David Loren Cunningham
Encyclopedia
David L. Cunningham, born in Switzerland
(February 24, 1971) and raised in Kailua-Kona, Hawai'i
, is an international filmmaker. Besides his documentary credits in more than 40 countries, Cunningham has also directed several feature films including To End All Wars
(2001) and the TV miniseries The Path to 9/11
(2006). Cunningham is represented by the United Talent Agency.
(YWAM) and the University of the Nations
, an international, interdenominational Christian organization with campuses in over 100 countries with a special emphasis on education for the developing nations. These childhood experiences greatly influenced Cunningham's world view as a filmmaker.
The Director studied film and graduated from both the University of Southern California
and University of the Nations (Hawai'i, Amsterdam
, and Santiago, Chile
campuses).
Cunningham traveled with his father and took the first American crew to the remote Pitcairn Islands
to shoot his documentary: “Pitcairn: Mutineers in Paradise". The director's earlier films took him to Egypt
and Australia
, as well as Hollywood, California. After filming parts of documentaries in over 40 countries, Cunningham made his feature film debut with Beyond Paradise
. The film was a critical and commercial hit in the Pacific Region playing for three months in theatres in Hawaii.
In March 2000, Youth With A Mission
students donated $14,000 in seed money toward his $14 million dollar independent film To End All Wars
(p 176) The film was shot in Hawaii, Thailand, and Scotland and tells the true story of WWII allied prisoners in a POW camp in Thailand who secretly form a “jungle university” in the camp morgue. Praised by critics, the film stars Kiefer Sutherland
and Robert Carlyle
and performed notably well at film festivals including Telluride Film Festival
, Toronto International Film Festival
, Heartland Film Festival
, Hawaii International Film Festival
, and Mill Valley Film Festival
). The film was picked up for distribution by Goldcrest and 20th Century Fox and launched Cunningham as a Hollywood Studio director.
Since that time, Cunningham has made a number of movies, including the telefilm The Path to 9/11
. He filmed After, under Moscow's Red Square
in the secret tunnels built by Stalin.
, whose members can document visits to over 100 countries, and of the Directors Guild of America
.
Cunningham directed the controversial ABC miniseries
The Path to 9/11
. The made-for-TV docudrama dramatizes terrorist activities and U.S. government responses from the 1993 World Trade Center bombing
through the events of 9/11. The film concludes with the 9/11 Commission
's report card that criticized the government's response after the tragedy. More than 25 million Americans tuned in over both nights to the docu-drama that aired without commercials. The Path to 9/11 was nominated for 7 Emmys.
The 40 million dollar docu-drama created a media frenzy when the Clintons challenged the depiction of Bill Clinton’s administration in the handling of terrorist Osama bin Laden
. The docu-drama was praised by supporters as being "a well-crafted dramatic interpretation" and condemned by critics for scenes which portrayed events which never occurred, and supported a story line which would lead viewers to incorrect conclusions.
Official promotions of the film made varying claims about its factual basis: Fox TV on Sept 6, 2006, quoted the producers as saying the show was based "solely and completely on the 9/11 Commission report." However, On ABC's Path to 9/11 blog, Cunningham emphasized: "This is a movie or more specifically a docudrama. Meaning, it is a narrative movie based on facts and dramatized with actors."
Max Blumenthal reported in "The Nation" that Cunningham's Path to 9/11 had been heavily promoted by right wing activist David Horowitz
and the conservative Liberty Film Festival and that ABC CEO David Iger had initiated a last-minute investigation and edit of the film.
The New York Times reported that Mr. Platt [the producer of Path to 9/11] and Hope Hartman, a spokeswoman for ABC, said "the political and religious affiliations of the two men (Cunningham and Nowrasteh, the writer) had nothing to do with and did not influence the mini-series in any way."
Mr. Nowrasteh defended Cunningham in an OpinionJournal.com
column, arguing that criticism of the director's association with his father's Christian mission was akin to McCarthyism
, in which "the merest hint of a connection to communism sufficed to inspire dark accusations."
To date, ABC has not released the mini-series to DVD. Oliver Stone
has expressed his concern over ABC's decision, stating this is "a dangerous precedent, to allow a movie to be buried". A documentary, Blocking the Path to 9/11 was made about the events surrounding the production of the mini-series.
alumni in 2004. Though ABC asserted that the network itself was the source of funding for The Path to 9/11, TFI became embroiled in the controversy when several internet bloggers claimed it funded or influenced the movie.
