Northwest Film Forum

Opening night to be introduced by Wilton Fowler, Professor Emeritus of United States Diplomatic History at University of Washington (Ph.D. Yale University, 1966)

Producer Peter Almond to attend screenings Saturday and Sunday (more details below)

Scottish historian Niall Ferguson calls it virtual history: the study of the great "What ifs?," the plausibility of counterfactuals. In Virtual JFK, first-time filmmaker Koji Masutani and Brown University professor James G. Blight ask, “Can a president make a decisive difference in matters of war and peace? Or are the forces that drive a nation into war a lot more impersonal, out of the control of any single human being, even a president?” In 1963 the US had 16,000 military advisors in Vietnam. In 1968, Johnson had 500,000 troops there. Virtual JFK rethinks the legendary 1,000-day presidency, selecting from more than 250 hours of archival material some of the brightest, funniest moments from the Kennedy press conferences as well as some of the scariest ones, when the Cold War threatened to turn hot. The "800-pound gorilla" in the room is, of course, George W. Bush and his war in Iraq.

“Virtual JFK represents an extended glimpse into a bygone era of statesmanship.” —Variety

"Assembles an amazing array of recorded conversations and vintage newsreel, and offers up enough press conference footage to make one nostalgic for the days when an uncowed, penetrating press really did serve the public interest." —TV Guide

About Professor Fowler

Wilton B. Fowler has taught numerous undergraduate survey and American diplomatic history courses. Dr. Fowler has also directed the work of a large number of graduate students, including 25 Ph.D.s, almost all in the field of the history of American foreign policy. He has published two books and a number of articlesr. He also has research interests in the 19th century U.S. and in military history. Dr. Fowler is an adjunct professor of strategy and policy at the U.S. Naval War College, where he teaches a course focusing on case studies from the Peloponnesian War to the Gulf War. He earned his Ph.D. from Yale.

About Producer Peter O. Almond

Peter O. Almond is a producer and filmmaker at Beacon Pictures. Over 
several decades, he has combined public service, policy studies, journalism, and film writing and producing. With Kevin Costner and Armyan Bernstein, Almond produced THIRTEEN DAYS, a historical film about the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, seen from the perspective of the U.S. political leadership. The film, starring Kevin Costner (as Kenny O'Donnell) and Bruce Greenwood (as John F. Kennedy), was produced by Beacon Pictures and released by New Line Cinema.  Almond has worked with Bernstein and Costner on a number of projects at Beacon Pictures, including producing the upcoming A LITTLE WAR OF OUR OWN to be directed by Costner. Almond played rugby at Yale, and graduated in 1965.

Watch the trailer: