Rory Kennedy

Directing

Rory Kennedy

Born

1968-12-12 (57)

Place of birth

Washington, D.C., USA

Known for

Directing

Credits

45 titles

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 Ethel Skakel.

Known for

The Daily Show poster
6.4

The World's Fakest News Team tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and pop culture.

The Daily Show

1996

The View poster
4.3

ABC Daytime's morning chatfest, currently featuring Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin, Sara Haines, Alyssa Farah Griffin, and Ana Navarro discussing the most exciting events of the day. Hot topics in the news, the best experts in their field, celebrity interviews and general entertainment are all part of The View.

The View

1997

Downfall: The Case Against Boeing poster
7.1

Investigators reveal how Boeing’s alleged priority of profit over safety could have contributed to two catastrophic crashes within months of each other.

Downfall: The Case Against Boeing

2022

Queen of Chess poster
7.6

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.

Queen of Chess

2026

Freefall: A Reckoning for Boeing poster
7.0

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..

Freefall: A Reckoning for Boeing

2026

The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari poster
7.2

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.

The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari

2022

Film credits

Series credits

Behind the camera

Downfall: The Case Against Boeing poster
7.1

Investigators reveal how Boeing’s alleged priority of profit over safety could have contributed to two catastrophic crashes within months of each other.

Downfall: The Case Against Boeing

2022

Downfall: The Case Against Boeing poster
7.1

Investigators reveal how Boeing’s alleged priority of profit over safety could have contributed to two catastrophic crashes within months of each other.

Downfall: The Case Against Boeing

2022

Queen of Chess poster
7.6

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.

Queen of Chess

2026

Freefall: A Reckoning for Boeing poster
7.0

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..

Freefall: A Reckoning for Boeing

2026

Freefall: A Reckoning for Boeing poster
7.0

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..

Freefall: A Reckoning for Boeing

2026

The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari poster
7.2

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.

The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari

2022

The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari poster
7.2

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.

The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari

2022

Thank You, Mr. President: Helen Thomas at the White House poster
7.0

This documentary profiles iconic journalist Helen Thomas who has held a front-row seat at White House press conferences for more than 60 years.

Thank You, Mr. President: Helen Thomas at the White House

2008

Epidemic Africa poster
10.0

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.

Epidemic Africa

1999

Epidemic Africa poster
10.0

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.

Epidemic Africa

1999

The Trial of Alec Baldwin poster
NR

A provocative examination Alec Baldwin as he faces charges of manslaughter, with a cross-examination of the American legal system and the court of public opinion.

The Trial of Alec Baldwin

2026

The Trial of Alec Baldwin poster
NR

A provocative examination Alec Baldwin as he faces charges of manslaughter, with a cross-examination of the American legal system and the court of public opinion.

The Trial of Alec Baldwin

2026

Ghosts of Abu Ghraib poster
7.1

An examination of the prisoner abuse scandal involving U.S. soldiers and detainees at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison in the fall of 2003.

Ghosts of Abu Ghraib

2007

Above and Beyond: NASA's Journey to Tomorrow poster
7.4

Examine the remarkable role NASA plays both in our country and for our planet. Covering sixty years and beyond, the film celebrates past accomplishments, investigates current initiatives, and surveys future plans. Follows NASA to the moon, to the surface of Mars, to the outer reaches of our solar system and, above all, back to our home base: Earth.

Above and Beyond: NASA's Journey to Tomorrow

2018

Last Days in Vietnam poster
7.3

During the chaotic final weeks of the Vietnam War, the North Vietnamese Army closes in on Saigon as the panicked South Vietnamese people desperately attempt to escape. On the ground, American soldiers and diplomats confront a moral quandary: whether to obey White House orders to evacuate only U.S. citizens.

Last Days in Vietnam

2014

Last Days in Vietnam poster
7.3

During the chaotic final weeks of the Vietnam War, the North Vietnamese Army closes in on Saigon as the panicked South Vietnamese people desperately attempt to escape. On the ground, American soldiers and diplomats confront a moral quandary: whether to obey White House orders to evacuate only U.S. citizens.

Last Days in Vietnam

2014

American Hollow poster
6.4

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.

American Hollow

1999

Take Every Wave: The Life of Laird Hamilton poster
6.4

This is the remarkable story of an American icon who changed the sport of big wave surfing forever. Transcending the surf genre, this in-depth portrait of a hard-charging athlete explores the fear, courage and ambition that push a man to greatness—and the cost that comes with it.

Take Every Wave: The Life of Laird Hamilton

2017

Bobby Fischer Against the World poster
6.8

The first documentary feature to explore the tragic and bizarre life of the late chess master Bobby Fischer.

