Henry Frederick Stuart was the best king Britain never had. The son of King James I of England and Queen Anne, he started the British Museum and the Royal Collection and was the first royal prince to back a permanent settlement on American soil in the early 1700s. This immersive documentary resurrects this forgotten prince from the shadows of history and reveals the tragedy of his lost potential.
Airs 6/30 at 8 p.m.
Narrated by Morgan Freeman, reveals that Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa portrait is not the Mona Lisa. Timed to the 500th anniversary of Leonardo’s death on May 2, 2019, the film shows that the portrait has become the center of a swirling controversy. If she is not the Mona Lisa, then who is she? And why did Leonardo da Vinci paint her? Using newly discovered evidence, and featuring Italian star Alexandro Demcenko as Leonardo, the film is a thriller-like pursuit for the real identity of the most famous portrait in the world. Produced by Pantheon Studios, producers of the 2018 show The Search for the Last Supper, the film also features top Da Vinci experts from Europe and the US.
Airs 6/29 at 5 p.m.
Norm & Company is a half-hour series hosted by WXXI President Norm Silverstein. In each episode, Norm speaks with a long-time Rochesterian as he/she recounts fascinating stories about Western New York. Guest this episode is TBA.
Airs 6/28 at 8:30 p.m. (repeats 6/29 at 6:30 p.m.)
From Schubert to Strauss, Bach to Brahms, Mozart to…Billy Joel, Itzhak Perlman’s violin playing transcends mere performance to evoke the celebrations and struggles of real life. The documentary provides an intimate, cinema vérité look at the remarkable life and career of this musician, widely considered the world’s greatest violinist. The film looks beyond the 16-time Grammy-winning musician to see the polio survivor whose parents emigrated from Poland to Israel, and the young man who struggled to be taken seriously as a music student when schools saw only his disability. In the film, Perlman’s life story unfolds through conversations with fellow musicians and friends, including Billy Joel, Alan Alda, pianist Martha Argerich, cellist Mischa Maisky, and his wife of 50 years, Toby. The Perlmans dedicate their lives to their large Jewish family in New York City, shared love for music and continual support of young musicians. American Masters: Itzhak is a portrait of musical virtuosity that explores themes of Jewish identity, Jewish history, humor and love.
Airs 6/28 at 9 p.m.
Have you ever wondered what the inspiration was behind a painting, how a sculptor came up with an idea, or what that photographer saw just before capturing the shot? Whether you’re an art lover, crazy about culture, or just plain inquisitive about things, Arts InFocus brings you intimate conversations with people who create art or curate it. Rochester is home to a thriving arts and cultural community and WXXI is proud to spotlight emerging artists, seasoned professionals, and well established arts organizations in our region.
Airs 6/21 at 8:30 p.m. (repeats 6/23 at 3:30 p.m.)
Redeeming Uncle Tom: The Josiah Henson Story tells the story of Josiah Henson (voiced by actor Danny Glover), the real-life inspiration for Uncle Tom in Harriet Beecher Stowe’s classic 1852 novel, which has been recognized as one of the sparks that ignited the Civil War. Josiah Henson was born into slavery near Port Tobacco, Maryland around 1789. As a child, he was sold to Isaac Riley, who later appointed him superintendent of the farm at an unusually young age because of Henson’s strength and intelligence. Riley entrusted Henson with exceptional responsibilities and permitted him to become a preacher in the Methodist Episcopal Church. However, when Henson attempted to buy his freedom, Riley cheated him and made plans to sell him south. Fearing separation from his family, he fled north with his wife and children in the summer of 1830. After escaping through Ohio and New York, they eventually settled in Ontario, Canada.
Airs 6/28 at 2-3 a.m.
What are the effects of space travel on the astronauts themselves? HOMO SPATIUS takes an in-depth look at the medical science behind extraterrestrial travel, featuring stories from 12 astronauts from around the world, stunning visuals, and modern-day lab testing.
Airs 6/26 at 10 p.m.
Uncover the true story of the seven-week period that changed China forever. On June 4, 1989, a violent and bloody pro-democracy demonstration ended, leaving thousands dead and laying the foundation for China’s future.
Airs 6/25 at 9 p.m.
Silent Sacrifice: Stones of Japanese American Incarceration illuminates a dark chapter in American history. In February 1942, just 10 weeks after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which authorized the removal of any or all people considered a threat to national security from designated military areas. SILENT SACRIFICE shares the experiences of Japanese Americans who were living in the San Joaquin Valley prior to Executive Order 9066. Interviewees discuss what drew them to the area, the businesses and farms their families established, and both the discrimination many faced in their adopted land as well as the friendships they formed. They then reveal the shock and confusion felt in the immediate aftermath of Pearl Harbor and the tragic and disorienting uprooting of lives as families were forced to abandon their homes and move into temporary assembly centers before being sent to permanent internment camps.
Airs 6/23 at 10:30 p.m.
Robert Penn Warren is the only person to have won Pulitzer Prizes for both fiction and poetry and was named U.S. Poet Laureate in 1986. His 1946 novel about political corruption, All the King’s Men, was translated into an Academy Award winning film. The documentary explores the life and career of one of our nation’s most acclaimed writers and features previously unreleased home movie footage of the author and his family.
Airs 6/21 at 3-4 a.m.