Kevin Rafferty Explained

Kevin Rafferty
Birth Date:25 May 1947
Birth Place:Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Death Place:Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
Known For:Documentary films
Occupation:Cinematographer
Film director
Film producer

Kevin Gelshenen Rafferty II (May 25, 1947 – July 2, 2020) was an American documentary film cinematographer, director, and producer, best known for his 1982 documentary The Atomic Cafe.[1] [2]

Background

Rafferty was born in Boston on May 25, 1947.[3] He studied architecture at Harvard and film at the California Institute of the Arts.[4] 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[5] to produce the cult classic documentary film The Atomic Cafe.[6] He was the director, producer, editor and cinematographer of many documentary projects, including Blood in the Face, The War Room, Feed, and The Last Cigarette.[4] His last project was Harvard Beats Yale 29-29.[7]

Rafferty was a nephew of Barbara Bush, and a cousin of George W. Bush.[8]

Rafferty died from cancer at his home in Manhattan on July 2, 2020, at age 73.

Filmography

As director or producer

As cinematographer

As himself

Reception

Thom Powers of Harvardwood writes that Rafferty is "renowned for his wit and fresh perspectives on American culture".[9] 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]

Accolades

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Kevin Rafferty. https://web.archive.org/web/20121022081125/http://movies.nytimes.com/person/107401/Kevin-Rafferty/filmography. dead. October 22, 2012. Movies & TV Dept.. The New York Times. 2012. August 19, 2009.
  2. Web site: Kevin Rafferty credits. Film.com. August 20, 2009. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20091208163405/http://www.film.com/celebrities/kevin-rafferty/14597882. December 8, 2009. mdy-all.
  3. Web site: Kevin Rafferty, 'Atomic Cafe' Co-Director, Dies at 73. The New York Times. Genzlinger. Neil. July 7, 2020. July 7, 2020.
  4. News: Tie To Win: Kevin Rafferty On 'Harvard Beats Yale'. February 12, 2009. National Public Radio. August 19, 2009.
  5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFCyWdu71kw "Atomic Cafe" Producers on Late Night, March 10, 1982-Don Giller on YouTube
  6. Wiener . Jon . The Omniscient Narrator and the Unreliable Narrator: The Case of Atomic Café . Film & History: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Film and Television Studies . 2007 . 37 . 1 . 73–76 . 10.1353/flm.2007.0037 . 191613600 . .
  7. Web site: A Bell Jar Etude . Atkinson . Michael . July 28, 2009 . . August 19, 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090731150857/http://www.ifc.com/news/2009/07/bell-jar-etude.php . July 31, 2009 . mdy-all.
  8. Web site: Michael Moore on His Life, His Films and His Activism. Democracy Now. September 6, 2010 . Goodman . Amy . Amy Goodman.
  9. News: Harvardwood Heads To..."Harvard Beats Yale 29-29" at Toronto International Film Festival – Toronto . Powers . Thom . September 5, 2008 . Harvardwood . August 19, 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110726141851/http://www.harvardwood.org/events/event_details.asp?id=29966 . July 26, 2011 . mdy-all.
  10. News: Cinema. https://archive.today/20120713014744/http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=zYkQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1JIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4224,441098&dq=kevin-rafferty+documentary. dead. July 13, 2012. Bennett. Colin. August 17, 1979. The Age. August 20, 2009.
  11. Web site: What a long, strange game it was . . August 19, 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20091204025437/http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/very-short-list/very-short-list/under-pressure-what-long-strange-game-it-was-feng-shui-goes-out . December 4, 2009 . mdy-all.
  12. News: Back in 1968, When a Tie Was No Tie. Dargis. Manohla. November 16, 2008. New York Times. August 20, 2009.
  13. http://www.tasteofcinema.com/2016/the-25-best-movies-about-the-cold-war/2/ The 25 Best Movies About The Cold War ≪ Taste of Cinema ≪ Movie Reviews and Classic Movie Lists
  14. http://sensesofcinema.com/2004/cteq/atomic_cafe/ The Atomic Cafe·Senses of Cinema
  15. Web site: Robert Flaherty Award . British Academy of Film and Television Arts. August 20, 2009.
  16. https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/national-film-registry-additions-2016/3/ "The Atomic Café" - 2016 additions to the National Film Registry - Pictures - CBS News

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