Camelot Seen From the Inside

Read Time:5 Minute, 12 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
Capturing Kennedy
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Genre: Documentary, History, Biography
Year Released: 2024, US theatrical and digital 2025
Runtime: 1h 30m
Director(s): Steele Burrow
Where to Watch: available now, stream here: www.amazon.com or get your DVD here www.amazon.com

RAVING REVIEW: What if Camelot wasn’t merely a presidency remembered, but an image constructed, shaped by a man whose camera defined how a nation would remember its promise? CAPTURING KENNEDY understands something many documentaries miss: history is not only determined by events, but by who is allowed close enough to witness them. This film doesn’t position itself as another examination of the Kennedy presidency, nor does it attempt to reexamine a legacy that has already been dissected from every imaginable angle. Instead, it shifts perspective, placing the camera in the hands of a man whose proximity to power shaped how the world remembers an era. That choice proves to be the film’s greatest strength.

At its center is Jacques Lowe, a Holocaust survivor and immigrant whose life story alone could sustain a feature-length documentary without mentioning Kennedy. CAPTURING KENNEDY resists turning him into a symbol or a footnote. Instead, it allows Lowe to exist as a working professional navigating trauma, ambition, access, and responsibility. Through extensive, previously unseen interviews recorded shortly before his death, Lowe becomes both narrator and subject, reflecting on a life defined by survival and observation rather than performance.

What emerges is not a story about celebrity photography, but about trust. Lowe’s access to John F. Kennedy wasn’t accidental; it was built through restraint, discretion, and an understanding of when not to press the shutter. The film repeatedly emphasizes how rare that level of access truly was, especially during a time when image control was becoming an increasingly powerful political tool. Lowe wasn’t documenting history from behind a rope. He was inside offices, planes, hallways, and those specific moments, capturing images that feel like something more, rather than photo ops.

Director Steele Burrow demonstrates remarkable discipline in contextualizing these photographs. CAPTURING KENNEDY never overwhelms the viewer with endless montages. Instead, it slows down, allowing individual photographs to breathe. The film encourages the audience to consider not just what is depicted, but what it means to be present in those moments, and what responsibility comes with shaping public perception. The result is a documentary that feels intimate without being intrusive.

One of the documentary’s most emotionally complex threads involves the loss of Lowe’s photographic negatives, destroyed in the World Trade Center attacks on September 11. Rather than using this tragedy as a dramatic pivot or emotional manipulation, CAPTURING KENNEDY treats it as a sobering reminder of how fragile historical records truly are. The absence of those negatives hangs over the film like a quiet echo, reinforcing the idea that preservation is never guaranteed, no matter how significant the subject.

The decision to include previously unseen photographs from Ground Zero, captured by Lowe's friend, is handled with restraint. These moments are not exploited for emotional impact. Instead, they serve as a bridge between personal loss and memory, reinforcing the documentary’s central theme that history often survives through relationships rather than institutions.

Where CAPTURING KENNEDY truly distinguishes itself is in its refusal to mythologize its subject. Lowe is presented as thoughtful, conflicted, and deeply aware of his unique position. He understood the power of images, but he also understood their limitations. The film allows space for that nuance, acknowledging that proximity to greatness does not automatically translate to personal fulfillment or recognition.

If there is a minor limitation, it lies in how much the film is measured. Some viewers may wish for a more overt confrontation with the political consequences of image-making, or a deeper exploration of how Lowe’s work influenced later generations of photojournalists. The documentary hints at these ideas rather than unpacking them. This restraint feels intentional, aligning with Lowe’s own philosophy of observation over intrusion, but that doesn’t stop you from wanting it to happen.

CAPTURING KENNEDY succeeds because it knows exactly what story it wants to tell. It’s not interested in rehashing familiar narratives or chasing revelations. Instead, it restores authorship to a man whose work shaped public memory while his own story faded into the background. By centering Lowe’s voice, the film reframes an entire era through the perspective of someone who stood close enough to see the humanity behind the mythology of an iconic presidency.

This is a documentary about legacy, not just of a president, but of the people who help to shape how history is remembered. CAPTURING KENNEDY earns your attention through precision, respect, and an unwavering commitment to its subject. It stands as a powerful reminder that sometimes the most important stories belong to those who were never meant to be seen. When Camelot fell, some of these moments were those that stayed around for the world to remember.

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[photo courtesy of KINETIC STUDIOS, MAPLELOFT STUDIOS, RIO BLANCO FILMS, FREESTYLE DIGITAL MEDIA, CIRCUS ROAD FILMS]

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