July 22, 2025 • 29 mins
She learned the craft by watching videos. He’s spent a lifetime documenting the truth. One is just beginning, the other has seen it all — and both are navigating two very different stages where every move counts. What do they have in common? More than you'd think on this week's "Kentucky Focus" with Scott Fitzgerald!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
And Welcome to Kentucky Focus. Sim Scott Fitzgerald. From Paduca
to Hollywood, From the White House.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
To the Courthouse.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
We've got a front row seat to two stories making
headlines this week and cross the Nation end here close
it all Coming up. A Kentucky native and McCracken County
High School student of louve is making waves in the
heart of the entertainment industry. Avid Kelly's journey from YouTube
tutorials to a prestigious live television internship in Los Angeles
is nothing short of inspiring. And later on, acclaimed documentary
(00:30):
filmmaker Michael Kurk premiered his latest Frontline special Line President
Donald Trump.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
The Courts and the Battle over the rule of Law
with America.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
Watching his deep dive raises new questions about democracy and
presidential power. All that and more coming up on this
week's Kentucky Focus.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Welcome to Kentucky Focus on the Kentucky News Network, the
show that looks at issues affecting the Commonwealth and its citizens.
We cover state politics, in history, human interest stories, sports
and entertainment. It's Kentucky Focus on kNN.
Speaker 4 (01:03):
Only one in five people with autism are employed, despite
many having the skill set and desire to work.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Maybe it's because employers don't know what kind of jobs
they can do. Like what about a programmer?
Speaker 4 (01:14):
That's a job for someone with autism.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
How about a healthcare worker?
Speaker 4 (01:17):
Yep, that is too People with autism can do a
lot of different jobs, but often get overlooked due to
outdated stigmas. Introducing win by Autism Speaks, we help businesses
lead the way in inclusive hiring.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
What about a ranch hand?
Speaker 4 (01:30):
To learn more, go to Autism Speaks dot org. Slash
win Well.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
From self taught filmmaker in western Kentucky to the bright
lights of Hollywood. We're talking with a guest today who's
living proof that dead passion, hustle.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
And perseverance can take you anywhere.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
Avid Kelly and McCracken County High School grad is now
a senior at USC School of Cinematic Arts and has
just been selected for one of the most prestigious internships
in television, a coveted spot with the Television Academy Foundation.
She's spending her summer working on live production with no
other than Bob Baine Productions is the team behind some
of the biggest award shows in industry. History alongside Jesse
(02:08):
Collins Entertainment Avid joins us.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
Now she's gonna talk a little bit about it.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
Howard Kentucky Roots helped shape her creative journey when it's
like working behind the scenes of live TV, and how
she plans to leave her mark maybe.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Someday on the Emmys, Oscars and beyond. Ava.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
Congratulations, Let's start at the beginning. First of all, thank
you for joining us. What sparked your passion for film
and television growing up in Paducah?
Speaker 5 (02:30):
Yeah, Can I be completely honest.
Speaker 6 (02:32):
I had a fantastic mother and father that always really
did a great job of just showing me great pieces
of media. And then actually the thing that allowed me
to really get my passion to go into the film
school was the Governor's Scholars Program. So I mean, I'm
a Kentucky girl through and through, and my random focus
(02:54):
area at the GSP in Bellarman University in one yes,
I was placed with Craig Miller, a local Louisville guy,
and he was my professor and he was my film
studies teacher, and after that I knew there was no
going back.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
Kind of really represent Kentucky from paduca all the way
over to Louisville. That's for sure again. Avia Kelly is
joining us now. She's a McCracken County High School student
in Bellamint. Grid is now a senior at USC's School
of Cinematic Arts, and she, of course has just earned
a coveted spot with the Television Academy Foundation. You mentioned
that you were largely self taught before film school. How
(03:32):
did that DIY background shape the filmmaker you become.
Speaker 5 (03:35):
I like the way you praised that DIY background. I
might have to keep that one. So I work in
live television now.
Speaker 6 (03:43):
And the way that kind of a self taught mentality
was really helpful was when I when I got out
to Los Angeles, it made me really quick on my feet,
for sure. So I think it separated me from other
people that had a formal background, because people that had
been used to it their whole life didn't really have
that that passion or that thirst to get as involved.
And so being self taught and being in live television
(04:06):
was it's a little bit different than being in something
more narrative, where you have a few extra takes to
get something done correctly, and within live television it was
you make a mistake.
Speaker 5 (04:16):
You make it once, and you don't make it again.
Speaker 6 (04:18):
The stakes are a little bit higher, and so being
self taught just really allowed me to come in and
have that kind of thirst and have that eagerness to
work fast like that and to want to learn, compared
to some people that I think had been used to
it their entire lives, or you had a lot of
classes in school, or have parents in the industry, And
(04:39):
for me, it was just it was completely different. Was
something really new, and I was just hungry and ready
to get involved.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
No, it sounds like it. David Kelly joining us now
great stories.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
She's a McCracken County High School student now a senior
at USC's School of Cinematic Arts, and of course she's
earned a covenant spot with the Television Academy Foundation and AVA.
I gotta ask you. I lived in San Diego a
few years. It's definitely a different culture out west. What
challenges did you face transitioning from Kentucky to USC cinema
program and how'd you overcome those challenges?
Speaker 6 (05:10):
You know, the first challenge I faced was people looking
at me like I had three eyes when I held
the door open for them. It was really interesting, right,
But yeah, I think honestly, the biggest challenge was just
getting used to the different people. But I'm telling you
there's something really, really, really special. It was not as
(05:31):
hard as I thought it was going to be to
make friends. People at first thought that I was being
I was being kind of fake, and then after getting
known me for a few weeks, they were like, oh, wait,
this girl is just kind of really nice you. And also,
you know it taking about an hour to go six miles.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
You've been selected for one of the most competitive internships
in television.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
What went through your mind when you phoned out?
Speaker 6 (05:51):
I was really elated, Honestly. The first thing I did
was say a little prayer of gratitude and call my
parents because I kind of know it all to them.
My father JP Kelly, and my mother whose name is
Kelly Kelly. Actually I know it sounds crazy, but her
name is Kelly Kelly. I called them and for them
to kind of take that chance on me and let
me go and do my thing at eighteen years old,
(06:13):
when they were so nervous to send me out there,
it made me really proud to let them know that
they played their cards right by letting me go.
Speaker 5 (06:22):
You know, it was kind of.
Speaker 6 (06:23):
My card to play with my ace, to get to
call my dad and be like, hey, thank you for
letting me do this, and here's proof that it's working out.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Great story. Ava Kelly is joining us.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
She's a mcraken County High school student, also went to
Bellaman now as senior at USC School Cinematic Arts, and
she's been selected is spend her summer working in live
TV production with none other than Bob Baine Productions as
well as Jesse Collens Entertainment. And she's definitely going places
out west, that's for sure. As you, I guess intern
with Bob Baine Productions again with Jesse Collins Entertainment. EVA,
(06:56):
what have you learned so far about producing shows like
say the Teen Troy Awards of the Critics Choice Awards.
