Icons & Innovators: A Conversation with Norman Lear
TV maverick Norman Lear, from the documentary "Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You."
Host Susan Fales-Hill, author and award-winning television producer, returned for the next installment of her conversation series with groundbreaking thinkers and artists whose work has shaped our cultural landscape — and those who will define its future.
She sat down for an intimate conversation with Norman Lear, one of the most influential writers and producers in television history and the creator of All In the Family, Maude, Good Times, and The Jeffersons. They were joined by award-winning filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady (Jesus Camp, 12th & Delaware, DETROPIA) to discuss their recent collaboration on the documentary film that made its premiere as an opening night selection at Sundance, Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You.
Watch the entire conversation:
→ The film is available for streaming on Netflix and via this link.
About Just Another Version of You
Arguably the most influential creator, writer, and producer in the history of television, Norman Lear brought primetime into step with the times. Using comedy and indelible characters, his legendary 1970s shows such as All In the Family, Maude, Good Times, and The Jeffersons, boldly cracked open dialogue and shifted the national consciousness, injecting enlightened humanism into sociopolitical debates on race, class, creed, and feminism.
Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You is the definitive chronicle of Mr. Lear’s life, work, and achievements, but it is so much more than an arm’s-length, past-tense biopic; at 93, Mr. Lear is as vital and engaged as he ever was. Top-notch cinéma vérité documentarians Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing (Jesus Camp, 12th & Delaware, DETROPIA) seize the opportunity to fashion a dynamic portrait that matches the spirit of their subject. Breaking down the fourth wall to create an evocative collage where past and present intermingle, they reveal a psychologically rich man whose extraordinary contributions emerge from both his personal story and a dialogue with the world.
Starring: Norman Lear, George Clooney, Jon Stewart, Rob Reiner, Amy Poehler, Phil Rosenthal
Director: Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady
Release Date: 07/08/16