Series Site
September 21–23, 2023
“Inspired by a seemingly boundless curiosity and generosity toward people, and dedicated to the use of nonfiction filmmaking to foster empathy through education and storytelling, Dawn Porter has, over the past decade, created a remarkable body of work reframing and illuminating American histories and grappling with urgent contemporary issues. BAMPFA is honored to welcome Porter to discuss her work and career and to present her documentaries Gideon’s Army (2013) and The Lady Bird Diaries (2023).
Porter excels at chronicling the work of extraordinary individuals fighting for civil rights, from renowned figures like Bobby Kennedy (Bobby Kennedy for President) and John Lewis (John Lewis: Good Trouble) to health-care professionals struggling to provide women with access to safe and legal abortions (Trapped) and the underappreciated public defenders profiled in Gideon’s Army. She is also dedicated to reviewing history, and her films Spies of Mississippi and Rise Again: Tulsa and the Red Summer draw attention to contemporary research into cases of state-sponsored violence and racial terror perpetrated against Black Americans in the twentieth century. The Lady Bird Diaries provides a unique perspective on presidential power gleaned from the audio diaries of Lady Bird Johnson. From shorts to series, Porter’s work, when taken together, serves as an essential reflection on, and celebration of, the effort, organization, and imagination required to compel the United States to live up to its promise of justice and equality for all.”
—Kate MacKay, Associate Film Curator