Speaker 5 (07:01):
I've worked in live television for a little bit.
Speaker 6 (07:03):
I direct a morning talk show in Los Angeles called
The Morning Brew. We are on LA thirty six on
Tuesday morning, so if you ever want to check that nice,
I've been able to transition into this a little bit
of a bigger world that reaches national audiences. And I
would like to say I think the biggest thing I've
learned so far is to just be communicative and if
(07:25):
you don't know something, don't be afraid to ask. I mean,
the people that I've worked with so far have been fantastic.
They're very willing to teach and guide me. And you know,
and in film and TV is a whole beast. It's
a team sport, and people don't realize how much goes
on behind the scenes, and so it's very, very very
important to just ask and to pay attention and learn
(07:47):
fast because there's no going back.
Speaker 5 (07:50):
So you got to be like a sponge in the
world of television for sure.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
I think you point out great and that really resonated
with me, is that you get one shot at something,
and I imagine on a bigger stage like a place
such as Los Angeles, the biggest media market pretty much
this side of New York, you don't get many second chances.
You got to get this thing right the first time, exactly, and.
Speaker 5 (08:09):
You know, and that's fine.
Speaker 6 (08:10):
I like that.
Speaker 5 (08:11):
I like that kind of adrenaline rush of it all.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
So right, Avia Kelly's joining us now.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
She's a McCracken High School graduate now a senior at
USC School of Cinematic Arts, and she of course, is
got herself a spot with Bob Bain Productions working in
the summer internship. And you know, Ava, you said that
you want to be the next great director.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
Say the Emmys, the Oscars or the Tonys. What draws
you specifically towards award shows?
Speaker 5 (08:37):
Growing up?
Speaker 6 (08:38):
That was the only time I would ever miss Sunday
Night Church. I would miss four times a year. Wow,
the Oscars and the Tonys. I think what draws me
to the award shows is that, I mean I dip
my toes in a little bit with narrative, cinema and
feature link on which is I mean typically known as
like if you would go to the movies and see
something there.
Speaker 5 (08:56):
And I really liked that.
Speaker 6 (08:58):
But for me, it felt like a way to honor
the heroes and the greats that I feel like are
in the field because and I said this with the
Television Academy, and I'll say it again. People might not
realize it, but the camera move at the beginning of
the Oscars is just as choreographed. Is something that Christopher
Nolan is doing in Oppenheimer. There's so much time and
effort that goes into these award shows, and for me,
(09:21):
I mean, like I said, what draws me to that
is there's so much artistry that goes into it that
people don't understand. But the people that do understand the
artistry and do understand the effort that goes into it
are the ones that we're honoring in the show. Tom
Hanks is my favorite actor. If I get to choreograph
a camera move and you know, direct some people to
be able to really get a really good shot of
(09:42):
him and cut something together like a memorial package, and
he gets he wins an award, and he goes back
and gets to see that. I feel like I'm doing
something that he can be in all of these different
films and all these different TV shows. But he goes
back and rewatches his Oasker wind and I'm the one
behind the camera, I'm the one making the shots. Like
I feel like it's it's just my way to giving
back to the industry, to the people that have really
(10:03):
influenced me.
Speaker 5 (10:04):
I mean, I'm a movie person.
Speaker 6 (10:05):
I got into film and television through my love of cinema,
specifically feature link films. One of my phrases is great
Cinema changes you live. Television and award shows. Like I said,
it's it's a way to honor the people that have
really shaped me as personal.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
Ava Kelly again a mc cracken County High School student.
She also went to Bellaminton. Now she's a senior at
USC School of Cinematic Arts and of course she's spending
her summer working at Live TV production with Bob Bane
Productions and Jesse Collins Entertainment. What a fascinating story, And
just a couple more questions for you, Avin before we
let you go. Listening to you talk about this one,
(10:40):
your energy is just infectious on every level and that's amazing,
and working in this business, I can one percent appreciate that.
I got to ask you what surprised you the most
about working behind the scenes of live television.
Speaker 5 (10:52):
That's a really great question. I got to think about
that for a second. I didn't expect to enjoy it
as much as I did.
Speaker 6 (10:58):
But if you would have told me when I decided
to go down the film and television route that live
TV would be the way that I would go, I
think I would have laughed. But also, I mean, some
people say that live television is a dying like a
dying art form with streaming platforms, so My minor at
school actually is entertainment industry, which is more of the
business side of things, and live to be I actually
(11:20):
like recently has been more it's becoming something a little
bit more special, and so I was nervous when I
first wanted to go into it of, you know, with
streaming and everything that's going on now, is this going
to be something that exists ten fifteen years down the future.
And to be honest, absolutely, everyone will turn on the
TV still, even if it's not in the traditional methods
of you know, cable. You're still going to watch lives
(11:43):
and our ratings and viewership of our shows have increased
over the.
Speaker 5 (11:47):
Past couple of years too.
Speaker 6 (11:48):
So I think that I came into it not really
expecting fall in love with it as much as I did.
My favorite takeaways too, is with the talent that you're
putting on camera too. Like as a director and as
someone that's been working in the industry for a little
bit now you formally close relationships. You can tell when
people are talking because I mean you're cutting between cameras,
(12:09):
you get to know them so well that you get
to predict their next move.
Speaker 5 (12:13):
That's really special to be watching people.
Speaker 6 (12:15):
That you know, on live television and be like, Okay,
this person's going to respond, So I know before this
person even says something where I need to make my
next move.
Speaker 1 (12:23):
And again, Ava Kelly joining us and from YouTube tutorials
and homegrown hustle in Paduka to the control rooms of Hollywood.
Ava Kelly is already pay proving that talent can come
from anywhere. As she continues her journey at USC and
in the world of live television, it's clear and from
what we've heard and what you've talked about, Ava, you're
not just following your dreams, You're directing them. I want
(12:45):
to thank you so much for taking time to talk
to us. And I can't wait to see your name
on the credits down the road for the Emmys or
the Oscars and I can say I talk to her
back then, well.
Speaker 5 (12:56):
Thank you.
Speaker 6 (12:56):
I really do appreciate it. There's nothing that makes me
happier than being able to represent Kentucky. I actually I
got a tattoo yesterday of two seven Oh my Zipco.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
Nice.
Speaker 5 (13:08):
Absolutely, I gotta stay close to.
Speaker 1 (13:09):
My roots, beautiful, and again, thank you for joining us
today and if you want to learn more, if someone's
listening in about the Television Academy Foundation and the incredible
work they do is they shape the future of the
industry with people like AVA. Simply visit Television Academy dot com,
Forward Slash Foundation. Well, Ava, thank you so much and
stay in touch with us if you make it back
(13:30):
here to Kentucky. I'd love to have you come in
studio sometime and sit down with us in chat and studio.
