Ken Burns is the preeminent historical documentarian of our time. He has revolutionized the way we tell stories about our past and the way we view photographs. His technique of panning and slowly zooming into photogaphs is one of the most effective techniques to create drama. Whether he is talking about jazz, baseball, or the Civil War, Burns can turn any historical event into an entertaining and educational documentary.
On Sunday, September 23rd, Ken Burn will debut his latest historical documentary, “The War”. “The War” is a 14-hour, seven-part series on PBS, which explores personal accounts of one of the most gruesome wars in mankind’s history. Burns has spent the past seven years chasing down the last remaining survivors of World War II, to document their tales. Stories from Omaha Beach to Guadalcanal, from the Ardennes to the Phillippine Sea will be told through historical footage and photographs that is meant to be detailed and comprehensive.
“The War” also faces some controversy. Burns has been targeted by Latino-Americans for not including any Latino stories into his documentary. One of the more fascinating stories of World War II was the deportation of Latinos to Mexico in the 1930s despite having American Citizenship. When World War II began, the deported Latinos then where drafted back into the American military, and fought in the war. This part of the war has rarely been documented in historical texts. Although the final version of the film has not been released, it is expected that the Filipino experience will be one of the highlights of this multi-faceted documentary.
By Ryan Jesena