Ken Burns Quotes

A collection of quotes by Ken Burns.

Ken Burns is an acclaimed American filmmaker and documentarian. Born on July 29, 1953, in Brooklyn, New York, he is best known for his captivating documentaries which explore various historical subjects, often through extensive use of archival footage and interviews. Some of his most notable works include "The Civil War," "Baseball," and "The Vietnam War." With his signature storytelling style and meticulous approach, Burns has received widespread recognition, numerous awards, and has made a significant impact on the field of documentary filmmaking.

I have made a film about jazz that tries to look through jaz

I have made a film about jazz that tries to look through jazz to see what it tells us about who we are as a people. I think that jazz is a spectacularly accurate model of democracy and a kind of look into our redemptive future possibilities.

I began to feel that the drama of the truth that is in the m

I began to feel that the drama of the truth that is in the moment and in the past is richer and more interesting than the drama of Hollywood movies. So I began looking at documentary films.

Movies

You can learn as much about the history from reading about t

You can learn as much about the history from reading about the present as you can vice versa, that is learning about the present through history, which is what I do for a living.

Learning

I record all of my music with authentic instruments in a stu

I record all of my music with authentic instruments in a studio before we start editing, doing many, many versions. The music shapes the film as we edit so it has an organic relationship to the content.

Relationship

I think we too often make choices based on the safety of cyn

I think we too often make choices based on the safety of cynicism, and what we're lead to is a life not fully lived. Cynicism is fear, and it's worse than fear - it's active disengagement.

Fear

In this world, shipmates, sin that pays its way can travel f

In this world, shipmates, sin that pays its way can travel freely, and without passport; whereas Virtue, if a pauper, is stopped at all frontiers.

Herman Melville

Faith Reason