Speaker 6 (13:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (13:35):
Absolutely, thank you so much for having.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
Me coming up.
Speaker 1 (13:39):
Are we at a crossroads when it comes to presidential power?
Speaker 2 (13:43):
I'm Scott Fitzgerald and this is Kentucky.
Speaker 7 (13:52):
Drivers awesome centered here as a NASCAR Cupsiers driver of
the number two discount our Ford must thing. There's a
few rules of the road I like tell my family
and friends. Tire pressure is critical to safety because underinflated
tires are more likely to fail. Plus properly inflated tires
will give you better gas milage. Make sure to check
your tire pressure at least once a month. Stop by
(14:12):
a local tire retailer for an air chain.
Speaker 2 (14:14):
A message from the US Tire Manufacturers Association.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
What happens when the rule of law collides with the
power of the presidency. With the recent Supreme Court decision
granting community to US presidents in certain criminal matters, and
with former President Donald Trump now current President Donald Trump
facing indictments tied to efforts to overturn an election, many
are asking is the idea that no one is above
the law still true in America? Joining us is Michael Kirk,
(14:42):
a founding producer of PBS's Frontline and one of the
most acclaimed documentary filmmakers in public media. His newest film,
Trump's Power and the Rule of Law is a ninety
minute investigation into the ongoing battle over executive power and
what's at stake for our democracy. Michael, welcome to Thanks
for well being here at such a critical time in
US history.
Speaker 8 (15:03):
It sure does feel that way, doesn't it. Every time
I pick up the paper, the paper, remember those first
thing in the morning on my computer, I look for
some new Supreme Court decision or some new outrageous argument
that's being made one way or the other, and I think, yeah,
it's a different time in America.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
Of course it is now.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
Michael, You've chronicled the arc of US politics for decades.
What inspired this particular film at this moment?
Speaker 8 (15:33):
The chaos, the anger, the fear of the revenge, the retribution,
all the words that you know I think Americans were
experiencing in the first month of Donald Trump's presidency. It
was I've made I think eight films about Trump, so
I've I've chronicled his first administration and the years before
(15:53):
that in some ways, and the years when he was
in isolation down in mar A Lago getting ready for
this next run. And I had a pretty good idea
that something was going to be really different this time
of his presidency. I thought maybe it'd be just a
victory lap, a get even victory lap, and then he'd
kind of lean back. But it's something really different. And
(16:15):
I knew that from the very first night with all
those executive orders issued, and I just figured we had
to get inside and figure out was there a plan,
Is there a plan, where's it headed, what's the endgame?
And that's what we spent the next six months doing.
Speaker 1 (16:31):
Michael Kirk is joining us here, of course, is a
finding producer of PBS's front Line. We're talking about his
newest film, Trump's Power and the Rule of Law. The
title alone there, Michael is loaded. What do you want
people to hear in that phrase?
Speaker 8 (16:44):
We're in a very important battle. But you know, there's
a lot of two big words used by people talking
about this and too scary. You know, there's a constant
crisis and all of that, and democracy is over. The
fact is what is happening is unprecedented in a long,
long time, and it is really a president really since
(17:08):
Watergate and Richard Nixon. So it really is a president
trying to unleash all the constraints, break loose of what
Congress and the courts have done, and really run the
country the way he and his team see fit. And
that is a dramatic switch since the nineteen seventies, so
(17:29):
dramatic that I think it's almost fair to say it's unprecedented.
And we're headed for some big showdown sometime in the
next year where either the United States Supreme Court says no,
a Supreme Court composed of conservatives, three of whom he's
put on and they have a six as we know,
(17:52):
judge majority. So but that court, if there's some thing
about the rule of law that Trump goes too far
from that court's perspective, and he's certainly pushing the edges
of it with immigration and lots of other things, at
some moment within the next few months, next year, sometime
they may order the President of the United States not
(18:14):
to do something or stop doing something, and it will
be that moment when Donald Trump besides, all right, I've
gone too far. That sets the limit. I'll follow the
rules or he may not. And if he does not.
The people we talk to in this film lots of
supporters of his and insiders of Trump and people who
(18:38):
have watched this happen, a lot of conservative lawmakers, and
they all say, people who know him very very well,
they do not know what he'll do at that moment.
Speaker 6 (18:46):
And if he.
Speaker 8 (18:47):
Doesn't follow the court, and you probably really do have
a constitutional crisis. And that's what the film's about.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
Michael Kirk is joining us, founding producer of PBS's front
Line again. We're talking about his newest film, Trump's Power
and the Rule of Law, that is streaming right now
at PBS dot org. If you'd like to see that
great insight, Michael, I appreciate you taking time with us.
What's the most surprising or troubling thing to you during
the production or what was the most troubling thing to
you during the production of this documentary.
Speaker 8 (19:16):
I think how easy it really was for Trump to
go through all the guardrails and the barriers. He's really
it has not been a tough sledding. He knew he
was going to lose a lot in the lower federal courts,
even though he's appointed a lot of those judges. He
knew those judges were going to go a different way
than what he's doing, because what he's doing is very unprecedented.
(19:37):
But I thought, and so I thought that, you know,
there were really strong rules and others out there that
would step up and stop them, and they haven't. And
that's really remarkable, remarkable to me, just how really easy
(19:57):
it was for him, especially when they took on the
law firms, how quickly they collapsed, how they finished off
public broadcasting perhaps last week, How they've taken over the
Kennedy Center and the Smithsonian and everything just moving along
through the culture and the laws and the Congress. It's
(20:19):
really pretty amazing when you think about it, probably historic
the kind of things young people are going to read
about in history books for a long long time.
Speaker 1 (20:28):
Michael Kirk offering some fantastic Insighty of Course, is a
founding producer of PBS is a documentary Frontline again it's
streaming at PBS dot orgon or of course talking about
President Trump's the.
Speaker 2 (20:40):
Power and rule of law.
Speaker 1 (20:42):
And you know, Michael, as we look at this erosion
of legal boundaries, obviously you mentioned earlier, it's going to
affect the public trust in ways we probably hadn't seen before.
What does this mean not only just to the presidency,
but the courts and Congress itself.
Speaker 8 (20:58):
Well, we don't know yet. Everything is kind of it's
like when you watch a movie and maybe it's a
horror movie or maybe it's just a thriller, and you
watch the barriers kind of go down along the way
and you think, well, yeah, but that thing's going to
that thing's gonna work. That thing will slop the water
or the lion or whatever it is, the monster from
(21:21):
taking up, or if you want to look at it
from the perspective of the person who's going, that's Trump.
