HBO sets fall dates for “Ethel,” “Witness,” “Lady of Rangoon”

August 2, 2012 by Adam Benzine

Ethel

U.S. pay-TV net HBO has set fall premiere dates for a range of non-fiction titles, including Kennedys doc Ethel (pictured), Michael Mann-backed series Witness, and a film about dyslexia from Robert Redford’s son James.

HBO Documentary Films will kick off its factual line-up for the second half of 2012 on September 20 with Don’t Divorce Me! Kids’ Rules for Parents on Divorce.

The film, directed by Emmy-winner Amy Schatz and exec produced by Rosie O’Donnell, spotlights children aged five to 10 who have had to deal with their parents’ divorce.

Following on September 24 is The Latino List: Volume 2, from Timothy Greenfield-Sanders (About Face: Supermodels Then and Now, The Black List). The doc promises an insight into Hispanic America, showing notable Latinos being interviewed by NPR correspondent Maria Hinojosa.

The following month, HBO will air Rory Kennedy’s acclaimed doc Ethel on October 18. The film, which premiered at Sundance in January, celebrates the life of Ethel Kennedy, the wife of late Senator Robert F Kennedy and mother of the director.

On October 29 the net will air James Redford’s The Big Picture: Rethinking Dyslexia, another Sundance title. The film tells the story of four young people who strive to overcome dyslexia, and features appearances from notable dyslexics such as Sir Richard Branson, Charles Schwab and Gavin Newsom.

In November, the network will launch Witness, a four-part series chronicling the work of photojournalists who are active in combat hotspots, including Mexico, Brazil, Uganda and Libya. The series is being overseen by Oscar-winning filmmaker Michael Mann and documentary and commercials director David Frankham.

Finally, HBO will air Angus MacQueen’s The Lady of Rangoon in December. The doc profiles Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of the opposition movement for democracy in Burma, who was under house arrest for 15 of the last 21 years.

It promises to feature an interview with Suu Kyi that was filmed covertly before her release.

Tags: Amy Schatz, Angus Macqueen, Aung San Suu Kyi, Don’t Divorce Me! Kids’ Rules for Parents on Divorce, Ethel, Ethel Kennedy, HBO, HBO Documentary Films, James Redford, Maria Hinojosa, Michael Mann, Rory Kennedy, Rosie O'Donnell, The Big Picture: Rethinking Dyslexia, The Lady of Rangoon, The Latino List: Volume 2, Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, Witness