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Turner Classic Movies (TCM) announced that Making Change: The Most Significant Political Films of All Time, a nine-week limited series showcasing films from the list by The New Republic, will premiere September 6, 2024, at 8 p.m. ET. TCM host Ben Mankiewicz and influential guests from all sectors of culture including Former Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates, Stacey Abrams, Melissa Etheridge, Sally Field, Spike Lee, Steven Spielberg and John Turturro will dive into cinema’s most impactful political films.
“I learned at an early age that, whether we like it or not, politics intersect with our culture every day,” says TCM host Ben Mankiewicz. “And the movies, since before the arrival of sound, have long served as a barometer of our political climate. This series brings an eclectic mix of filmmakers, actors, political figures, and journalists to TCM to discuss a varied selection of brilliant movies. Along the way, we’ll discuss how great films have managed to predict political culture, to reflect it, and to challenge it.”
Each of these films sparks discussion, inspires change, and can shift perspectives, creating an inspiring environment for viewers to explore these films within their historical context.
Full Schedule of Film Selection and Guest Presenters Below:
Friday, September 6 – Night One
8:00 PM The Battle of Algiers (1966) (co-hosted by Michael Tomasky)
10:15 PM All the King’s Men (1949) (Steven Spielberg – #59)
12:15 AM The Great Dictator (1940) (John Turturro – #26)
2:30 AM Fail Safe (1964) (#99)
4:30 AM Ivan the Terrible: Part Two (1958) (#85)
6:00 AM Salt of the Earth (1954) (#31)
Friday, September 13 – Night Two
8:00 PM Reds (1981) (Bill Maher – #41)
11:30 PM The Parallax View (1974) (Kyle Smith – #47)
1:30 AM Germany, Year Zero (1948) (Alexander Payne – #97)
3:00 AM Gabriel Over the White House (1933) (#30)
4:30 AM The Battleship Potemkin (1925) (#7)
6:00 AM The Fog of War (2003) (#56)
Friday, September 20 – Night Three
8:00 PM Dr. Strangelove (1964) (Spike Lee – #3)
9:45 PM Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) (Stacey Abrams – #11)
12:15 AM Hearts and Minds (1974) (Phil Mattingly – #39)
2:15 AM The Lives of Others (2006) (#19)
4:45 AM Born in Flames (1983) (#43)
6:15 AM Bicycle Thieves (1948) (#52)
Friday, September 27 – Night Four
8:00 PM Three Days of the Condor (1975) (Maureen Dowd – #72)
10:15 PM I Am Not Your Negro (2016) (Sara Sidner – #58)
12:00 AM The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928) (Melissa Etheridge – #88)
1:30 AM The Last Hurrah (1958) (#57)
3:45 AM Night of the Living Dead (1968) (#35)
5:15 AM The Tin Drum (1979) (#92)
Friday, October 4 – Night Five
8:00 PM The Times of Harvey Milk (1984) (Sally Field – #81)
10:00 PM The Best Man (1964) (Josh Mankiewicz – #69)
12:00 AM I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932) (Sec. Lonnie Bunch III – #95)
1:45 AM City Hall (1996) (#80)
3:45 AM Strike (1924) (#25)
5:15 AM High and Low (1963) (#84)
Friday, October 11 – Night Six
8:00 PM A Face in the Crowd (1957) (Barry Levinson – #10)
10:15 PM Wag the Dog (1997) (Diane Lane – #54)
12:00 AM The Murder of Fred Hampton (1971) (Abby Phillip – #37)
1:45 AM JFK (1991) (#34)
5:00 AM Z (1969) (#15)
7:15 AM Night and Fog (1956) (#21)
Friday, October 18 – Night Seven
8:00 PM The Birth of a Nation (1915) (Jamelle Bouie – #5)
11:30 PM Lincoln (2012) (Hon. Robert M. Gates – #24)
2:15 AM Malcolm X (1992) (#22)
6:00 AM Primary (1960) (#38)
Friday, October 25 – Night Eight
8:00 PM All the President’s Men (1976) (Steven Spielberg – #4)
10:30 PM Citizen Kane (1941) (Frank Luntz – #33)
12:45 AM Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975) (Lizzie Borden – #36)
4:15 AM Olympia Part One: Festival of Nations (1938) (#86)
6:15 AM Olympia Part Two: Beauty of the Festival (1938) (#86)
Friday, November 1 – Night Nine
8:00 PM Being There (1979) (Andy Garcia – #71)
10:30 PM The Candidate (1972) (Kaitlan Collins – #20)
12:30 AM Harlan County USA (1976) (Lee Grant – #12)
2:15 AM The Manchurian Candidate (1962) (#2)
4:00 AM Weekend (1967) (#94)