And he keeps going, and he keeps moving. Which one's
going to try to stop us? Where are they going
to try to stop us? Here? What's the move we
can make? Because honestly, he really believes that he has
a mandate in what he's doing and what his people
tell us in the film he's doing is he's practicing
(21:43):
democracy here. Seventy million plus people voted for him, so
this is democracy and action. And they say the guardrails,
the lawyers, the Supreme Court are the things that are
stopping democracy from happening. So it's like a it's like
a horror that turns in inside of itself now and
then that's what makes it fascinating and scary. You don't
(22:07):
know who the good guys are and who the bad
guys are yet, and you've watched it with that in mind.
Speaker 2 (22:13):
Is the genie out of the bottle? Michael?
Speaker 1 (22:15):
Can we ever go back to the way it was?
Or is this just setting a new norm for us?
Speaker 8 (22:20):
Well, that's like asking, you know, because a lot of
why this is happening, I mean, the courts aren't going
to stop Donald Trump ultimately if they don't want, if
the people don't want Donald Trump to do it, whether
the courts want to stop him or not, the only
way if you want to stop Donald Trump, the only
way that's going to happen is at the ballot box
or whatever. And we are a deeply divided country. I
(22:41):
don't have to tell you that. And we all feel
it and experience it in different ways in our lives.
And it's most obvious in the political world. And because
you have such a difference of opinion between Trump and liberals,
progressives and the people who were in office the last
four years. So it is the division that is at
(23:02):
the heart of this, don't I don't know how we
fix the division. I don't know how we start liking
each other again as Americans. It sounds awful, Jimmy Carter
of me, but it's, as you know, why can't we
all just get along? Maybe it's that kind of a question,
but we just can't. And and as long as that's
there and the fires are being stoked by both sides,
(23:25):
I don't know how it fixes itself. It just it'll
just bounce from one side to the other. And that
isn't making the things that are really problematic for Americans
any better.
Speaker 1 (23:37):
Spending some fascinating moments with Michael Kirk, he of course,
founding producer of PBS is Frontline, a great documentary series.
His newest film, Trump's Power in the Rule of Laws
streaming right now at PBS dot org, and you can
go there to see exactly what we're talking about. Just
a couple more questions for you, Michael before you let
you go, and taking it over to media and responsible responsibility.
(23:58):
What role do documentaries like this one play in helping
citizens understand complex yet essential threats to democracy?
Speaker 8 (24:06):
Well, the ones that have journalism at their hard which
is what I think we do, try to be try
to bring a sort of it's not equal time, but
a kind of balanced, fair perspective to the biggest problems
facing the day. And we have the time, the money,
the airtime. We have ninety minutes to tell this story.
(24:27):
Most news, even sixty minutes is twelve minutes long. We
have ninety minutes to explain something really in depth. And
because we have the time and the resources, we interviewed
twenty thirty people maybe in this film at great length
two hour interviews, and we cut those down so it's
very in depth. It's also designed by if you're a
(24:48):
skillful filmmaker, it's also designed to be interesting to watch,
not like eating your vegetables before you get to deserve it.
But it's a hard thing to do. I've been doing
it for almost fifty years now, so you get pretty
good at it, sure, or you survive in the jungle
but it is important to make them things that people watch.
(25:10):
It's also they're also shown in schools and lots of
other places and all over the world. But the most
important thing about them, I think is that they are
historical records people. I mean, I've been making these films
for a long time, which means every single big issue
you can think of in the world, I might have
made a film about it, And those films can be seen,
can be seen by historians and authors and students and
(25:34):
just regular people who want to know what happened during
Richard Nixon's time, what was going on in two thousand
and one, what's the thing about torture? You know, what
was the whole deal with the creation of Obamacare? How
did that happen? Who was John McCain? You know who
is Mick McConnell. I made a big film about Mick McConnell. Like,
you know, you're laying down historical markers around some time
(25:59):
where you know where there the story is active and alive,
but you know that it's going to be the basis
for other things that are going to happen in the future.
And people who want to understand why did that happen?
Why was Mitch the way it was. You got to
go back and find out about Mitch's polio and other things.
You know, that's the point. You've got a historical record
(26:20):
that I've spent a lifetime laying out more than one
hundred and twenty front lines, for example, So you can
go back all the way to eighty eighty one and
see a film I've made about this or that, And
that gives me great comfort because while they're not always perfect,
they're a record you can watch and decide for yourself
what you because of the way they're made. I try
(26:41):
to make them so you can decide for yourself what
do you think about it or what it means for
what's happening?
Speaker 6 (26:47):
Now?
Speaker 1 (26:48):
Spending some great time with Michael Kirk again, a founding
producer of PBS, is Frontline, and we're highlighting Trump's power
in the rule of law. His latest film and last
question for you, michae I could probably talk to you
all day, that's for sure. Where does this one rank
in terms of urgency or potential historical consequence?
Speaker 8 (27:05):
Right up at the very top, wow, holds around nine
to eleven. I made a lot of films around what
was happening then I made a tremendous I made films
during COVID and other things. But this is this, I
think may be the moment for America, modern America. And
this is a good grounding. This is a good you know,
welcome to the Welcome to the party. Now read about
(27:28):
it and now and then act on it and live
with it. Know what's happening, pay attention. That's the point
of this film, not one side of the other, but
just everybody should know what's happening. And that I think,
whoever I am, but that I think, based on my experience,
this is a very important moment in American history.
Speaker 2 (27:49):
Once again.
Speaker 1 (27:49):
The documentary is Trump's Power in the Rule of Law,
airing now on Frontline and streaming at PBS dot org.
A big thank you to Michael Kirk. His work reminds
us that the story of American democracy isn't just told
in the headlines, but in the deeper fight of our power, accountability,
and law. Michael, we so appreciate your time and more importantly,
your continued commitment to investigative storytelling.
Speaker 2 (28:11):
Thank you, Michael.
Speaker 8 (28:12):
You're very welcome, and that was very well said, by
the way, Thank you very much.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
And that's going to wrap things up.
Speaker 1 (28:17):
On Kentucky Focus, this week, we heard the story of
young women from Western Kentucky chasing big dreams, improving that
passion and perseverance can open doors st even in.
Speaker 2 (28:27):
The heart of Hollywood.
Speaker 1 (28:28):
And of course, we looked at a powerful new documentary
that challenges us to take.
Speaker 2 (28:31):
A hard look at the health of our democracy in
uncertain times.
Speaker 1 (28:35):
From future filmmakers like Ava Kelly the Season storytellers like
Michael Kirk, We're reminded that the lens we choose in
shape how the world sees the truth. Thanks for joining us,
I'm Scott Fitzgeral for all of us sad Kentucky Focus
and the Kentucky News networks, Stay curious, stay informed, most
of all, stay connected.
Speaker 3 (28:54):
Kentucky Focus on the Kentucky News Network the show that
looks at issues affecting the Commonwealth and it's citizens. We
cover state politics, in history, human interest stories, sports, and
even entertainment. It's Kentucky Focus on kNN.
