DocumentaireAnnée2019Durée1h 47mIMDb6.1

A Towering Task: The Story of the Peace Corps

Name: A Towering Task: The Story of the Peace Corps
Genre: Documentaire
Released: 2019-09-22
Rating: 6.1

Documentaire

In 1961, President John F. Kennedy gave young Americans the opportunity to serve their country in a new way by forming the Peace Corps.

Regarder maintenant

Bande-annonce

Casting

Alana DeJoseph

Director

Harry Belafonte

Self

Annette Bening

Self - Narrator

Jimmy Carter

Self

Chris Dodd

Self

Taylor Hackford

Self

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

Self

Joe Kennedy

Self

Donna Shalala

Self

Maria Shriver

Self

Shana Kelly

Writer

Commentaires

3 commentaires

Pariyani RAVIOct 17, 2023

@carlie5Jun 3, 2023

source: A Towering Task: The Story of the Peace Corps

Lamar Jun 3, 2023

Greetings again from the darkness. The PSAs that frequently popped up on my childhood TV are vivid memories, though it took many years before I had any concept of what the Peace Corps was, how it was formed, and what it did. Director Alana DeJoseph, herself a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV), and writer Shana Kelly want to make sure we all know the history of the organization, what its mission has been for almost 60 years, and most importantly, that the Peace Corps still exists today. William J Lederer and Eugene Burdick co-wrote the 1958 political novel "The Ugly American", and the best-seller had a surprising effect on John Kennedy's ability to get The Peace Corps established not long after he became President of the Unites States. In 1961, President Kennedy named his brother-in-law, Sargent Shriver, as the organization's first director. Shriver was a passionate leader and served as the director into 1966. We see archival footage and photographs of Shriver's time with the Peace Corps, and learn that a memo from his task force was responsible for the phrase "A Towering Task", a recurring reference over the years, and the title of this film. From the beginning, there were vocal skeptics. An escape plan for 'draft dodger' is how many cynics labeled The Peace Corps, and it was a difficult label to shake. We learn that in the beginning, four out of every five applicants was denied admission, and the footage of those early training regimens looked more like the Marines than a volunteer service organization. Still, many were attracted to the stated mission: Promote World Peace and Friendship, a mission that remains in place today. In addition to the treasure trove of archival footage and speeches, there are many interviews with authors, former volunteers, and many of the directors who have served. We view some of the recruiting films and PSAs and travel through the procession of US Presidents from Kennedy through Trump, and explore the various challenges faced by the Peace Corps. One of the more in-depth segments involves the longest-serving former director Loret Miller Ruppe, who was director from 1981-89. Her recounting the story of the Prime Minister of Fiji and his words to Ronald Reagan are a highlight. Ms. DeJoseph and Ms. Kelly have delivered a most-informative history of the Peace Corps in a matter-of-fact manner. Four-time Oscar nominee Annette Bening serves as the narrator, and her work is serviceable, though lacking in energy. The film is neither propaganda nor a hard sell for volunteers, and it's not what one would call entertaining. Instead, it serves as a detailed timeline of this important agency, and that is an important step for posterity.

Suggestions mises en avant

Envie de plus de divertissement ? Découvrez notre plateforme de jeux recommandée et notre destination de mini-dramas.

Jeux instantanés

Gamixo

Jouez à des jeux de navigateur casual avec puzzles, cartes, sport et défis rapides en quelques secondes.

Visiter

Mini-dramas

VSKIT Drama

Regardez des mini-séries tendance, des romances et de nouveaux short dramas avec des mises à jour rapides.

Visiter

A Towering Task: The Story of the Peace Corps

Bande-annonce

Casting

Vous aimerez aussi