Kevin Rafferty

American filmmaker (1947–2020)

Kevin Rafferty
photo of Kevin Rafferty
Born	(1947-05-25)May 25, 1947 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died	July 2, 2020(2020-07-02) (aged 73) Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation(s)	Cinematographer Film director Film producer
Known for	Documentary films

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]^[7] His last project was Harvard Beats Yale 29-29.^[8]

Rafferty was a nephew of Barbara Bush, and a cousin of George W. Bush.^[9]

Rafferty died from cancer at his home in Manhattan on July 2, 2020, at age 73.^[3]

Filmography

As director or producer

Harvard Beats Yale 29-29 (2008)
Who Wants to Be President? (2000)
The Last Cigarette (1999/I)
Feed (1992)
Blood in the Face (1991)
Radio Bikini (1988)
The Atomic Cafe (1982)
Hurry Tomorrow (1975)

As cinematographer

Good Money (1996)
The War Room (1993)
Roger & Me (1989)

As himself

Manufacturing Dissent (2007)
SexTV (2003) (TV)

Reception

Thom Powers of Harvardwood writes that Rafferty is "renowned for his wit and fresh perspectives on American culture".^[7] 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,"^[8] 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

1991, nomination, Grand Jury Prize for Blood in the Face by Sundance Film Festival
1983, nomination, Flaherty Documentary Award for Best Documentary for The Atomic Cafe by British Academy of Film and Television Arts^[15]
2016, The Atomic Cafe selected to the National Film Registry^[16]

References

^ "Kevin Rafferty". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2012. Archived from the original on October 22, 2012. Retrieved August 19, 2009.
^ "Kevin Rafferty credits". Film.com. Archived from the original on December 8, 2009. Retrieved August 20, 2009.
^ ^a ^b Genzlinger, Neil (July 7, 2020). "Kevin Rafferty, 'Atomic Cafe' Co-Director, Dies at 73". The New York Times. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
^ ^a ^b "Tie To Win: Kevin Rafferty On 'Harvard Beats Yale'". National Public Radio. February 12, 2009. Retrieved August 19, 2009.
^ "Atomic Cafe" Producers on Late Night, March 10, 1982-Don Giller on YouTube
^ Wiener, Jon (2007). "The Omniscient Narrator and the Unreliable Narrator: The Case of Atomic Café". Film & History: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Film and Television Studies. 37 (1): 73–76. doi:10.1353/flm.2007.0037. S2CID 191613600. Project MUSE 215946.
^ ^a ^b Powers, Thom (September 5, 2008). "Harvardwood Heads To..."Harvard Beats Yale 29-29" at Toronto International Film Festival – Toronto". Harvardwood. Archived from the original on July 26, 2011. Retrieved August 19, 2009.
^ ^a ^b Atkinson, Michael (July 28, 2009). "A Bell Jar Etude". IFC. Archived from the original on July 31, 2009. Retrieved August 19, 2009.
^ Goodman, Amy (September 6, 2010). "Michael Moore on His Life, His Films and His Activism". Democracy Now.
^ Bennett, Colin (August 17, 1979). "Cinema". The Age. Archived from the original on July 13, 2012. Retrieved August 20, 2009.
^ "What a long, strange game it was". Fast Company. Archived from the original on December 4, 2009. Retrieved August 19, 2009.
^ Dargis, Manohla (November 16, 2008). "Back in 1968, When a Tie Was No Tie". New York Times. Retrieved August 20, 2009.
^ The 25 Best Movies About The Cold War ≪ Taste of Cinema ≪ Movie Reviews and Classic Movie Lists
^ The Atomic Cafe·Senses of Cinema
^ "Robert Flaherty Award". British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Retrieved August 20, 2009.
^ "The Atomic Café" - 2016 additions to the National Film Registry - Pictures - CBS News