David James Redford

James Redford
May 5, 1962
James Redford, whose prodigious commitment to social and environmental justice and encouraging change through documentary filmmaking, died on October 16. He was home with his family in Fairfax, California. James' wife, Kyle Redford, confirmed that her husband died of bile duct cancer. He was 58 years old.
Born in New York City, James was the third child of Lola Van Wagenen, a historian and co-founder of Consumer Action Now, and Robert Redford, the award-winning actor, director, producer, and environmentalist. James attended New York's Dalton School, and then college at the University of Colorado, where he earned degrees in creative writing and film, and at Northwestern, where he earned a master's degree in literature. After graduating, James began writing screenplays and teleplays and directing. His feature credits include writing the screenplay of Cowboy Up, which starred Kiefer Sutherland and Darryl Hannah, adapting Tony Hillerman's Skinwalkers for PBS, which starred Adam Beach and Wes Studi, and writing and directing Spin, starring Stanley Tucci and Dana Delaney.
James' first documentary was inspired by his experience when he became ill, in his mid-twenties, with a rare illness called Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis. At 25, he had the first of two liver transplants that ultimately saved his life. Wanting to educate others about transplantation and to encourage organ donation, James founded the James Redford Institute for Transplant Awareness and produced the HBO documentary, The Kindness of Strangers. The award-winning film, directed by his childhood friend, Maro Chermayeff, celebrates donors and recipients by telling their moving stories. James' goal was to celebrate organ donation as an act of extraordinary generosity. "A person who chooses to donate their organs gives others life," he said. "How amazing is that?"
James' documentary The Big Picture: Rethinking Dyslexia, which aired on HBO in 2012, evolved from another personal experience. His son Dylan, then 6, was diagnosed with dyslexia. Kyle, a teacher, began working with the Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity, co-founded by Karen Pritzker, who also had children with dyslexia. Introduced by Kyle, Pritzker and Redford collaborated on the documentary, which explains dyslexia and tells the stories of people who thrive in spite of — and sometimes because of — the different way their brain processes information. James said, "In the movie, we tried to show that kids with dyslexia think outside the box, see patterns and connections other people don't see, and that difference can be an asset."
Pritzker and Redford then went on to launch KPJR films, which has made movies about health and social issues. The company's first films were a pair of documentaries about the impacts of physical and emotional abuse on children. Researchers of Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) have shown that early trauma can neurologically as well as psychologically damage kids. Resilience: The Biology of Stress and the Science of Hope explores the science of ACEs, and the companion film, Paper Tigers, shows that ACEs can be offset by nurturing relationships. The next KPJR film, Playing For Keeps, explores the importance of "play" to mood, brand and physical health, and stress relief. In the film, researchers explain the biological benefits of as little as 100 minutes of play a week.
In addition to his KPJR films, James made documentaries about climate change, alternative energy, and environmental justice. Mann v Ford told the story of a community adjacent to a former Ford Motor paint plant in Mahwah, New Jersey, home to members of the Ramapough Native American tribe. For more than a decade, the plant spewed out toxic chemicals, which soaked into the land. This led to high rates of cancer in children who'd grown up playing in soils and streams poisoned by paint waste. Ultimately, in addition to a settlement, the EPA was pressured to reopen the area as a superfund site.
In 2014, he co-produced and co-directed, with Kirby Walker, Toxic Hotseat, which exposed the dangers of flame retardants used in most furniture. The film showed that the chemicals actually caused fires. In addition, like the children in Mahwah, firefighters were getting sick from breathing in the toxic chemicals released when they entered burning structures. The documentary influenced California Governor Jerry Brown to rescind an order requiring companies to use those flame retardants and replace them with nontoxic alternatives. "Toxic Hot Seat became the impetus for cultural change in the firefighting profession throughout the United States," according to Tony Stefani, President, San Francisco Firefighters Cancer Prevention Foundation.
James also produced documentaries with the Redford Center, including Watershed: Exploring a New Water Ethic for the New West, which tells the story of the Raise the River campaign to save and restore the Colorado River Delta. Bolstered by the film, the campaign was successful, and the once dry area is now thriving. Happening: Clean Air Revolution shows that clean energy doesn't only help lessen global warming, it's good for business. Beyond making their own films and online content about environmental issues, the Redford Center's current focus is encouraging and supporting young filmmakers of environmentally focused documentaries.
Two summers ago, James' liver disease returned, and it was determined that he needed another transplant. Before he could qualify for a new liver, he was diagnosed with cancer of the bile ducts. Treatments were unsuccessful, and the disease progressed, ultimately leading to his death last week.
Redford's final film, a documentary about the writer Amy Tan, Where the Past Begins, will air in 2021 as part of PBS's American Masters.
Besides being an avid environmentalist and filmmaker, James was a skier, surfer, hiker and cyclist. He was lead guitarist in the cover band Olive and the Dirty Martinis. His greatest passion was his beloved family. They include his wife, Kyle, and two children, Dylan and Lena; his parents, Robert Redford and Lola Van Wagenen; his stepmother, Sibylle Szaggars Redford; his stepfather, George Burrill; and his sisters, Shauna Redford Schlosser and Amy Redford.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that those interested consider donating to The Redford Center and Homeward Bound of Marin.

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