TFI's primary purpose is to help aspiring young filmmakers through internships, scholarships, and seminars. Six unpaid TFI interns worked on The Path to 9/11 set among the approximately 140 other paid workers in order to gain experience about the film-making business.
According to TFI member Mark Harris' speech at a Latin American Youth With A Mission
conference: "One goal of TFI is to fast-track U of N
School of Digital Film interns, placing them within the film industry, so that they can begin to tell the stories that need to be told and help make a difference through film". Harris also stated that he was a volunteer coordinating TFI's interns at the time. He rebutted the assertion that TFI initiated or funded The Path to 9/11.
has pointed out that the Hakani film is being used by Youth with a Mission to facilitate their ministries in the area. The film has been used by supporters of a proposed Brazilian law that would allow the government to forcefully take indigenous children that are considered at risk because of birth defects or other reasons and respect their right to live above all.
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
(February 24, 1971) and raised in Kailua-Kona, Hawai'i
Kailua-Kona, Hawai'i
Kailua is a census-designated place in Hawaii County, Hawaii, United States, in the North Kona District of the Island of Hawaii. The population was 11,975 at the 2010 census. It is the center of commerce and of the tourist industry on West Hawaii...
, is an international filmmaker. Besides his documentary credits in more than 40 countries, Cunningham has also directed several feature films including To End All Wars
To End All Wars
To End All Wars is a 2001 war film starring Robert Carlyle, Kiefer Sutherland and Sakae Kimura and directed by David L. Cunningham.- Storyline :...
(2001) and the TV miniseries The Path to 9/11
The Path to 9/11
The Path to 9/11 was a two-part miniseries that aired in the United States on ABC television from September 10 – 11, 2006, and also in other countries. The film dramatizes the 1993 World Trade Center bombing in New York City and the events leading up to the September 11, 2001 attacks.The film...
(2006). Cunningham is represented by the United Talent Agency.
Background and Early Work
As a child, Cunningham traveled around the world visiting orphanages, refugee camps, and many other isolated locations with his parents in their work with NGOs. His parents, Loren and Darlene Cunningham, are the founders of Youth With A MissionYouth With A Mission
Youth With A Mission is an international, inter-denominational, non-profit Christian missionary organization...
(YWAM) and the University of the Nations
University of the Nations
The University of the Nations is a global Christian university with branch campuses in 600 locations in 142 countries, providing coursework in over 100 languages around the world. Its largest locations are in Kona, Hawaii , Jeju, South Korea, and Perth, Australia...
, an international, interdenominational Christian organization with campuses in over 100 countries with a special emphasis on education for the developing nations. These childhood experiences greatly influenced Cunningham's world view as a filmmaker.
The Director studied film and graduated from both the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
and University of the Nations (Hawai'i, Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, and Santiago, Chile
Santiago, Chile
Santiago , also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile, and the center of its largest conurbation . It is located in the country's central valley, at an elevation of above mean sea level...
campuses).
Cunningham traveled with his father and took the first American crew to the remote Pitcairn Islands
Pitcairn Islands
The Pitcairn Islands , officially named the Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands, form a group of four volcanic islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. The islands are a British Overseas Territory and overseas territory of the European Union in the Pacific...
to shoot his documentary: “Pitcairn: Mutineers in Paradise". The director's earlier films took him to Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, as well as Hollywood, California. After filming parts of documentaries in over 40 countries, Cunningham made his feature film debut with Beyond Paradise
Beyond Paradise
Beyond Paradise is a 1998 American independent film directed by David L. Cunningham.-Plot:The film is a semi-autobiographical tale of Cunningham's years in Hawai'i. He leaves Los Angeles and moves with his mother to the Big Island and befriends three "locals", Ronnie, Zulu and Keao...
. The film was a critical and commercial hit in the Pacific Region playing for three months in theatres in Hawaii.
In March 2000, Youth With A Mission
Youth With A Mission
Youth With A Mission is an international, inter-denominational, non-profit Christian missionary organization...
students donated $14,000 in seed money toward his $14 million dollar independent film To End All Wars
To End All Wars
To End All Wars is a 2001 war film starring Robert Carlyle, Kiefer Sutherland and Sakae Kimura and directed by David L. Cunningham.- Storyline :...
