Henry David Thoreau airs Sundays at 9PM beginning April 12

HENRY DAVID THOREAU examines the life and work of the 19th-century writer in the context of antebellum New England and the larger United States, as well as through the universal themes he focused on in his writings: an individual’s relationship to the state, how to live an authentic life, our connection to nature, and the impact of race on American life. Set against the political and social tensions of the mid-19th century, the film traces Thoreau’s journey from his early days in Concord, Massachusetts to his deep engagement with the moral crises of his time, including industrialization, slavery, war, and environmental degradation. Through his essays, journals, and landmark works such as Walden and Civil Disobedience, he became an inspiration for generations of writers, thinkers, and activists. 

Narrated by George Clooney and featuring the voices of Meryl Streep, Jeff Goldblum, and Ted Danson, this first full-length documentary devoted to the transcendentalist pioneer weaves archival riches with newly filmed cinematography in Concord and beyond. Tune in and meet one of the country’s greatest writers and among the most enduring thinkers and artists of what came to be known as the Transcendentalist Movement in America. As the nation prepares to mark the 250th anniversary of its founding, the film offers a timely meditation on democracy, nature, and the responsibilities of citizenship.