The Piedmont Review
Nov./Dec. 2009
Let’s get this out of the way early: Rhett Turner says there is no doubt that having Ted as a dad has helped him become a documentary filmmaker.
“Sure, being the son of Ted Turner was very helpful,” he says with a laugh. “He bought tons of documentaries we watched growing up. But there were other great advantages, too. In the early ’80’s, when Public Broadcasting dropped Jacques Cousteau, Dad picked him up and asked Jacques what he wanted to do. Jacques immediately said he wanted to go up the Amazon, and dad then turned to my brother and me and asked if we wanted to go on the Calypso with him. It was incredible. I can’t say I wanted to be a documentary filmmaker because of that, but it was always a dream.”
Turner now heads his own Atlanta-based company, Red Sky Productions, that gives him control over projects. He brings his expertise from years at CNN to the firm that produces documentary films.
