JFK: The Private President

In January 1961, a new generation in the guise of John F. Kennedy moved into the White House. All of a sudden politics were youthful, dynamic and sexy. During the brief period in which he was in office, the first pop star of politics accompanied America through the darkest days of the Cold War. At the same time, his signal to embark in new directions was eagerly welcomed by younger generations all around the world. Later on, Jackie Kennedy was to compare his presidency with Camelot - the legendary court of King Arthur. Yet, there were also dark sides to this popular president's life. Kennedy had countless affairs. And behind the brilliant politician was a very sick man who needed to take up to 12 medicines a day.If the public had known how ill Kennedy really was, says his biographer Robert Dallek, who has examined Kennedy's medical records, he would never have become president. The documentary features reminiscences by Robert Kennedy Jr. and Matthew Maxwell Kennedy, the sons of Robert Kennedy. John F. Kennedy's friend and campaigner Harry Belafonte, his closest adviser Ted Sorensen, who has recently died, and Sergei Nikitich Khrushchev, the son of the Prime Minister of the USSR. Rare amateur footage from the private archives of the Kennedys sampled in HD provide an intimate view of the life of the legendary First Family.