Why do some people rise to power and others do not? Why do we fall in love – not just with romantic partners but with friends and strangers? How has our need to share beliefs built human culture? National Geographic seeks to answer these big questions and many more with new series The Story of Us with Morgan Freeman, premiering 14 January 2018 on National Geographic.
From the creators of the critically acclaimed series The Story of God with Morgan Freeman, this expansion of the channel’s hit franchise once again finds Freeman taking viewers on a global journey to meet with people from different cultures whose lives are shaped in surprising ways by different fundamental forces, this time exploring themes that unite us all. The series will premiere globally in early 2018 on National Geographic in 171 countries and 45 languages.
At a time when global events seem to be driving cultures apart, The Story of Us aims to reveal the common humanity that lives inside all of us. Each of the six hour-long episodes will explore a single fundamental force or topic: freedom, peace, love, social division, power and rebellion. Along the way, Freeman meets and speaks with powerful world leaders, ordinary people with extraordinary stories and everyone in between. “Talking with three presidents and two Nobel Peace Prize winners and travelling to remote regions of Africa and Central America was a memorable experience for me. It was an incredible global journey to understand how human culture has taken on so many remarkable forms,” Freeman said.
Among those Freeman speaks with along the way:
Albert Woodfox (“The March of Freedom”), one of three prison inmates put in solitary confinement in Louisiana State Penitentiary in April 1972 after the killing of a corrections officer. He was kept in solitary confinement for more than 43 years until his conviction was overturned in 2014. He was finally released in 2016.
Paul Kagame (“The Fight for Peace”), the president of Rwanda, whose people have been able to make peace after a horrific civil war. Freeman also meets with a Tutsi who has reconciled with the Hutu who killed her family.
Joshua Coombes (“The Power of Love”), a hairstylist from London who began a global social movement called #DoSomethingForNothing, which encourages people to carry out everyday small acts of kindness. For Coombes, that meant offering free haircuts to the homeless to help give them back their dignity.
Megan Phelps-Roper (“Us and Them”), a prominent member of the Westboro Baptist Church before leaving in 2012. Since then, she has become an advocate for people and ideas she was once taught to despise – especially the value of empathising with people across ideological lines.
President Bill Clinton (“The Power of Us”), who discusses what it is like to bear the weight of wielding great power, both in the United States and around the world.
“Talking with three presidents and two Nobel Peace Prize winners and travelling to remote regions of Africa and Central America was a memorable experience for me. It was an incredible global journey to understand how human culture has taken on so many remarkable forms,” added Freeman.
EPISODES INCLUDE
The Story of Us with Morgan Freeman: The March of Freedom
14 January 2018
Freeman travels around the world in search of a greater understanding of the concept of freedom. From solitary confinement and forced labor camps, to social taboos and laws that hinder speech and expression, freedom seems to be a constant struggle. As individuals and as entire nations, we are confronted with the question: Will we all ever be truly free?
The Story of Us with Morgan Freeman: The Fight for Peace
14 January 2018
Freeman travels the world to study the cycles of war and peace. From the ritualised combat of the sacred Tinku festival in Bolivia to Rwanda’s post-genocide reconciliation program, this episode deals with humanity’s enormous capacity for violence and the endless pursuit of harmony. Conflict can drive innovation, but is war necessary? Physical barriers and a fear of destruction might make us more cautious, but is peace merely the absence of war?
The Story of Us with Morgan Freeman: The Power of Love
21 January 2018
Can love change the world? Freeman is on a global quest to understand how this primal force binds us together as a species. From orphanages to battlefields, from arranged marriages to life on the streets, Freeman sees how love can be found in unexpected places – and how this force inspires us all.
The Story of Us with Morgan Freeman: Us and Them
28 January 2018
Can we bridge the divide between “us and them?” At a time when the whole world seems to be polarising into irreconcilable camps, Freeman sets out on a journey in search of the forces that push us apart, from intolerance of differences to fear of outsiders, and the possibilities of coming together.
The Story of Us with Morgan Freeman: The Power of Us
4 February 2018
Can we find a way to distribute power so that everyone has their say? A US president explains the challenges of making decisions that affect hundreds of millions of lives, and Freeman learns about an African woman who has created a society without men. He explores how the rise of the internet may fundamentally change how democracy works.
The Story of Us with Morgan Freeman: The Rebel Spirit
11 February 2018
Freeman’s quest to understand what makes a rebellion successful brings him face-to-face with exiles, whistleblowers, hackers and movement leaders. From Berlin to Bolivia to the United States, he sees the courage, dedication, hard work and hope that it takes to try to change the world.
The Story of Us is produced by Revelations Entertainment for National Geographic. For Revelations Entertainment, the executive producers are Morgan Freeman, Lori McCreary and James Younger. For National Geographic, the executive producer is Betsy Forhan; Kevin Tao Mohs is vice president, production and development; and Tim Pastore is president of original programming and production.
