Mr. Ken Burns Filmmaker

6/26/2020

Mr. Ken Burns             

c/o Florentine Films

P.O. Box 613
Walpole, NH 03608

Dear Mr. Burns,

My name is Matt Winick from Ann Arbor, Michigan and I have a strong interest in learning history, social justice, and environmental protection. In these subjects, I like to learn the need for civil rights to be stronger to reduce discrimination, protect the environment from pollution, a strong importance of the need for health care reform to help people with pre-existing conditions or people who can’t afford health care get the care they need, have criminal justice reform to help protect people’s rights while reduce crime, and many others. Mr. Burns, the main reason I’m writing you a letter is to explain how I find your work as a filmmaker on different documentaries and your activism to be very inspiring to me.

Some of my favorite documentaries that you worked along with produced were Brooklyn Bridge, The Statue of Liberty, Huey Long, The Civil War, Mark Twain, Prohibition, Baseball, Jackie Robinson, The Dust Bowl, Jazz, and the Vietnam War.  The Civil War was a great documentary because it did an excellent job explaining some of the reasons why the war started, what it was like for African Americans to go through slavery, and influential people who were part of the war or worked to combat against slavery.  Baseball did an excellent job educating people about how baseball transformed America along with highlighting how baseball was a factor in combating against discrimination. Jazz really helped me learn about how Jazz played a role in shaping the music industries and how minorities including African Americans helped shaped music.  Mr. Burns, I really like your filmmaker style on documentaries because I really like on how you help show about how different things (arts, sports, civil rights, and science) can help shape or change society in different ways, the importance of the need to end racial injustice, a strong need for civil rights to be stronger to reduce discrimination, and how protecting the environment is important to society.  Also you do an excellent job producing documentaries about different famous people because I like on how you help make the stories of famous people come alive by telling a story of how they work hard at overcoming different challenges or obstacles, how they learned from their mistakes to be a better person or contribute to society, highlight some of their achievements that have made a significant difference, and many others. Also another documentaries that I have watched recently were The Central Park Five. The Central Park Five was an interesting documentary on how 5 African Americans were wrongfully convicted of a crime that they didn’t committed and how the criminal justice system didn’t review evidence.  It helped me understand the there is corruption in the criminal justice system, the need for more funds for DNA testing including forensic science to help solve evidence including cases efficiently while reduce sending an innocent person to jail, and a strong importance of the need to reduce racial profiling to help protect minorities including African Americans.

Besides your filmmaker career, I truly appreciate on how you are an activist on supporting civil rights including people with disabilities’ rights causes to reduce discrimination, advocate for criminal justice reform (more drug treatment programs to help drug users get the care they need to reduce drug abuse, have funds to improve DNA testings including forensic science to help solve cases including evidence efficiently while reduce sending an innocent person to jail, and a strong need to end police brutality including police misconduct), and donate funds to different non-profit health care organizations  to help assist people with pre-existing conditions or people who can’t afford health insurance get the care they need, and many others. Mr. Burns, I have autism with a learning disability. Having a disability is hard for me because I have trouble comprehending on learning different advance subjects, sometimes I struggle to communicate my thoughts, and get teased. Your commitment to be a strong supporter and advocate of civil rights including people with disabilities’ rights causes really inspires me to work hard on my disability.  Also in my childhood to present I have face challenges like getting bullied by other people about having a disability, struggle to understand subjects when learning, and many others. The documentaries that you worked on helped me improve my comprehension along with using close captions to help assist me on learning different subjects when I was in middle school through my Washtenaw Community College and present. It helped me develop and encourage me to want to learn history. Your work as filmmaker and an activist helps give me motivation  to continue to learn history, social justice, and environmental protection. My future goal is to someday work in these areas to help emphasize the need for civil rights to be stronger to reduce discrimination, protect the environment from pollution, a strong importance of the need for health care reform to help people with pre-existing conditions or people who can’t afford health care get the care they need, have criminal justice reform to help protect people’s rights while reduce crime, and many others.   

I strongly believe that you are making a great difference for society, history, and the entertainment industry. I’m really proud on how you work hard to make history including current events come alive to help many people like me learn about it and how it makes an impact on society. Your work has helped me develop and motivate me to continue to learn history and assist me on comprehending on learning things.  Also I truly appreciate your activism to make a world a better place. You have inspired me to work hard on my disability, learn about your work, and continue to learn different subjects.  I have a story of my life about working hard on my disability called the Kid With No Words where I dedicate you for inspiring me. I hope you read it and read my letter because I want to share with you on how you inspire me and made a great impact on me. Thanks for taking the time to read my letter including my story, working hard to make a great difference, and inspiring me. Please continue to make a great difference for society.

 

Sincerely,

 

Matt Winick