Rory Kennedy

Directing

Rory Kennedy

Born 1968-12-12 · Washington, D.C., USA

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.

Acting credits

Behind the camera

Freefall: A Reckoning for Boeing poster
6.9

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
6.9

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

Queen of Chess poster
7.5

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

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

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

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

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

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

No artwork available
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

No artwork available
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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Changing Face of Beauty poster
10.0

The Changing Face of Beauty

2000