(p 176) The film was shot in Hawaii, Thailand, and Scotland and tells the true story of WWII allied prisoners in a POW camp in Thailand who secretly form a “jungle university” in the camp morgue. Praised by critics, the film stars Kiefer Sutherland
Kiefer Sutherland
Kiefer Sutherland is an English-born Canadian actor, producer and director, best known for his portrayal of Jack Bauer on the Fox thriller drama series 24 for which he has won an Emmy Award , a Golden Globe award , two Screen Actors Guild Awards and two Satellite...
and Robert Carlyle
Robert Carlyle
Robert Carlyle, OBE is a Scottish film and television actor. He is known for a variety of roles including those in Trainspotting, Hamish Macbeth, The Full Monty, The World Is Not Enough, Angela's Ashes, The 51st State, and 28 Weeks Later...
and performed notably well at film festivals including Telluride Film Festival
Telluride Film Festival
The Telluride Film Festival was started in 1974 by Bill and Stella Pence, Tom Luddy and Jim Card in the town of Telluride, Colorado, United States. It is operated by the National Film Preserve....
, Toronto International Film Festival
Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival is a publicly-attended film festival held each September in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2010, 339 films from 59 countries were screened at 32 screens in downtown Toronto venues...
, Heartland Film Festival
Heartland Film Festival
The Heartland Film Festival is a film festival held each October in Indianapolis, Indiana. First held in 1992, its goal is to "recognize and honor filmmakers whose work explores the human journey by artistically expressing hope and respect for the positive values of life."In May 2007, Heartland...
, Hawaii International Film Festival
Hawaii International Film Festival
The Hawaii International Film Festival is a film festival held in the U.S. state of Hawaii. It was started in 1981 by Jeannette Paulson Hereniko and has been held annually in the fall for two weeks...
, and Mill Valley Film Festival
Mill Valley Film Festival
The Mill Valley Film Festival is an annual, non-competitive film festival presented by the California Film Institute. Known as a filmmakers’ festival, the annual Mill Valley Film Festival offers a non-competitive environment for exhibiting independent and world cinema.Founded in 1978 by MVFF...
). The film was picked up for distribution by Goldcrest and 20th Century Fox and launched Cunningham as a Hollywood Studio director.
Since that time, Cunningham has made a number of movies, including the telefilm The Path to 9/11
The Path to 9/11
The Path to 9/11 was a two-part miniseries that aired in the United States on ABC television from September 10 – 11, 2006, and also in other countries. The film dramatizes the 1993 World Trade Center bombing in New York City and the events leading up to the September 11, 2001 attacks.The film...
. He filmed After, under Moscow's Red Square
Red Square
Red Square is a city square in Moscow, Russia. The square separates the Kremlin, the former royal citadel and currently the official residence of the President of Russia, from a historic merchant quarter known as Kitai-gorod...
in the secret tunnels built by Stalin.
Memberships
Cunningham is a member of the Travelers' Century ClubTravelers' Century Club
The Travelers' Century Club, or TCC, is a club for people who have visited 100 or more countries.The organization was founded in California in the fifties and now has almost 2,000 members throughout the United States and the world. The club has 12 regional chapters in the U.S...
, whose members can document visits to over 100 countries, and of the Directors Guild of America
Directors Guild of America
Directors Guild of America is an entertainment labor union which represents the interests of film and television directors in the United States motion picture industry...
.
The Path to 9/11 controversy
See also: Cyrus Nowrasteh-The Path to 9/11 Controversy and The Path to 9/11-Controversy.Cunningham directed the controversial ABC miniseries
Miniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
The Path to 9/11
The Path to 9/11
The Path to 9/11 was a two-part miniseries that aired in the United States on ABC television from September 10 – 11, 2006, and also in other countries. The film dramatizes the 1993 World Trade Center bombing in New York City and the events leading up to the September 11, 2001 attacks.The film...
. The made-for-TV docudrama dramatizes terrorist activities and U.S. government responses from the 1993 World Trade Center bombing
1993 World Trade Center bombing
The 1993 World Trade Center bombing occurred on February 26, 1993, when a truck bomb was detonated below the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. The 1,336 lb urea nitrate–hydrogen gas enhanced device was intended to knock the North Tower into the South Tower , bringing...
through the events of 9/11. The film concludes with the 9/11 Commission
9/11 Commission
The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, also known as the 9/11 Commission, was set up on November 27, 2002, "to prepare a full and complete account of the circumstances surrounding the September 11, 2001 attacks", including preparedness for and the immediate response to...