Speaker 5 (29:12):
Snakes, zombies, public speaking.
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The list of fears is endless, but the real danger
is in your hand when you're behind the wheel.
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Distracted driving is what's really scary, and even deadly eyes forward,
don't drive Distracted.
Speaker 4 (29:25):
Brought to you by Nitze and the AD Council
And Welcome to Kentucky Focus. Sim Scott Fitzgerald. From Paduca
to Hollywood, From the White House.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
To the Courthouse.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
We've got a front row seat to two stories making
headlines this week and cross the Nation end here close
it all Coming up. A Kentucky native and McCracken County
High School student of louve is making waves in the
heart of the entertainment industry. Avid Kelly's journey from YouTube
tutorials to a prestigious live television internship in Los Angeles
is nothing short of inspiring. And later on, acclaimed documentary
(00:30):
filmmaker Michael Kurk premiered his latest Frontline special Line President
Donald Trump.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
The Courts and the Battle over the rule of Law
with America.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
Watching his deep dive raises new questions about democracy and
presidential power. All that and more coming up on this
week's Kentucky Focus.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Welcome to Kentucky Focus on the Kentucky News Network, the
show that looks at issues affecting the Commonwealth and its citizens.
We cover state politics, in history, human interest stories, sports
and entertainment. It's Kentucky Focus on kNN.
Speaker 4 (01:03):
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Speaker 1 (01:35):
From self taught filmmaker in western Kentucky to the bright
lights of Hollywood. We're talking with a guest today who's
living proof that dead passion, hustle.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
And perseverance can take you anywhere.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
Avid Kelly and McCracken County High School grad is now
a senior at USC School of Cinematic Arts and has
just been selected for one of the most prestigious internships
in television, a coveted spot with the Television Academy Foundation.
She's spending her summer working on live production with no
other than Bob Baine Productions is the team behind some
of the biggest award shows in industry. History alongside Jesse
(02:08):
Collins Entertainment Avid joins us.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
Now she's gonna talk a little bit about it.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
Howard Kentucky Roots helped shape her creative journey when it's
like working behind the scenes of live TV, and how
she plans to leave her mark maybe.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Someday on the Emmys, Oscars and beyond. Ava.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
Congratulations, Let's start at the beginning. First of all, thank
you for joining us. What sparked your passion for film
and television growing up in Paducah?
Speaker 5 (02:30):
Yeah, Can I be completely honest.
Speaker 6 (02:32):
I had a fantastic mother and father that always really
did a great job of just showing me great pieces
of media. And then actually the thing that allowed me
to really get my passion to go into the film
school was the Governor's Scholars Program. So I mean, I'm
a Kentucky girl through and through, and my random focus
(02:54):
area at the GSP in Bellarman University in one yes,
I was placed with Craig Miller, a local Louisville guy,
and he was my professor and he was my film
studies teacher, and after that I knew there was no
going back.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
Kind of really represent Kentucky from paduca all the way
over to Louisville. That's for sure again. Avia Kelly is
joining us now. She's a McCracken County High School student
in Bellamint. Grid is now a senior at USC's School
of Cinematic Arts, and she, of course has just earned
a coveted spot with the Television Academy Foundation. You mentioned
that you were largely self taught before film school. How
(03:32):
did that DIY background shape the filmmaker you become.
Speaker 5 (03:35):
I like the way you praised that DIY background. I
might have to keep that one. So I work in
live television now.
Speaker 6 (03:43):
And the way that kind of a self taught mentality
was really helpful was when I when I got out
to Los Angeles, it made me really quick on my feet,
for sure. So I think it separated me from other
people that had a formal background, because people that had
been used to it their whole life didn't really have
that that passion or that thirst to get as involved.
And so being self taught and being in live television
(04:06):
was it's a little bit different than being in something
more narrative, where you have a few extra takes to
get something done correctly, and within live television it was
you make a mistake.
Speaker 5 (04:16):
You make it once, and you don't make it again.
Speaker 6 (04:18):
The stakes are a little bit higher, and so being
self taught just really allowed me to come in and
have that kind of thirst and have that eagerness to
work fast like that and to want to learn, compared
to some people that I think had been used to
it their entire lives, or you had a lot of
classes in school, or have parents in the industry, And
(04:39):
for me, it was just it was completely different. Was
something really new, and I was just hungry and ready
to get involved.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
No, it sounds like it. David Kelly joining us now
great stories.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
She's a McCracken County High School student now a senior
at USC's School of Cinematic Arts, and of course she's
earned a covenant spot with the Television Academy Foundation and AVA.
I gotta ask you. I lived in San Diego a
few years. It's definitely a different culture out west. What
challenges did you face transitioning from Kentucky to USC cinema
program and how'd you overcome those challenges?
Speaker 6 (05:10):
You know, the first challenge I faced was people looking
at me like I had three eyes when I held
the door open for them. It was really interesting, right,
But yeah, I think honestly, the biggest challenge was just
getting used to the different people. But I'm telling you
there's something really, really, really special. It was not as
(05:31):
hard as I thought it was going to be to
make friends. People at first thought that I was being
I was being kind of fake, and then after getting
known me for a few weeks, they were like, oh, wait,
this girl is just kind of really nice you. And also,
you know it taking about an hour to go six miles.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
You've been selected for one of the most competitive internships
in television.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
What went through your mind when you phoned out?
Speaker 6 (05:51):
I was really elated, Honestly. The first thing I did
was say a little prayer of gratitude and call my
parents because I kind of know it all to them.
My father JP Kelly, and my mother whose name is
Kelly Kelly. Actually I know it sounds crazy, but her
name is Kelly Kelly. I called them and for them
to kind of take that chance on me and let
me go and do my thing at eighteen years old,
(06:13):
when they were so nervous to send me out there,
it made me really proud to let them know that
they played their cards right by letting me go.
Speaker 5 (06:22):
You know, it was kind of.
Speaker 6 (06:23):
My card to play with my ace, to get to
call my dad and be like, hey, thank you for
letting me do this, and here's proof that it's working out.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Great story. Ava Kelly is joining us.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
She's a mcraken County High school student, also went to
Bellaman now as senior at USC School Cinematic Arts, and
she's been selected is spend her summer working in live
TV production with none other than Bob Baine Productions as
well as Jesse Collens Entertainment. And she's definitely going places
out west, that's for sure. As you, I guess intern
with Bob Baine Productions again with Jesse Collins Entertainment. EVA,
(06:56):
what have you learned so far about producing shows like
say the Teen Troy Awards of the Critics Choice Awards.
Speaker 5 (07:01):
I've worked in live television for a little bit.
