Hemingway, a three-part, six-hour documentary series examines the visionary work and turbulent life of Ernest Hemingway, the charismatic, temperamental and egocentric genius who reinvented American literature and became one of the most influential and most famous writers our country has ever produced. Interweaving Hemingway’s eventful biography with carefully selected excerpts from his short stories, novels and non-fiction, the film explores Hemingway’s creative impact on American literature andsituate Hemingway and his writing within the context of American culture in the 20th century. It is a story that is both epic and intimate, and it is a story that has never been told on film.
The film will include educational resources created by curriculum writers to be published to the Ken Burns Classroom site on PBS LearningMedia. The collection of resources incorporates a virtual “Hemingway Museum” PowerPoint examining key topics and themes, a classroom discussion guide including key clips and themes, and introductions to Hemingway’s most commonly taught texts: Old Man and the Sea, Farewell to Arms, Hills Like White Elephants, and The Sun Also Rise.
Directed by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, the film premieres on PBS on April 5-7, 2021 and will be available for streaming on multiple platforms. A trailer for Hemingway is available here.