 · 2021
Life of Crime: 1984-2020
★ 8.02021
MovieDocumentaryDrama
An intimate documentary that looks at the vicious cycles of drug addiction and street crime in one of the roughest parts of New Jersey.
Rock and a Hard PlaceRock and a Hard Place · 2017
Rock and a Hard Place
★ 6.22017
MovieDocumentary
A look at the Miami-Dade County Corrections and Rehabilitation Boot Camp Program, which allows young inmates undergo a strict six-week course in order to learn from their past mistakes and make a better future for themselves.
The Latin Explosion: A New AmericaThe Latin Explosion: A New America · 2015
The Latin Explosion: A New America
★ 8.02015
MovieDocumentary
With more than 50 million Latinos now living in the United States, Latinos are taking their seat at the table as the new American power brokers in the world of entertainment, business, politics and the arts. As Latinos’ influence in American society has soared, they have entered mainstream American culture, and the proof is in the music. Executive produced by legendary music mogul Tommy Mottola, THE LATIN EXPLOSION: A NEW AMERICA features a dazzling array of artists at the center of Latino cultural power and influence, including Marc Anthony, Emilio Estefan Jr., Gloria Estefan, José Feliciano, Eva Longoria, George Lopez, Jennifer Lopez, Los Lobos, Cheech Marin, Ricky Martin, Rita Moreno, Pitbull, Romeo Santos, Shakira, Thalía and Sofía Vergara. Narrated by John Leguizamo.
China's Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan ProvinceChina's Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province · 2009
China's Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province
★ 6.62009
MovieDocumentary
On May 12, 2008, a catastrophic earthquake hit Sichuan Province in rural China, killing nearly 70,000 people, including 10,000 children. In town after town, poorly constructed school buildings crumbled, wiping out classrooms filled with students, most of them their parents' only child. But when grieving mothers and fathers sought explanations and justice, they found their path blocked by incompetence, corruption and empty promises.
Life of Crime 2Life of Crime 2 · 1998
Life of Crime 2
★ 7.31998
MovieDocumentary
This follow-up to the 1989 documentary ONE YEAR IN A LIFE OF CRIME revisits three of the original subjects in New Jersey during a five-year period in the 1990s. We share in their triumphs and setbacks as they navigate lives of poverty, drug abuse, AIDS, and petty crime.

Filmography

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The Latin Explosion: A New AmericaThe Latin Explosion: A New America · 2015
The Latin Explosion: A New America
★ 8.02015
MovieDocumentary
With more than 50 million Latinos now living in the United States, Latinos are taking their seat at the table as the new American power brokers in the world of entertainment, business, politics and the arts. As Latinos’ influence in American society has soared, they have entered mainstream American culture, and the proof is in the music. Executive produced by legendary music mogul Tommy Mottola, THE LATIN EXPLOSION: A NEW AMERICA features a dazzling array of artists at the center of Latino cultural power and influence, including Marc Anthony, Emilio Estefan Jr., Gloria Estefan, José Feliciano, Eva Longoria, George Lopez, Jennifer Lopez, Los Lobos, Cheech Marin, Ricky Martin, Rita Moreno, Pitbull, Romeo Santos, Shakira, Thalía and Sofía Vergara. Narrated by John Leguizamo.

Director

Dirty Driving: Thundercars Of IndianaDirty Driving: Thundercars Of Indiana · 2008
Dirty Driving: Thundercars Of Indiana
★ 4.82008
MovieDocumentaryTV Movie
Auto racing is an obsession in Anderson, Indiana. Even with local auto factories closing down and jobs being lost, the town's residents continue to flock to the local speedway every Friday night--and its drivers continue to pour their dwindling resources into their Thundercars. Emmy(R)-winning filmmaker Jon Alpert presents this look at this passion for racing in rust-belt America. Since the closing of a GM plant and the loss of 33,000 jobs, the once-thriving town of Anderson now stands witness to empty factories, shuttered stores and abandoned home--but also to packed houses at Anderson Speedway where people put their troubles on hold to watch the cacophony of screeching tires and crashing metal as drivers vie for Thundercar supremacy.

Director