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In 1998, a collective of American and Vietnamese veterans united to traverse 1,200 miles along the shoreline of Vietnam from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City on bicycles. Some participants were able-bodied; those with disabilities utilized specialized hand-powered bicycles, while visually impaired riders accompanied tandem bikers. This 16-day journey, endorsed by World T.E.A.M. Sports, posed physical challenges with its rugged landscape and intense heat, as well as psychological trials, as long-suppressed traumas emerged as emotional headwinds. This moving expedition is captured in the film Vietnam: Long Time Coming, created by Chicago-based Kartemquin Films in 1998.

At the film’s beginning, a few Americans visit a renowned girls’ school in Hanoi. One young pupil inquires of the veterans, “What are your thoughts on today’s development in Vietnamese society?” Another asks, “Before coming to Vietnam, what did you hear about the country?” And yet another question follows, “You were in Vietnam 30 years ago, what are your most unforgettable recollections of that time?”

Jerry Stadtmiller, a rifleman in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1967-69, responds with deep emotion to the final inquiry: “The most sorrowful experience I encountered was aiming a rifle at another young boy, fully aware that if I didn’t shoot him, he would shoot me. I squeezed the trigger of my rifle. And I’ve had to grapple with the guilt of taking the lives of other young boys I never even knew. I believe this has been the heartache of many Americans for nearly 30 years. We were sent here to struggle for freedom, and once we arrived, we realized that freedom had nothing to do with it.”

Vietnam: Long Time Coming, which is part of the Kartemquin Films Collection obtained by WashU Libraries in 2021, explores the harrowing truths faced by those who fought in or were directly affected by the Vietnam War. Throughout the Emmy Award-winning feature, individuals transition from memories to reconciliation and ultimately, redemption.

Vietnam, Long Time Coming, a 1998 Kartemquin Films documentary, follows a group of American and Vietnamese veterans on a 16-day, 1,200-mile bicycle journey along the coast of Vietnam. A film-editing loupe is used to examine a reel from the film. (Photo: Whitney Curtis/WashU)

Highlighting challenging social and political themes is what sets Kartemquin Films apart. Since its inception in 1966, the nonprofit has generated over 70 award-winning documentaries covering issues like immigration, labor concerns, stem-cell research, and women’s rights.

Kartemquin Films is recognized for addressing subjects in an authentic, compassionate, and ethical way. In a 2016 documentary that reflects on the history of the nonprofit — Craft, Community, Change: 50 Years of Kartemquin Films — filmmaker Judy Hoffman notes: “We produced films we believed our audience needed to witness. We aimed to tell stories from the grassroots level.” Filmmaker Steve James further emphasizes, “A core aspect of Kartemquin’s mission is this profound humanity and the intent to understand individuals in a more nuanced manner than merely as representations of particular social issues.”

Nearly 60 years post its establishment, the Julian Edison Department of Special Collections Film & Media Archive (FMA) is diligently working to organize and make accessible materials that shed light on the intricate processes behind creating such significant, deeply human documentaries, archiving a vast collection from Kartemquin Films spanning from 1966 to 2008.

Handling with care — and intentionality

When Kartemquin sought a partner to archive its materials, particularly its work before the digital age in 2008, it ultimately selected Washington University due to the FMA’s adept management of Henry Hampton’s films, AB ’61, Hon DH ’89, along with his extensive Blackside Inc. collection. In 2001, the FMA acquired over 35,000 items from Blackside, encompassing interviews with pivotal figures in the civil rights movement for Hampton’s Eyes on the Prize, which is still regarded as the authoritative work on the civil rights movement. The FMA undertook the cataloging, preservation, and promotion of these resources for educational and scholarly endeavors by students, faculty, and filmmakers, as well as for institutions and researchers in the St. Louis community and beyond.

“We had successfully managed the Hampton Collection — securing grants, promoting it, and ensuring accessibility. So when Kartemquin was in search of a partner, they recognized that work and were impressed.”

Andy Uhrich

“We had successfully managed the Hampton Collection — securing grants, promoting it, and ensuring accessibility. So when Kartemquin was in search of a partner, they recognized that work and were impressed,” states Andy Uhrich, former curator of the Film & Media Archive. “Although there are distinctions between the Blackside and Kartemquin collections, they are both similar types of documentaries, both aired on PBS, and they share comparable formats. Thus, it demonstrated to Kartemquin that we were capable of handling extensive collections and maintained a commitment to the social issues highlighted in the documentaries.”

Kartemquin conducted a preliminary inventory of its films and accompanying materials. Subsequently, WashU Libraries hosted Kartemquin representatives for a site visit detailing how their collection would be managed and promoted. After hours of discussion, Kartemquin decided to designate WashU as the permanent repository for its archive.

In April 2021, the Kartemquin Films Collection was delivered to WashU’s West Campus via an 18-wheeler. Thirty-nine pallets contained 3,500 cans of film, more than 11,000 videotapes, over 2,000 audio items, and 440 boxes of paperwork related to the films.