Speaker 6 (07:03):
I direct a morning talk show in Los Angeles called
The Morning Brew. We are on LA thirty six on
Tuesday morning, so if you ever want to check that nice,
I've been able to transition into this a little bit
of a bigger world that reaches national audiences. And I
would like to say I think the biggest thing I've
learned so far is to just be communicative and if
(07:25):
you don't know something, don't be afraid to ask. I mean,
the people that I've worked with so far have been fantastic.
They're very willing to teach and guide me. And you know,
and in film and TV is a whole beast. It's
a team sport, and people don't realize how much goes
on behind the scenes, and so it's very, very very
important to just ask and to pay attention and learn
(07:47):
fast because there's no going back.
Speaker 5 (07:50):
So you got to be like a sponge in the
world of television for sure.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
I think you point out great and that really resonated
with me, is that you get one shot at something,
and I imagine on a bigger stage like a place
such as Los Angeles, the biggest media market pretty much
this side of New York, you don't get many second chances.
You got to get this thing right the first time, exactly, and.
Speaker 5 (08:09):
You know, and that's fine.
Speaker 6 (08:10):
I like that.
Speaker 5 (08:11):
I like that kind of adrenaline rush of it all.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
So right, Avia Kelly's joining us now.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
She's a McCracken High School graduate now a senior at
USC School of Cinematic Arts, and she of course, is
got herself a spot with Bob Bain Productions working in
the summer internship. And you know, Ava, you said that
you want to be the next great director.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
Say the Emmys, the Oscars or the Tonys. What draws
you specifically towards award shows?
Speaker 5 (08:37):
Growing up?
Speaker 6 (08:38):
That was the only time I would ever miss Sunday
Night Church. I would miss four times a year. Wow,
the Oscars and the Tonys. I think what draws me
to the award shows is that, I mean I dip
my toes in a little bit with narrative, cinema and
feature link on which is I mean typically known as
like if you would go to the movies and see
something there.
Speaker 5 (08:56):
And I really liked that.
Speaker 6 (08:58):
But for me, it felt like a way to honor
the heroes and the greats that I feel like are
in the field because and I said this with the
Television Academy, and I'll say it again. People might not
realize it, but the camera move at the beginning of
the Oscars is just as choreographed. Is something that Christopher
Nolan is doing in Oppenheimer. There's so much time and
effort that goes into these award shows, and for me,
(09:21):
I mean, like I said, what draws me to that
is there's so much artistry that goes into it that
people don't understand. But the people that do understand the
artistry and do understand the effort that goes into it
are the ones that we're honoring in the show. Tom
Hanks is my favorite actor. If I get to choreograph
a camera move and you know, direct some people to
be able to really get a really good shot of
(09:42):
him and cut something together like a memorial package, and
he gets he wins an award, and he goes back
and gets to see that. I feel like I'm doing
something that he can be in all of these different
films and all these different TV shows. But he goes
back and rewatches his Oasker wind and I'm the one
behind the camera, I'm the one making the shots. Like
I feel like it's it's just my way to giving
back to the industry, to the people that have really
(10:03):
influenced me.
Speaker 5 (10:04):
I mean, I'm a movie person.
Speaker 6 (10:05):
I got into film and television through my love of cinema,
specifically feature link films. One of my phrases is great
Cinema changes you live. Television and award shows. Like I said,
it's it's a way to honor the people that have
really shaped me as personal.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
Ava Kelly again a mc cracken County High School student.
She also went to Bellaminton. Now she's a senior at
USC School of Cinematic Arts and of course she's spending
her summer working at Live TV production with Bob Bane
Productions and Jesse Collins Entertainment. What a fascinating story, And
just a couple more questions for you, Avin before we
let you go. Listening to you talk about this one,
(10:40):
your energy is just infectious on every level and that's amazing,
and working in this business, I can one percent appreciate that.
I got to ask you what surprised you the most
about working behind the scenes of live television.
Speaker 5 (10:52):
That's a really great question. I got to think about
that for a second. I didn't expect to enjoy it
as much as I did.
Speaker 6 (10:58):
But if you would have told me when I decided
to go down the film and television route that live
TV would be the way that I would go, I
think I would have laughed. But also, I mean, some
people say that live television is a dying like a
dying art form with streaming platforms, so My minor at
school actually is entertainment industry, which is more of the
business side of things, and live to be I actually
(11:20):
like recently has been more it's becoming something a little
bit more special, and so I was nervous when I
first wanted to go into it of, you know, with
streaming and everything that's going on now, is this going
to be something that exists ten fifteen years down the future.
And to be honest, absolutely, everyone will turn on the
TV still, even if it's not in the traditional methods
of you know, cable. You're still going to watch lives
(11:43):
and our ratings and viewership of our shows have increased
over the.
Speaker 5 (11:47):
Past couple of years too.
Speaker 6 (11:48):
So I think that I came into it not really
expecting fall in love with it as much as I did.
My favorite takeaways too, is with the talent that you're
putting on camera too. Like as a director and as
someone that's been working in the industry for a little
bit now you formally close relationships. You can tell when
people are talking because I mean you're cutting between cameras,
(12:09):
you get to know them so well that you get
to predict their next move.
Speaker 5 (12:13):
That's really special to be watching people.
Speaker 6 (12:15):
That you know, on live television and be like, Okay,
this person's going to respond, So I know before this
person even says something where I need to make my
next move.
Speaker 1 (12:23):
And again, Ava Kelly joining us and from YouTube tutorials
and homegrown hustle in Paduka to the control rooms of Hollywood.
Ava Kelly is already pay proving that talent can come
from anywhere. As she continues her journey at USC and
in the world of live television, it's clear and from
what we've heard and what you've talked about, Ava, you're
not just following your dreams, You're directing them. I want
(12:45):
to thank you so much for taking time to talk
to us. And I can't wait to see your name
on the credits down the road for the Emmys or
the Oscars and I can say I talk to her
back then, well.
Speaker 5 (12:56):
Thank you.
Speaker 6 (12:56):
I really do appreciate it. There's nothing that makes me
happier than being able to represent Kentucky. I actually I
got a tattoo yesterday of two seven Oh my Zipco.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
Nice.
Speaker 5 (13:08):
Absolutely, I gotta stay close to.
Speaker 1 (13:09):
My roots, beautiful, and again, thank you for joining us
today and if you want to learn more, if someone's
listening in about the Television Academy Foundation and the incredible
work they do is they shape the future of the
industry with people like AVA. Simply visit Television Academy dot com,
Forward Slash Foundation. Well, Ava, thank you so much and
stay in touch with us if you make it back
(13:30):
here to Kentucky. I'd love to have you come in
studio sometime and sit down with us in chat and studio.
Speaker 6 (13:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (13:35):
Absolutely, thank you so much for having.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
Me coming up.
Speaker 1 (13:39):
Are we at a crossroads when it comes to presidential power?
Speaker 2 (13:43):
I'm Scott Fitzgerald and this is Kentucky.
