Steven Spielberg honored for films
Wednesday, August 5th, 2009
By: Peter Crimmins
pcrimmins@whyy.org
The National Constitution Center has announced the winner of its Liberty Medal, and it's filmmaker Steven Spielberg. Spielberg is being honored for his work on and off screen.
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Steven Spielberg's career spans from the action-adventure franchise Raiders of the Lost Ark to the Oscar-winning holocaust film Shindler's List. It's mostly the latter that the Constitution Center is concerned with.
After filmming Shindler's Lilst, Spielberg created the Shoah Foundation, a holocaust research institute. Constitution Center president Linda Johnson says Spielberg's work highlights civic engagement.
Johnson: Spielberg, in creating the Shoah Foundation, in essence said, 'I've witnessed this through the lens by making Shindler's List, and this is a lesson we need to teach. Because if we don't we run the risk of frittering away liberty.'
Former President Bill Clinton will present the honor at a ceremony in Philadelphia in October.