đ Recognizing #StoriesThatMatter. Never miss a newsletter! Sign up and have #PeabodyFinds delivered to your inbox.
One of our favorite kinds of documentary comes up again and again: revisiting past historical events to see how theyâve changed in our perception, both because of changing norms and because of new facts that the public didnât pay as much attention to as the memory faded. Weâve written about some of them before.
The newest batch of such Peabody-recognized works looks at the lasting effects of Vietnam and Hurricane Katrina on America, the aftermath of the Antrhax attacks that few of us paid attention to, and a crucial moment in when the fight against climate change got much harder.
‘Vietnam: The War That Changed America’
Five decades after the fall of Saigon marked the end of the Vietnam War, this six-episode documentary series offers an unflinching look at the conflict’s emotional, psychological, social, and political ramifications on America. Through emotional reunions and rarely seen footage, personal war stories with echoing ramifications, accounts of social unrest back home, and remembrances of medical personnel and soldiers’ spouses, it paints a thorough portrait of the lifelong effects of any war, especially one this fraught.
Where to Watch: Apple TV
The Trailer for ‘Vietnam: The War That Changed America’
Revisiting the Vietnam War 50 years later with those who lived it.
‘Aftermath: Hunt for the Anthrax Killer’
In this eight-part investigative podcast, declassified materials and firsthand accounts illuminate the anthrax attacks that gripped the United States with terror in the weeks after 9/11. Taking a true-crime approach, the series reminds us of a huge news story that has been reduced to a footnote, examining the eight-year botched FBI investigation and answering the question: Who was actually responsible? (Yes, there is an answer, and a reason many of us didn’t pay attention to at the time.)
Where to Listen: CBC
‘Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time’
Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time tells the stories of disaster, evacuation, tragedy, violence, resilience, and rebuilding in New Orleans with the hindsight of 20 years after the devastating storm. It begins by going back to just before the storm struck, then walks through the chaos, destruction, and aftermath. Directed by Tracy A. Curry, it does not shy away from pointing out all that went wrong, and the important lessons that have remained largely ignored. As critic Robert Lloyd wrote in the Los Angeles Times, “Curry finds her own way through mountains of material in the series that is at once highly compelling and difficult to watch, though I suggest you do.”
Where to Watch: National Geographic
‘The White House Effect’
This documentary film reveals that 30 years ago, there was a chance to stop global warming. It goes back to a time before climate change was a partisan issue, reminding us that such a thing was even possible. Entirely through archival footage, it shows how the climate crisis began with a political battle within the George H.W. Bush administration and changed the fate of the world. An infuriating retelling of history with implications stretching to today and into the future.
Where to Watch: Netflix
Further Watching: Forbes Interview with ‘The White House Effect’ Filmmakers
The filmmakers share how they sifted through thousands of archival pieces and newly uncovered White House documents to bring this telling of a pivotal historical moment to life.