"Henry David Thoreau": A Screening and Discussion with the Filmmakers and Scholars
Friday, Apr 03, 2026, 2:00 pm - 4:30 pm
Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts, 24 Quincy St., Cambridge, MA
Registration is required.
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The Center for the Study of World Religions’ Transcendentalism Initiative will host a special screening of Episode 2 of Henry David Thoreau, a new documentary directed by Erik Ewers and Christopher Loren Ewers and produced by Ken Burns. The film is narrated by George Clooney and features voice performances by Jeff Goldblum, Meryl Streep and Ted Danson. Director Erik Ewers will introduce the film.
The documentary offers a vivid, integrated portrait of Thoreau, bringing together the contemplative naturalist of Walden and the political thinker behind “Civil Disobedience.” It traces a life in which attention to the natural world and a commitment to social justice are presented as intertwined expressions of a single moral vision.
Following the screening, scholars Jeffrey S. Cramer (independent scholar), Rebecca Kneale Gould (Middlebury College), and John Kucich (Bridgewater State University and President of the Thoreau Society) will share brief insights from the vantage of their research. They will then join Erik Ewers, Christopher Loren Ewers, and producer Susan Shumaker for a panel discussion, followed by questions and a conversation with the audience.
This event is fully subscribed for in-person attendance. Please register to join via Zoom.
Please register to attend on Zoom.
The Center for the Study of World Religions’ Transcendentalism Initiative will host a special screening of Episode 2 of Henry David Thoreau, a new documentary directed by Erik Ewers and Christopher Loren Ewers and produced by Ken Burns. The film is narrated by George Clooney and features voice performances by Jeff Goldblum, Meryl Streep and Ted Danson. Director Erik Ewers will introduce the film.
The documentary offers a vivid, integrated portrait of Thoreau, bringing together the contemplative naturalist of Walden and the political thinker behind “Civil Disobedience.” It traces a life in which attention to the natural world and a commitment to social justice are presented as intertwined expressions of a single moral vision.
Following the screening, scholars Jeffrey S. Cramer (independent scholar), Rebecca Kneale Gould (Middlebury College), and John Kucich (Bridgewater State University and President of the Thoreau Society) will share brief insights from the vantage of their research. They will then join Erik Ewers, Christopher Loren Ewers, and producer Susan Shumaker for a panel discussion, followed by questions and a conversation with the audience.
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