Speaker 7 (13:52):
Drivers awesome centered here as a NASCAR Cupsiers driver of
the number two discount our Ford must thing. There's a
few rules of the road I like tell my family
and friends. Tire pressure is critical to safety because underinflated
tires are more likely to fail. Plus properly inflated tires
will give you better gas milage. Make sure to check
your tire pressure at least once a month. Stop by
(14:12):
a local tire retailer for an air chain.
Speaker 2 (14:14):
A message from the US Tire Manufacturers Association.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
What happens when the rule of law collides with the
power of the presidency. With the recent Supreme Court decision
granting community to US presidents in certain criminal matters, and
with former President Donald Trump now current President Donald Trump
facing indictments tied to efforts to overturn an election, many
are asking is the idea that no one is above
the law still true in America? Joining us is Michael Kirk,
(14:42):
a founding producer of PBS's Frontline and one of the
most acclaimed documentary filmmakers in public media. His newest film,
Trump's Power and the Rule of Law is a ninety
minute investigation into the ongoing battle over executive power and
what's at stake for our democracy. Michael, welcome to Thanks
for well being here at such a critical time in
US history.
Speaker 8 (15:03):
It sure does feel that way, doesn't it. Every time
I pick up the paper, the paper, remember those first
thing in the morning on my computer, I look for
some new Supreme Court decision or some new outrageous argument
that's being made one way or the other, and I think, yeah,
it's a different time in America.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
Of course it is now.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
Michael, You've chronicled the arc of US politics for decades.
What inspired this particular film at this moment?
Speaker 8 (15:33):
The chaos, the anger, the fear of the revenge, the retribution,
all the words that you know I think Americans were
experiencing in the first month of Donald Trump's presidency. It
was I've made I think eight films about Trump, so
I've I've chronicled his first administration and the years before
(15:53):
that in some ways, and the years when he was
in isolation down in mar A Lago getting ready for
this next run. And I had a pretty good idea
that something was going to be really different this time
of his presidency. I thought maybe it'd be just a
victory lap, a get even victory lap, and then he'd
kind of lean back. But it's something really different. And
(16:15):
I knew that from the very first night with all
those executive orders issued, and I just figured we had
to get inside and figure out was there a plan,
Is there a plan, where's it headed, what's the endgame?
And that's what we spent the next six months doing.
Speaker 1 (16:31):
Michael Kirk is joining us here, of course, is a
finding producer of PBS's front Line. We're talking about his
newest film, Trump's Power and the Rule of Law. The
title alone there, Michael is loaded. What do you want
people to hear in that phrase?
Speaker 8 (16:44):
We're in a very important battle. But you know, there's
a lot of two big words used by people talking
about this and too scary. You know, there's a constant
crisis and all of that, and democracy is over. The
fact is what is happening is unprecedented in a long,
long time, and it is really a president really since
(17:08):
Watergate and Richard Nixon. So it really is a president
trying to unleash all the constraints, break loose of what
Congress and the courts have done, and really run the
country the way he and his team see fit. And
that is a dramatic switch since the nineteen seventies, so
(17:29):
dramatic that I think it's almost fair to say it's unprecedented.
And we're headed for some big showdown sometime in the
next year where either the United States Supreme Court says no,
a Supreme Court composed of conservatives, three of whom he's
put on and they have a six as we know,
(17:52):
judge majority. So but that court, if there's some thing
about the rule of law that Trump goes too far
from that court's perspective, and he's certainly pushing the edges
of it with immigration and lots of other things, at
some moment within the next few months, next year, sometime
they may order the President of the United States not
(18:14):
to do something or stop doing something, and it will
be that moment when Donald Trump besides, all right, I've
gone too far. That sets the limit. I'll follow the
rules or he may not. And if he does not.
The people we talk to in this film lots of
supporters of his and insiders of Trump and people who
(18:38):
have watched this happen, a lot of conservative lawmakers, and
they all say, people who know him very very well,
they do not know what he'll do at that moment.
Speaker 6 (18:46):
And if he.
Speaker 8 (18:47):
Doesn't follow the court, and you probably really do have
a constitutional crisis. And that's what the film's about.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
Michael Kirk is joining us, founding producer of PBS's front
Line again. We're talking about his newest film, Trump's Power
and the Rule of Law, that is streaming right now
at PBS dot org. If you'd like to see that
great insight, Michael, I appreciate you taking time with us.
What's the most surprising or troubling thing to you during
the production or what was the most troubling thing to
you during the production of this documentary.
Speaker 8 (19:16):
I think how easy it really was for Trump to
go through all the guardrails and the barriers. He's really
it has not been a tough sledding. He knew he
was going to lose a lot in the lower federal courts,
even though he's appointed a lot of those judges. He
knew those judges were going to go a different way
than what he's doing, because what he's doing is very unprecedented.
(19:37):
But I thought, and so I thought that, you know,
there were really strong rules and others out there that
would step up and stop them, and they haven't. And
that's really remarkable, remarkable to me, just how really easy
(19:57):
it was for him, especially when they took on the
law firms, how quickly they collapsed, how they finished off
public broadcasting perhaps last week, How they've taken over the
Kennedy Center and the Smithsonian and everything just moving along
through the culture and the laws and the Congress. It's
(20:19):
really pretty amazing when you think about it, probably historic
the kind of things young people are going to read
about in history books for a long long time.
Speaker 1 (20:28):
Michael Kirk offering some fantastic Insighty of Course, is a
founding producer of PBS is a documentary Frontline again it's
streaming at PBS dot orgon or of course talking about
President Trump's the.
Speaker 2 (20:40):
Power and rule of law.
Speaker 1 (20:42):
And you know, Michael, as we look at this erosion
of legal boundaries, obviously you mentioned earlier, it's going to
affect the public trust in ways we probably hadn't seen before.
What does this mean not only just to the presidency,
but the courts and Congress itself.
Speaker 8 (20:58):
Well, we don't know yet. Everything is kind of it's
like when you watch a movie and maybe it's a
horror movie or maybe it's just a thriller, and you
watch the barriers kind of go down along the way
and you think, well, yeah, but that thing's going to
that thing's gonna work. That thing will slop the water
or the lion or whatever it is, the monster from
(21:21):
taking up, or if you want to look at it
from the perspective of the person who's going, that's Trump.
And he keeps going, and he keeps moving. Which one's
going to try to stop us? Where are they going
to try to stop us? Here? What's the move we
can make? Because honestly, he really believes that he has
a mandate in what he's doing and what his people
tell us in the film he's doing is he's practicing
(21:43):
democracy here. Seventy million plus people voted for him, so
this is democracy and action. And they say the guardrails,
the lawyers, the Supreme Court are the things that are
stopping democracy from happening. So it's like a it's like
a horror that turns in inside of itself now and
then that's what makes it fascinating and scary. You don't
(22:07):
know who the good guys are and who the bad
guys are yet, and you've watched it with that in mind.
