Kevin Rafferty
Kevin Rafferty is an American documentary film cinematographer, director, and producer, best known for his 1982 documentary The Atomic Cafe.[1][2]
Kevin Rafferty | |
---|---|
Born | 1948 New York |
Nationality | American |
Occupation | Cinematographer Film director Film producer |
Known for | Documentary films |
Background
Rafferty studied architecture at Harvard and film at the California Institute of the Arts.[3] He helped teach the craft of filmmaking to Michael Moore during the production of Roger & Me in 1989, and Moore has acknowledged Rafferty's influence on his own filmmaking. Rafferty teamed up with his brother Pierce and Jayne Loader [4] to produce the cult classic documentary film The Atomic Cafe.[5] He is the director, producer, editor and cinematographer of many documentary projects, including Blood in the Face, The War Room, Feed, and The Last Cigarette.[3][6] His latest project is Harvard Beats Yale 29-29.[7]
Rafferty is a nephew of US former First Lady Barbara Bush, and a cousin of former US President George W. Bush.[8][9]
Filmography
As director or producer
- Harvard Beats Yale 29-29 (2008)
- Who Wants to Be President? (2000)
- The Last Cigarette (1999/I)
- Feed (1992)
- Blood in the Face (1991)
- Radio Bikini (1988)
- The Atomic Cafe (1982)
- Hurry Tomorrow (1975)
As cinematographer
- Good Money (1996)
- The War Room (1993)
- Roger & Me (1989)
As himself
- Manufacturing Dissent (2007)
- SexTV (2003) (TV)
Reception
Thom Powers of Harvardwood writes that Rafferty is "renowned for his wit and fresh perspectives on American culture".[6] His various films have received positive reception. Of Hurry Tomorrow, Rafferty's documentary indictment of a California State psychiatric hospital, Colin Bennet of The Age wrote "Its anger and courage are the kind that lead to reform".[10] Michael Atkinson of IFC calls Rafferty's latest, Harvard Beats Yale 29-29, "a hypnotic pleasure,"[7] and Fast Company calls it an "engrossing documentary" which was "the best sports film we've seen in years",[11] and Manohla Dargis of New York Times writes "while it seems absurd to include such a picayune event in the annals, the filmmaker Kevin Rafferty makes the case for remembrance and for the art of the story in his preposterously entertaining documentary Harvard Beats Yale 29-29".[12]
The Atomic Cafe had received praise as one of the best Cold War movies of all time. [13] [14]
Recognition
- 1991, nomination, Grand Jury Prize for Blood in the Face by Sundance Film Festival
- 1983, nomination, Flaherty Documentary Award for Best Documentary for The Atomic Cafe by British Academy of Film and Television Arts[15]
- 2016, The Atomic Cafe selected to the National Film Registry
References
- "Kevin Rafferty". New York Times. Retrieved August 19, 2009.
- "Kevin Rafferty credits". Film.com. Archived from the original on December 8, 2009. Retrieved August 20, 2009.
- "Tie To Win: Kevin Rafferty On 'Harvard Beats Yale'". National Public Radio. February 12, 2009. Retrieved August 19, 2009.
- "Atomic Cafe" Producers on Late Night, March 10, 1982-YouTube
- Wiener, Jon. "Project MUSE – Film & History: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Film and Television Studies – The Omniscient Narrator and the Unreliable Narrator: The Case of Atomic Café" (PDF). muse.jhu.edu. Retrieved August 15, 2009. (requires login)
- Powers, Thom (September 5, 2008). "Harvardwood Heads To..."Harvard Beats Yale 29-29" at Toronto International Film Festival – Toronto". Harvardwood. Archived from the original on July 26, 2011. Retrieved August 19, 2009.
- Atkinson, Michael (July 28, 2009). "A Bell Jar Etude". IFC. Archived from the original on July 31, 2009. Retrieved August 19, 2009.
- Goodman, Amy.
- Democracy Now, "Michael Moore on His Life, His Films and His Activism," September 6, 2010. Last accessed: February 20, 2011.
- Bennett, Colin (August 17, 1979). "Cinema". The Age. Archived from the original on July 13, 2012. Retrieved August 20, 2009.
- "What a long, strange game it was". Fast Company. Archived from the original on December 4, 2009. Retrieved August 19, 2009.
- Dargis, Manohla (November 16, 2008). "Back in 1968, When a Tie Was No Tie". New York Times. Retrieved August 20, 2009.
- The 25 Best Movies About The Cold War ≪ Taste of Cinema ≪ Movie Reviews and Classic Movie Lists
- The Atomic Cafe·Senses of Cinema
- "Robert Flaherty Award". British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Retrieved August 20, 2009.
External links
- Kevin Rafferty on IMDb
- Kevin Rafferty at All Movie Guide