Documentary Examines the Reporting at Tiananmen as a Pinnacle of Broadcast Journalism in Service to Democracy
ALEXANDRIA, VA – The Alexandria Film Festival will screen the feature documentary “Tiananmen Tonight” – a powerful story of truth-telling directed and produced by Bestor Cram and Michael Streissguth – on Sunday, November 9 at noon at Virginia Tech (ALX).
The film centers on the human drama of Dan Rather and the CBS Evening News team battling for life and reputation while courageously reporting the extraordinary 1989 student uprising that brought China to the brink of democratic reform.
In response to this student unrest in Beijing, Rather and the CBS News team raced to China ahead of the media crush to inform an anxious American public about China’s unfolding demonstrations, emerging student leadership, and bloody confrontations while fending off government censors and coping with the brutal arrest of a star reporter.
Says Peter Keough of the arts fuse online magazine, “Cram and Streissguth combine riveting archival footage and illuminating interviews with those involved, including Rather and other CBS personnel as well as student participants in the struggle. They also do not shy away from pointing out that it wasn’t idealism that motivated the network’s decision to cover the uprising, but the corporate bottom line. The result was a boon for CBS, a momentary boost for the movement, and a devastating, enduring crackdown on freedom in China. Would the cause have been better served had CBS ignored it?”
Dan Rather, CBS Evening News
Following the screening, Gordon Lubold, national security reporter for NBC News, will moderate a Q&A discussion with Cram, Streissguth and Tom Bettag, former executive producer of the CBS Evening News and ABC’s Nightline.
All-festival passes ($80) and film screening tickets ($15) are available for purchase online at https://afffilmsthatmatter2025.eventive.org/welcome.
The Alexandria Film Festival is made possible with support from the Alexandria Commission for the Arts, the City of Alexandria, as well as the generous support of individual donors and corporate sponsors including: Adobe; Alexandria Gazette Packet and Connection Newspapers; Alexandria Hyundai; Alexandria Living Magazine; Alexandria Times; Bad Ass Coffee; Briar Tek; Burke & Herbert Bank; Conte’s Bike Shop; Continues Arcade; Charter Up; Hadeed Rug Cleaning; Hotel Heron; Jet’s Pizza; Jim Connolly/Long & Foster Real Estate; Law Office of Deborah Matthews; Matt & Tony’s All Day Kitchen and Bar; Old Town Crier; Patagonia Old Town, St. Elmo’s Coffee Pub; Ted’s Montana Grill; Union Sandwich Co.; Virginia Tech; Visit Alexandria; Wegmans; and The Zebra.
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About the Alexandria Film Festival
The Alexandria Film Festival brings high-quality short and feature-length films of all genres, filmmaker panels, and arts presentations to the port city of Alexandria, Virginia and the greater DCmetro-area.The festival highlights the talents of local, national and international filmmakers in an acclaimed travel destination within eyesight of the nation’s capital. For more information visit www.alexfilmfest.com.