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THE WAR
Filmmaker Ken Burns turns his camera
on the World War II home front
Award-winning documentary moviemaker Ken Burns admits to two obsessions:
film and family. "There’s really little else that occupies my time,” says Bums, whose seven-part series on World
War ll—titled simply The War —begins Sept. 23 on PBS. "I put in 80 hours a week when I’m working on a
series. I basically work my butt off then I spend time with my wife and kids.”
His most recent obsession took six years to complete—longer than
his previous historical epics The Chil War (1990) Baseball (1994) and Jazz
(2001). The new', 14-hour series looks at the entire sweep of the war,
detailing battles in Europe, the Pacific and Africa.
Yet it brings the global conflict home by telling the story from the
focal point of four US. towns: Luveme, Minn.; Mobile. Ala.: Sacramento,
Calif.; and Waterbury, Conn. By focusing on families and communities,
die film examines the local repercussions of the bravery, tragedy and sac
rifice that arose during a time of unprecedented, wide-ranging warfare.
"We can lose touch with what actually happens in a war," the soft
spoken Bums says. ‘"With World War 11, especially, were forever shunted
oft into an appreciation of celebrity generals and politicians, a fascination
with Hitler and Nazis, and the distraction of armaments and strategies."
That's why the filmmaker took the small-town approach to his story.
“We wanted to tell the story on a more human level, from the ground
up," he say's.
SHARING VETERANS’ STORIES
Ken Bums’ The War tells the story of World War II from the per
spective of a handful of men and women in four American towns.
Now American Profile wants to share the inspiring stories of military
veterans from all across the United States.
Through a special new section of the American Profile website, read
ers can submit stories, photographs and videos that tell of U.S. veterans’
experiences during World War I, World War 11, the Korean War, the
Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf War, the Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts,
and other American military engagements. These stories will join a col
lection of features previously published in American Profile in saluting the
brave men and women who so valiantly serve our country.
For more information and to find out how to participate, visit
www.americanprofile.com/veterans.
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The War, which depicts World War II through experiences of men and women in four
Affection for small towns M
Besides, New York-born Burns, 54, has a natural affection for small JH
towns. He lives in Walpole, N.H. (pop. 3,594), in the house he bought
2S years ago after graduating from Massachusetts' Amherst College. Bgfi
"I assumed, since I wanted to be a documentary' filmmaker, espe
dally one focusing on history that it would be like being a monk and
taking a vow of poverty and anonymity," lie says with a laugh. “But the
greatest professional decision of my life was to move to Walpole."
He also shares a home in New York with his wife, Julie Brown. 41,
founder of the nonprofit program Room to Grow--, which provides assis
tance to impoverished families with babies. His oldest daughter Sara, 24,
lives in New York, kx>. and is writing a book. Daughter Lilly, 20, is a M
sophomore in college. His youngest, 2-year-old Olivia, is his first child M
with Julie, his second w'lfe.
"Olivia was bom during the making of this film, and she's
just full of life," Bums says. “It was gtxxJ to come home to
Ml > Continued on pave !()>
by
MICHAEL
McCALL
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