Following the unpacking and sorting of materials, which took several months, Uhrich notes that the focus since then has been on separating and cataloging the paper and media resources. Four years after the collection’s arrival at WashU, a finding aid for the boxes and folders of paper (their scope and contents) is now accessible to researchers, and an online searchable catalog for the film, video, and audio assets is nearing completion.

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“For Kartemquin, the partnership with WashU represents far more than a refuge for the collective works that constitute the Kartemquin catalogue,” remarks Betsy Leonard, the executive director of Kartemquin Films. “It’s the assurance that you have collaborators who embrace your principles of accessibility and the democratization of knowledge, as well as ensuring not only preservation but also engagement with the collection. Many of the films endure — the issues, obstacles, and complexities they highlight are just as pertinent today as when they were created — but developing the finding aid and enhancing access is what truly makes an impact.”

Among the multitude of entries found in the finding aid are folders and files pertaining to transcripts, marketing materials, and educational guides for a film titled The New Americans. Released in 2003, this seven-hour miniseries provides candid, dramatic, often heart-wrenching insights into the experiences of five immigrant and refugee families over four years. One of the series’ opening lines introduces viewers to the upcoming struggles faced by individuals from India, Nigeria, Palestine, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico: “Once you depart from your homeland, the place you cherish, it’s invariably challenging.” A sentiment echoed by a woman who relocated to the U.S. to reunite with her husband: “I’m leaving my most cherished possession behind [my father]. He’s supported me from youth to adulthood. I desire to leave, yet I’m truly torn.”

Within the 440 boxes of memorabilia — including film posters, storyboards, promotional images, soundtrack albums, and various unique items crafted for fresh film releases — is background material for the seven-hour series The New Americans. (Photo: Whitney Curtis/WashU)

Exhibiting the bravery, harrowing experiences, and persistent aspirations of humanity is a recurring motif in Kartemquin documentaries. In Mapping Stem Cell Research: Terra Incognita (2007), for instance, filmmakers recount the journey of Jack Kessler, MD, the head of Northwestern University’s neurology department, who was tasked with utilizing stem cells to develop a diabetes cure. However, fate intervened when his daughter became paralyzed below the waist after a skiing accident. It was then that Kessler chose to redirect his efforts toward seeking a remedy for spinal cord injuries. The documentary, which received a Peabody Award in 2009, is characterized by the Independent Television Service as bringing “the stem cell debate to the forefront and [exploring] the ever-evolving dynamics between the promise of new discoveries, the controversies of contemporary science, and the bravery of individuals living with debilitating diseases and injuries.”

In Hoop Dreams, filmmakers trail William Gates and Arthur Agee, two young African Americans from Chicago, as they navigate their turbulent high school years and their aspirations of professional basketball careers. This widely praised film, arguably Kartemquin’s most renowned documentary, was also a Peabody Award recipient in 1995.

Many Kartemquin Films, however, are not as widely recognized as Hoop Dreams. According to Uhrich, part of the Film & Media Archive’s preparations for Kartemquin’s 60th anniversary in 2026 involves delving into some of these lesser-known works for hire.

“This aspect can become intricate with Kartemquin, and it’s not unusual for documentary filmmakers,” Uhrich explains. “You create your major films because the topic is significant. Yet you also undertake commissioned work to support yourself. For instance, you might work for the MacArthur Foundation, creating a brief documentary. Or perhaps you are hired by an airline pilot union, producing something specific for them.”

The Film & Media Archive cannot digitize film internally but is able to digitize videotapes. Thus, Uhrich states that they are examining these less familiar titles on tape, like Great Expectations: Life and Death in the World of High Tech Medicine. Although incomplete, there exists a 14-minute demo tape crafted by Gordon Quinn, a founding member of Kartemquin, which is the reason this film was incorporated into the collection.

“For Kartemquin, the partnership with WashU signifies considerably more than a refuge for the collective works that comprise the Kartemquin catalogue. It’s having collaborators who embrace your principles of access and the democratization of information and who take meticulous care to not only preserve but to activate the collection.”

Betsy Leonard

“We’re in the process of identifying all those types of titles to ensure their digitization,” Uhrich says. “Due to rights concerns, we may or may not be able to publish them online, but we can list them in our catalog records and grant access to researchers, students, schools, etc.”

The Archive is also organizing online exhibitions, similar to its work with the Henry Hampton Collection.

“Next year will mark the 250th anniversary of the United States, so we’re considering civic engagement as well,” Uhrich adds. “We’re exploring the possibility of hosting a screening and/or program featuring some items from our collection related to voting rights, activism, and interviews with Rosa Parks — while possibly collaborating with local organizations to connect it to the 250th anniversary.” The Archive aims to utilize its longstanding partnership with Cinema St. Louis/SLIFF to enhance awareness of Kartemquin’s contributions and the collection within the broader St. Louis community through complimentary public screenings. (Check back here for further details on proposed academic and public events to honor the 60th anniversary.)

“We repeatedly witness how these films, along with the consciousness, intentionality, and ethical considerations during their production and editing, continue to influence today’s filmmakers,” Leonard says. “By expanding access to a fresh wave of viewers and creators, WashU and Kartemquin are fulfilling their mission to utilize documentary as a means for democracy.”

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