's report card that criticized the government's response after the tragedy. More than 25 million Americans tuned in over both nights to the docu-drama that aired without commercials. The Path to 9/11 was nominated for 7 Emmys.
The 40 million dollar docu-drama created a media frenzy when the Clintons challenged the depiction of Bill Clinton’s administration in the handling of terrorist Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
. The docu-drama was praised by supporters as being "a well-crafted dramatic interpretation" and condemned by critics for scenes which portrayed events which never occurred, and supported a story line which would lead viewers to incorrect conclusions.
Official promotions of the film made varying claims about its factual basis: Fox TV on Sept 6, 2006, quoted the producers as saying the show was based "solely and completely on the 9/11 Commission report." However, On ABC's Path to 9/11 blog, Cunningham emphasized: "This is a movie or more specifically a docudrama. Meaning, it is a narrative movie based on facts and dramatized with actors."
Max Blumenthal reported in "The Nation" that Cunningham's Path to 9/11 had been heavily promoted by right wing activist David Horowitz
David Horowitz
David Joel Horowitz is an American conservative writer and policy advocate. Horowitz was raised by parents who were both members of the American Communist Party. Between 1956 and 1975, Horowitz was an outspoken adherent of the New Left before rejecting Marxism completely...
and the conservative Liberty Film Festival and that ABC CEO David Iger had initiated a last-minute investigation and edit of the film.
The New York Times reported that Mr. Platt [the producer of Path to 9/11] and Hope Hartman, a spokeswoman for ABC, said "the political and religious affiliations of the two men (Cunningham and Nowrasteh, the writer) had nothing to do with and did not influence the mini-series in any way."
Mr. Nowrasteh defended Cunningham in an OpinionJournal.com
OpinionJournal.com
OpinionJournal.com was a website featuring content from the editorial pages of The Wall Street Journal. It existed separately from the news content at wsj.com until January 2008, when it was merged into the main website....
column, arguing that criticism of the director's association with his father's Christian mission was akin to McCarthyism
McCarthyism
McCarthyism is the practice of making accusations of disloyalty, subversion, or treason without proper regard for evidence. The term has its origins in the period in the United States known as the Second Red Scare, lasting roughly from the late 1940s to the late 1950s and characterized by...
, in which "the merest hint of a connection to communism sufficed to inspire dark accusations."
To date, ABC has not released the mini-series to DVD. Oliver Stone
Oliver Stone
William Oliver Stone is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Stone became well known in the late 1980s and the early 1990s for directing a series of films about the Vietnam War, for which he had previously participated as an infantry soldier. His work frequently focuses on...
has expressed his concern over ABC's decision, stating this is "a dangerous precedent, to allow a movie to be buried". A documentary, Blocking the Path to 9/11 was made about the events surrounding the production of the mini-series.
The Film Institute
The Film Institute (TFI), a "non-profit association geared toward educating filmmakers from the developing world, linking like-minded filmmakers, and focusing resources and talent for social change", was established by Cunningham and several University of the NationsUniversity of the Nations
The University of the Nations is a global Christian university with branch campuses in 600 locations in 142 countries, providing coursework in over 100 languages around the world. Its largest locations are in Kona, Hawaii , Jeju, South Korea, and Perth, Australia...
alumni in 2004. Though ABC asserted that the network itself was the source of funding for The Path to 9/11, TFI became embroiled in the controversy when several internet bloggers claimed it funded or influenced the movie.
TFI's primary purpose is to help aspiring young filmmakers through internships, scholarships, and seminars. Six unpaid TFI interns worked on The Path to 9/11 set among the approximately 140 other paid workers in order to gain experience about the film-making business.
According to TFI member Mark Harris' speech at a Latin American Youth With A Mission
Youth With A Mission
Youth With A Mission is an international, inter-denominational, non-profit Christian missionary organization...
conference: "One goal of TFI is to fast-track U of N
University of the Nations
The University of the Nations is a global Christian university with branch campuses in 600 locations in 142 countries, providing coursework in over 100 languages around the world. Its largest locations are in Kona, Hawaii , Jeju, South Korea, and Perth, Australia...
