The Congress (1988 film)

The Congress
Directed by	Ken Burns
Written by	David McCullough Bernard Weisberger Ric Burns Geoffrey C. Ward
Produced by	Ken Burns Stephen Ives
Narrated by	David McCullough
Edited by	Sally Jo Menke
Release date	March 20, 1989
Running time	90 min.
Country	United States
Language	English

The Congress is a 1988 documentary film directed by the Emmy Award-winning director Ken Burns. The Florentine Films production, which focuses on the United States Congress, aired on PBS in 1989. Narrated by David McCullough, the documentary features use of photographs, paintings, and film from sessions of Congress, in its implementation of the Ken Burns Effect. Scenes from the Academy Award-winning Frank Capra film Mr. Smith Goes to Washington are also used. The work features numerous interviews from writers and historians including Charles McDowell, David McCullough, Cokie Roberts, George Tames, David Broder, James MacGregor Burns, Barbara Fields, and Alistair Cooke. Many congressmen are specifically referred to, including Henry Clay, John C. Calhoun, Jefferson Davis, Thomas Brackett Reed, Joseph Gurney Cannon, George William Norris, Jeannette Rankin, and Everett Dirksen. The film also includes focus on the Congress' work during pivotal periods in United States history, including the Civil War, Civil Rights Movement, and Women's suffrage. The documentary was released by PBS, on DVD in 2004. Footage of the Capitol from the film was later incorporated into Burns' 1990 documentary, The Civil War.

External links

• Official site
• The Congress at IMDb
• The Congress at AllMovie