PBS documentary producer Ken Burns was in Charleston this week in advance of the November release of his sweeping history series focusing on the American Revolution.
I rarely get starstruck by anyone anymore, but getting the chance to meet him and attend a couple of his events in Charleston were real treats.
For me, Burns’ most memorable comment before the screening event was his reference to the Mark Twain quote of “History never repeats itself, but it does often rhyme” to illustrate the fact that history often follows similar patterns over time. It was fascinating to hear about the nine years of work that will have gone into this 12-hour series that will air on South Carolina ETV starting Nov. 16.
Burns also talked about the challenges he encountered with this series that he didn’t have with previous historical films. He said the lack of photographs or film footage required a different type of creativity to bring the stories to life of the real people who fought in the American Revolution.
And it was more than just the white-wigged “fathers” we think of from historical paintings who get the attention in Burns’ telling of the story.
The series also focuses on the women who were true activists – both toiling near the front lines and keeping farms running and families together while the men left for war. The series also shines light on the role of children, enslaved people and others who didn’t necessarily shoot muskets or fire cannons.
Watch for the series starting Nov. 16 on SCETV.