Stekler’s Archives Reveal Intersection of Film and Politics

Professor Paul Stekler recently donated his film archives to the Briscoe Center for American History, which hopes to collect the work of more filmmakers. RTF chair Paul Stekler considers his program to be "The best film department that you can actually afford to go to in the United States." Photo by Charles Ramírez Berg Paul Stekler didn't plan on becoming a documentary filmmaker. It was only after a circuitous journey through the worlds of academia, political consulting and the New Orleans music scene that he found his calling. "I bumped into somebody, who introduced me to somebody and I made up the idea that I was going to be a filmmaker. I literally made it up," he says. Thirty years later, Stekler shows no signs of slowing down. This fall, The Briscoe Center for American History marked the acquisition of the Paul Stekler archives with an event that celebrated his decades of award-winning film documentary work by showing some of his favorite clips, followed by a discussion of his work.