History is a tragedy, not a melodrama, a packed house at Gettysburg’s Majestic Theater learned Saturday morning at The Ken Burns Film Festival.
“People are complicated,” Burns said during his first-ever film festival.
Burns discussed his work with fellow filmmaker, Gettysburg native and festival director Jake Borritt after a thematic clip reel titled “A Nation Divided.”
Attendees watched clips of Burns’ films that highlighted America’s complicated history, including the Civil War, the Johnson-Jeffries riots that erupted in 1910 after Black boxer Jack Johnson defeated white boxer James J. Jeffries in a boxing match, the Vietnam War, and the Kent State massacre.
Lessons from the past
Burns said he aims to show viewers through his work that history often repeats itself and Americans would benefit from learning from their country’s past. Burns aims to tell stories using the lens of current events.
He explained how his latest film, “The U.S. and the Holocaust,” was originally scheduled to launch in the fall of 2023 but production was accelerated after the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection on the U.S. Capitol. He felt it was important to remind viewers the Johnson-Reed Act of 1924 limited the number of immigrants allowed into the country, therefore capping the amount of Holocaust survivors America could aid.
“As we made the film, I realized we couldn’t have this come out in 2023,” he said. “I realized we had to be part of the conversation now. We had never accelerated production by an entire year.”
Accuracy is important when studying history, Burns said.
“Losers wrote the history of the Civil War for way, way too long,” Burns said, receiving a robust round of applause from the crowd.
Boritt asked him if misinformation through social media is compounding the problem.
“Human beings have been lying since they were young beings,” Burns said.
He encouraged attendees to join the conversation with altruistic intentions.
“It comes down to being involved – at your school board, at your civic board,” he said.
Compromise is key to improving the community, he added.
Burns noted that in 1931 Berlin was a cultural mecca. Two years later, Nazis took control.
“The time to save a democracy is before it is lost,” he said.
‘Love multiplies’
Self-reflection is important, he added. In 1910, at the height of the Johnson-Jeffries riots, the Los Angeles Times urged white men to stop fighting and to recognize their mental superiority over Black men. In a “Word to the Black Man,” the newspaper wrote, “If you have ambition for yourself or your race, you must try for something better in development than that of the mule.”
Ninety-five years later, the newspaper retracted the editorial at Burns’ urging and wrote “Count the members of this editorial board among those who believe that the best way to surmount the past is to confront it.”
But, all hope is not lost. A sign in the front lawn of Burns’ New Hampshire home states “Love multiplies.” He keeps copies of the sign in his garage so he can share them with neighbors.
“People can govern themselves but it is a huge, huge responsibility we have to take seriously,” he said.
The Ken Burns Film Festival continues through Sunday. A schedule of events is available at www.gettysburgmajestic.org.
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Alex J. Hayes has spent almost two decades in the Adams County news business. He is passionate about sharing stories focused on the people in our communities and following local governments in an age when few journalists report on their meetings. Alex is also a freelance writer for several other publications in South Central Pennsylvania. Alex encourages readers to contact him at ahayes83@gmail.com.