Institute History
Description
Roy Cohn personified the dark arts of 20th-century American politics, turning empty vessels into dangerous demagogues—from Senator Joseph McCarthy to his final project, Donald J. Trump. Where’s My Roy Cohn? unearths the origins of the seditious right wing’s ascent, revealing how a deeply troubled master manipulator shaped our current political world. This shocking film exposes Cohn’s malign influence and contextualizes him as a modern Machiavelli, tracing his rise to national prominence—first as prosecutor of the Rosenbergs, then as handmaiden to Joseph McCarthy. After these twin disgraces, Cohn re-emerges as a New York power broker, mafia consigliere, white-collar criminal, and, eventually, the mentor of Trump.
Matt Tyrnauer, award-winning journalist, acclaimed documentarian, and Sundance alumnus (Studio 54, 2018 Sundance Film Festival) returns to the Festival with perhaps his most explosive and scathingly delicious film to date. Where’s My Roy Cohn? shines a blistering spotlight on the horrifying story of the ultimate string-puller whose diabolical influence helped set the United States on its current uncharted course.