School of Digital Film interns, placing them within the film industry, so that they can begin to tell the stories that need to be told and help make a difference through film". Harris also stated that he was a volunteer coordinating TFI's interns at the time. He rebutted the assertion that TFI initiated or funded The Path to 9/11.
Current work
Cunningham's most recent project, Hakani http://hakani.org/en/synopsis.asp, is a "docu-drama" telling the story of an 8-year-old boy's rescue of his little sister ("Hakani") who, because of birth defects, was to be put to death by their tribe in the Amazon. The film, also funded by Youth with a Mission, was shot with members from 8 Amazonian tribes. In Brazil, the film has played a part in a controversial indigenous peoples' rights campaign. While proponents of the film have made claims that it is "true", the Brazilians who "adopted" Hakani have readily admitted they can't give evidence beyond medical records, pictures and the word of Hakani's brother. Additionally, Enock Freire, who worked on the film, acknowledged that the film is a fiction based on real facts. On the other hand, a lot of indigenous leaders have admitted that infanticide still happens today. These leaders have agreed to fight against this practice. This position is controversial because infanticide and intentional killing of babies and children has been a cultural practice for centuries, and to refuse it means to change a deep tradition. And Survival InternationalSurvival International
Survival International is a human rights organisation formed in 1969 that campaigns for the rights of indigenous tribal peoples and uncontacted peoples, seeking to help them to determine their own future. Their campaigns generally focus on tribal peoples' fight to keep their ancestral lands,...
has pointed out that the Hakani film is being used by Youth with a Mission to facilitate their ministries in the area. The film has been used by supporters of a proposed Brazilian law that would allow the government to forcefully take indigenous children that are considered at risk because of birth defects or other reasons and respect their right to live above all.
Director - Filmography
- Hakani: A Survivor's StoryHakani: A Survivor's Story"Hakani" is a 30 minute movie alleging the occurrence of infanticide in tribal communities in Brazil. The plot synopsis is given as follows: "buried alive because her tribe thought she had no soul, Hakani was plucked from the grave at the last moment by her brother...
(2008) - The Seeker: The Dark is Rising (2007)
- The Path to 9/11The Path to 9/11The Path to 9/11 was a two-part miniseries that aired in the United States on ABC television from September 10 – 11, 2006, and also in other countries. The film dramatizes the 1993 World Trade Center bombing in New York City and the events leading up to the September 11, 2001 attacks.The film...
(2006) (TV) - After... (2006)
- Little House on the PrairieLittle House on the Prairie (TV miniseries)Little House on the Prairie, also known as Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House on the Prairie, is a five-hour miniseries which was broadcast on ABC as part of The Wonderful World of Disney anthology series. It was made in 2004. It was directed by David L...
(2004) (mini) TV Series - To End All WarsTo End All WarsTo End All Wars is a 2001 war film starring Robert Carlyle, Kiefer Sutherland and Sakae Kimura and directed by David L. Cunningham.- Storyline :...
(2001) - The Dream Center: Hope for the Inner City (1999)
- Beyond ParadiseBeyond ParadiseBeyond Paradise is a 1998 American independent film directed by David L. Cunningham.-Plot:The film is a semi-autobiographical tale of Cunningham's years in Hawai'i. He leaves Los Angeles and moves with his mother to the Big Island and befriends three "locals", Ronnie, Zulu and Keao...
(1998) - Baja 1000Baja 1000SCORE Baja 1000 is an off-road race that takes place on Mexico's Baja California Peninsula in November. The Baja 1000 is part of the SCORE Championship Desert Racing Series that include the Baja 500, San Felipe 250 and the new San Felipe Challenge of Champions in place of the Primm 300 which had...
(1996) - Walkabout Australia (1996) (V)
- Pacific Mercy Ships (1995)
- Passport to the World (1993)
- Target World (1992)
- The Pitcairn Story: Mutineers in Paradise (1991)
External links
- Rick Moran-Spinning the Light Fantastic
- YWAM's International Chairman Lynn Green talks about the media attention from The Path to 9/11
- University of the Nations School of Digital Film
- Eric Alterman-Lying about 9/11? Easy as ABC
- From Studio Briefing: Liberal Filmmaker Oliver Stone Supports Conservative Filmmaker