Bobby Fischer Against the World

2011

The Execution of Wanda Jean poster
5.3

The Execution of Wanda Jean chronicles the life-and-death battle of Wanda Jean Allen, the first black woman to be put to death in the United States in the modern era.

The Execution of Wanda Jean

2002

Ethel poster
6.9

Filmmaker Rory Kennedy interviews her mother, Ethel Kennedy, who discusses family, marriage and politics.

Ethel

2012

Fambul Tok poster
6.3

Victims and perpetrators of Sierra Leone’s brutal war come together for the first time in an unprecedented reconciliation program of grassroots truth-telling and forgiveness ceremonies.

Fambul Tok

2011

The Fence (La Barda) poster
6.9

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.

The Fence (La Barda)

2010

The Fence (La Barda) poster
6.9

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.

The Fence (La Barda)

2010

Indian Point: Imagining the Unimaginable poster
7.0

Twenty million people live within a 50-mile radius of the Indian Point Energy Center and its three nuclear reactors. This film takes a cautionary look at the possible consequences of an accident or terrorist attack on the facility--a catastrophe that could potentially render much of the Hudson River Valley and New York City uninhabitable.

Indian Point: Imagining the Unimaginable

2004

Indian Point: Imagining the Unimaginable poster
7.0

Twenty million people live within a 50-mile radius of the Indian Point Energy Center and its three nuclear reactors. This film takes a cautionary look at the possible consequences of an accident or terrorist attack on the facility--a catastrophe that could potentially render much of the Hudson River Valley and New York City uninhabitable.

Indian Point: Imagining the Unimaginable

2004

The Changing Face of Beauty poster
10.0

The Changing Face of Beauty

2000

No artwork available
NR

Each year, mothers with mental impairment give birth to an estimated 120,000 children. Approximately half of these children remain with the mother. "Different Moms" briefly documents the lives of three mothers with mental impairment ~ Elaine Mayfield, Margaret Main, and Juanita Ingraham ~ as they raise their children of "normal", or "average", intelligence, following the challenges which they face, and overcome, on a daily basis.

Different Moms

1999

No artwork available
NR

Each year, mothers with mental impairment give birth to an estimated 120,000 children. Approximately half of these children remain with the mother. "Different Moms" briefly documents the lives of three mothers with mental impairment ~ Elaine Mayfield, Margaret Main, and Juanita Ingraham ~ as they raise their children of "normal", or "average", intelligence, following the challenges which they face, and overcome, on a daily basis.

Different Moms

1999

Xiara's Song poster
3.5

Xiara Trujillo is a precocious seven-year-old who moved from the Bronx to Maryland with her mom, Aracelli Guzman, four years ago. Though she seems happy hanging out and playing with her pal Melissa, Xiara becomes defensive and emotional when talking about her father, Harold Linares. As we see and learn, Harold is in jail serving a ten-year sentence for weapons possession; Xiara seems to blame his incarceration on her mother, whom she says "kept calling the police." Xiara, who has always been extremely close to her father, acts out with her mother.

Xiara's Song

2005

A Boy's Life poster
7.5

Follows a Mississippi family's attempts to deal with an increasingly violent and erratic child.

A Boy's Life

2003

A Boy's Life poster
7.5

Follows a Mississippi family's attempts to deal with an increasingly violent and erratic child.

A Boy's Life

2003

Pandemic: Facing AIDS poster
7.0

Covers the key aspects of the world AIDS epidemic through powerful documentary stories about five victims and their communities, on five continents.

Pandemic: Facing AIDS

2003

Pandemic: Facing AIDS poster
7.0

Covers the key aspects of the world AIDS epidemic through powerful documentary stories about five victims and their communities, on five continents.

Pandemic: Facing AIDS

2003

Women of Substance poster
NR

Narrated by Joanne Woodward, this video is a comprehensive portrait of the legal, moral and health care battles being waged to improve treatment opportunities for pregnant addicts and women with children. Revealing the human and social problems encountered and social problem encountered by pregnant and parenting addicts who seek treatment, their personal stories reveal the true face of this country's health care crisis.

Women of Substance

1994

Girlhood poster
6.6

Documentary chronicling America's justice system. Follows two female inmates – victims of horrific violence and tragedy – who are serving time in a Maryland juvenile detention center.

Girlhood

2003

No artwork available
NR

Together: Stop Violence Against Women

2003

Without a Net: The Digital Divide in America poster
NR

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.

Without a Net: The Digital Divide in America

2017

Adrift poster
NR

A welcome intervention into the ongoing global refugee crisis. Adopting personal and historical perspectives as well as testimonies from experts and a passionate appeal for compassion and respect for the rights of refugees.

Adrift

2023

Adrift poster
NR

A welcome intervention into the ongoing global refugee crisis. Adopting personal and historical perspectives as well as testimonies from experts and a passionate appeal for compassion and respect for the rights of refugees.

Adrift

2023