SHOT IN THE ARM should be seen by all 8 billion people on Earth! We need to rethink our collective behavior as a society facing the consequences of misinformation and a denial of objective truths that are the foundation of civilization. – Neil deGrasse Tyson (Exec Producer)
The open access to the documentary SHOT IN THE ARM, now streaming on PBS, is particularly significant in today’s polarized political climate, especially with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. potentially serving as Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). This film is a powerful tool in combating misinformation and fostering informed conversations about vaccines, a topic that has grown increasingly contentious.
SHOT IN THE ARM is Produced and Directed by Academy Award nominee Scott Hamilton Kennedy and Executive produced by the brilliant Neil deGrasse Tyson. In terms of RFK Jr’s nomination to lead HHS, you have to see Scott’s brilliant demasking of him around the measles tragedy in Samoa. But SHOT IN THE ARM is so much more than a takedown of RFK Jr: it is the healing reset our country and world desperately need.
By making this documentary widely accessible, PBS empowers communities to confront vaccine misinformation head-on. Through its reach, SHOT IN THE ARM inspires support for science education and public health initiatives. In an era marked by division and distrust, this film serves as a rallying cry for thoughtful engagement with the science of vaccines, paving the way for a more informed and unified society.
How to watch “Shot in the Arm”
Shot in the Arm is available to stream on pbs.org and the free PBS App, available on iPhone, Apple TV, Android TV, Android smartphones, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire Tablet, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, and Vizio.
FILMMAKERS
DIRECTOR / PRODUCER / WRITER: SCOTT HAMILTON KENNEDY
Academy Award® nominee Scott Hamilton Kennedy is a writer, director, producer, cameraman, and editor. He has worked on everything from documentary and scripted film with legends like Roger Corman, directed music videos like Jimmy Cliff’s international hit “I Can See Clearly Now,” to commercials, motion capture animation, scripted and reality television. His documentary work includes Oscar Nominated The Garden, which tells the story of the complicated struggle over the nation’s largest community garden; Independent Spirit Award Nominee OT: our town—about the first play in 25 years at Dominguez High School in Compton; and the critically acclaimed Fame High, which follows four students through a year at one of the most respected and competitive performing arts high schools in the country. Scott recently launched Time Capsule Movies, a production company that personally curates documentaries that capture special moments in your life to be shared for generations to come.
Scott’s previous documentary, narrated by the esteemed astrophysicist and science communicator Neil deGrasse Tyson, is FOOD EVOLUTION, which, through resetting the GMO controversy, highlights the importance of using the scientific method to help everyone – from parents to politicians – make better decisions. FOOD EVOLUTION was both one of the most controversial and well-received documentaries of 2017, garnering a rare 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, where the LA Times wrote: “Calm, careful, potentially revolutionary, FOOD EVOLUTION is an iconoclastic documentary on a hot-button topic,” and the NY Times: “FOOD EVOLUTION posits an inconvenient truth for organic boosters to swallow: In a world desperate for safe, sustainable food, GMOs may well be a force for good.” It has been screened on Capitol Hill, the National Academy of Sciences, the European Parliament, the FAO, and many more.
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON
Neil deGrasse Tyson is an Astrophysicist with the American Museum of Natural History, where he also serves as director of its world renowned Hayden Planetarium. He served on two commissions under George W. Bush in the service of NASA and Aerospace, and is the recipient of the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal. In addition to dozens of professional publications, Dr. Tyson has written, and continues to write for the public. His latest book is Starry Messenger: Cosmic Perspectives on Civilization. He also served as host of PBS’s NOVA ScienceNOW and the popular radio show and podcast StarTalk. Tyson also served as Host & Narrator for Cosmos: A SpaceTime Odyssey running thirteen episodes in Primetime on the FOX network, and appeared in 181 countries in 45 languages around the world on the National Geographic Channels. The program won four Emmy Awards, a Peabody Award, two Critics Choice awards, as well as a dozen other industry recognitions. He is the recipient of twenty honorary doctorate awards, and was elected a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2015. Neil was also narrator and story consultant on Scott’s previous film FOOD EVOLUTION.
PRODUCER: MARK MONROE
Mark Monroe is an award-winning documentary writer and filmmaker, and co-founder of Diamond Docs. A journalism graduate from the University of Oklahoma, Mark began his career as a news writer for CNN. His theatrical credits include: “Icarus” (Netflix, 2017; Winner, Best Documentary 2018 Academy Awards); “Hell On Earth: The Fall of Syria and the Rise of Isis (National Geographic, 2017); “Once in a Lifetime: The Extraordinary Story of the New York Cosmos” (WGA nomination “best documentary script,” 2017); “The Beatles: Eight Days a Week – The Touring Years” (Hulu, 2016, Best Music Film, Grammy Awards 2017); “Before the Flood” (Toronto 2016,); “Racing Extinction” (Sundance 2015, Discovery); “The Cove” (winner, best documentary 2010 Academy Awards & best documentary script, WGA 2010).
