ELEVATING BLACK STORIES
Focusing on Black American history, these documentaries shine a light on underexposed stories from the past that remain just as relevant today. Some of these films, like Zora Neale Hurston: Claiming a Space and The American Diplomat, elevate the contributions of Black cultural and political figures who were unsung and overlooked during their time. Others, like The Blinding of Isaac Woodard and The Busing Battleground, illuminate forgotten flashpoints from the Civil Rights Movement. These films are a testament to the lives, work, and struggle of Black Americans throughout history, as well as their lasting impact and legacy on our culture today.
American Experience
Documentaries
Featured Key Art
POWERFUL PERSONALITIES
These films spotlight the iconic figures and epic personalities who shaped American culture, politics, and life for better or—more often—worse. These men wielded outsized influence over the nation, using their unprecedented power and platforms to advance their agendas, beliefs, and aspirations. From the fundamentalist evangelical preacher Billy Graham and the ruthlessly conspiratorial senator Joseph McCarthy, to the extravagant media tycoon William Randolph Hearst and the beloved author L Frank Baum, these men forever changed how storytelling was utilized—and weaponized—in America. These documentaries, in turn, tell the stories of their lives, work, and impact with the nuance and complexity that American Experience is known for.
REVOLUTIONARY WOMEN
Women’s stories are essential to American history—and to the American Experience series. Films like The Vote and Voice of Freedom highlight women’s individual and collective power in the movements for suffrage and civil rights. The Sun Queen and The Code Breaker illuminate the work of two extraordinary women who were pioneers in sustainable energy and cryptology, respectively. In Casa Susanna, we learn about a modest house in the Catskills region of New York that was a safe place for trans women to express themselves and find community in the 1950s and 60s. These documentaries celebrate the lives and accomplishments of many groundbreaking women whose stories and struggles are as relevant today as ever.
MOMENTS THAT MADE US
This documentary series also explores the lighter side of the American experience, focusing on important moments in pop culture, fashion, and beyond. Woodstock turns the lens from the musicians who played the legendary festival to the impromptu community that sprung up from the audience, while Riveted reveals the fascinating history hiding behind your favorite pair of blue jeans. Because there is always more to the human interest story than meets the eye.
“After a few years of working with SJI exclusively, one would think that we would be used to the high quality of their output, but with every project, I’m continually blown away by the creativity, intelligence, thoughtfulness and artistry they consistently demonstrate in their work for us.” CHIKA OFFURUM DIRECTOR OF AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT
Design Process
For the American Experience documentary Fly With Me, the story of how the first female flight attendants of the 1960s ended up fighting for equal opportunity in the workplace, the SJI team explored a wide range of design approaches to telling the story in a simple, clear, iconic manner. Once concepts were generated, the team similarly explored a wide range of photographic and illustrative styles, including some retro typographic and advertising styles appropriate to the time period.
THE WHOLE TRUTH
American Experience brings to light events that might otherwise be lost to history. Flood in the Desert tells the story of the St. Francis Dam disaster, and the efforts to erase it from popular memory. Taken Hostage introduces us to the real people in the Iranian hostage crisis, who are often forgotten in the shadow of the international conflict. The Eugenics Crusade delves into the insidious movement to produce “healthy babies” in the US, which led to the institutionalization and forced sterilization of tens of thousands of Americans. Despite the historical efforts to obscure the specifics of these events, American Experience excels at telling the whole story.