Speaker 2 (22:13):
Is the genie out of the bottle? Michael?
Speaker 1 (22:15):
Can we ever go back to the way it was?
Or is this just setting a new norm for us?
Speaker 8 (22:20):
Well, that's like asking, you know, because a lot of
why this is happening, I mean, the courts aren't going
to stop Donald Trump ultimately if they don't want, if
the people don't want Donald Trump to do it, whether
the courts want to stop him or not, the only
way if you want to stop Donald Trump, the only
way that's going to happen is at the ballot box
or whatever. And we are a deeply divided country. I
(22:41):
don't have to tell you that. And we all feel
it and experience it in different ways in our lives.
And it's most obvious in the political world. And because
you have such a difference of opinion between Trump and liberals,
progressives and the people who were in office the last
four years. So it is the division that is at
(23:02):
the heart of this, don't I don't know how we
fix the division. I don't know how we start liking
each other again as Americans. It sounds awful, Jimmy Carter
of me, but it's, as you know, why can't we
all just get along? Maybe it's that kind of a question,
but we just can't. And and as long as that's
there and the fires are being stoked by both sides,
(23:25):
I don't know how it fixes itself. It just it'll
just bounce from one side to the other. And that
isn't making the things that are really problematic for Americans
any better.
Speaker 1 (23:37):
Spending some fascinating moments with Michael Kirk, he of course,
founding producer of PBS is Frontline, a great documentary series.
His newest film, Trump's Power in the Rule of Laws
streaming right now at PBS dot org, and you can
go there to see exactly what we're talking about. Just
a couple more questions for you, Michael before you let
you go, and taking it over to media and responsible responsibility.
(23:58):
What role do documentaries like this one play in helping
citizens understand complex yet essential threats to democracy?
Speaker 8 (24:06):
Well, the ones that have journalism at their hard which
is what I think we do, try to be try
to bring a sort of it's not equal time, but
a kind of balanced, fair perspective to the biggest problems
facing the day. And we have the time, the money,
the airtime. We have ninety minutes to tell this story.
(24:27):
Most news, even sixty minutes is twelve minutes long. We
have ninety minutes to explain something really in depth. And
because we have the time and the resources, we interviewed
twenty thirty people maybe in this film at great length
two hour interviews, and we cut those down so it's
very in depth. It's also designed by if you're a
(24:48):
skillful filmmaker, it's also designed to be interesting to watch,
not like eating your vegetables before you get to deserve it.
But it's a hard thing to do. I've been doing
it for almost fifty years now, so you get pretty
good at it, sure, or you survive in the jungle
but it is important to make them things that people watch.
(25:10):
It's also they're also shown in schools and lots of
other places and all over the world. But the most
important thing about them, I think is that they are
historical records people. I mean, I've been making these films
for a long time, which means every single big issue
you can think of in the world, I might have
made a film about it, And those films can be seen,
can be seen by historians and authors and students and
(25:34):
just regular people who want to know what happened during
Richard Nixon's time, what was going on in two thousand
and one, what's the thing about torture? You know, what
was the whole deal with the creation of Obamacare? How
did that happen? Who was John McCain? You know who
is Mick McConnell. I made a big film about Mick McConnell. Like,
you know, you're laying down historical markers around some time
(25:59):
where you know where there the story is active and alive,
but you know that it's going to be the basis
for other things that are going to happen in the future.
And people who want to understand why did that happen?
Why was Mitch the way it was. You got to
go back and find out about Mitch's polio and other things.
You know, that's the point. You've got a historical record
(26:20):
that I've spent a lifetime laying out more than one
hundred and twenty front lines, for example, So you can
go back all the way to eighty eighty one and
see a film I've made about this or that, And
that gives me great comfort because while they're not always perfect,
they're a record you can watch and decide for yourself
what you because of the way they're made. I try
(26:41):
to make them so you can decide for yourself what
do you think about it or what it means for
what's happening?
Speaker 6 (26:47):
Now?
Speaker 1 (26:48):
Spending some great time with Michael Kirk again, a founding
producer of PBS, is Frontline, and we're highlighting Trump's power
in the rule of law. His latest film and last
question for you, michae I could probably talk to you
all day, that's for sure. Where does this one rank
in terms of urgency or potential historical consequence?
Speaker 8 (27:05):
Right up at the very top, wow, holds around nine
to eleven. I made a lot of films around what
was happening then I made a tremendous I made films
during COVID and other things. But this is this, I
think may be the moment for America, modern America. And
this is a good grounding. This is a good you know,
welcome to the Welcome to the party. Now read about
(27:28):
it and now and then act on it and live
with it. Know what's happening, pay attention. That's the point
of this film, not one side of the other, but
just everybody should know what's happening. And that I think,
whoever I am, but that I think, based on my experience,
this is a very important moment in American history.
Speaker 2 (27:49):
Once again.
Speaker 1 (27:49):
The documentary is Trump's Power in the Rule of Law,
airing now on Frontline and streaming at PBS dot org.
A big thank you to Michael Kirk. His work reminds
us that the story of American democracy isn't just told
in the headlines, but in the deeper fight of our power, accountability,
and law. Michael, we so appreciate your time and more importantly,
your continued commitment to investigative storytelling.
Speaker 2 (28:11):
Thank you, Michael.
Speaker 8 (28:12):
You're very welcome, and that was very well said, by
the way, Thank you very much.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
And that's going to wrap things up.
Speaker 1 (28:17):
On Kentucky Focus, this week, we heard the story of
young women from Western Kentucky chasing big dreams, improving that
passion and perseverance can open doors st even in.
Speaker 2 (28:27):
The heart of Hollywood.
Speaker 1 (28:28):
And of course, we looked at a powerful new documentary
that challenges us to take.
Speaker 2 (28:31):
A hard look at the health of our democracy in
uncertain times.
Speaker 1 (28:35):
From future filmmakers like Ava Kelly the Season storytellers like
Michael Kirk, We're reminded that the lens we choose in
shape how the world sees the truth. Thanks for joining us,
I'm Scott Fitzgeral for all of us sad Kentucky Focus
and the Kentucky News networks, Stay curious, stay informed, most
of all, stay connected.
Speaker 3 (28:54):
Kentucky Focus on the Kentucky News Network the show that
looks at issues affecting the Commonwealth and it's citizens. We
cover state politics, in history, human interest stories, sports, and
even entertainment. It's Kentucky Focus on kNN.
Speaker 5 (29:12):
Snakes, zombies, public speaking.
Speaker 6 (29:14):
The list of fears is endless, but the real danger
is in your hand when you're behind the wheel.
Speaker 7 (29:19):
Distracted driving is what's really scary, and even deadly eyes forward,
don't drive Distracted.
Speaker 4 (29:25):
Brought to you by Nitze and the AD Council
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