Congratulations to Ken Burns, Lynn Novick, and Sarah Botstein’s film, “The U.S. and the Holocaust,” for winning the Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Nonfiction Program! The three-part documentary series, a Florentine Films, PBS, and WETA production, was also nominated for two other Emmy categories including Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series and Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program.
Released in 2022, the film received widespread critical acclaim for shedding light on how the American people grappled with the Holocaust during World War II. The documentary explores the periods leading up to and during the Holocaust, dispelling competing myths that Americans were either ignorant or indifferent to the unspeakable persecution faced by Jews in Europe. The film candidly examines the roles of eugenics, racism, xenophobia, and antisemitism during the crisis and throughout American history. Drawing on a wealth of archival footage, personal accounts, and expert interviews, the film weaves a narrative that confronts the challenges faced by those in power and the moral dilemmas that shaped America’s stance during this harrowing period of history, as well as highlighting the continued relevance of its themes. The series can be streamed for free on PBS.
The Blavatnik Family Foundation is a proud supporter of The Better Angels Society, the non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the work of Ken Burns and other American documentarians. Supported films include “The Vietnam War,” “The History of Country Music,” “The American Revolution,” and “LBJ and the Great Society”.
