American writer Robert Groden was celebrating his 18th birthday the day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dealey Plaza in Dallas on 22nd November 1963. Like many of his generation, Groden was profoundly affected by the killing, but little did he know that the event would shape his destiny.

In the late 1960s, Groden was working at a film-processing laboratory in New York which had been commissioned by Life Magazine to do some work on the Zapruder Film capturing the assassination. He secretly made a copy and studied it in minute detail back home. This research would become the basis for his 1975 book JFK: The Case for Conspiracy, suggesting that Lee Harvey Oswald had not killed the president and the identity of the true killer had been covered up.

The film, which premieres in IDFA Dutch Competition on the 51st anniversary of Kennedy’s death, is a deeply personal character documentary focusing not on Groden’s conspiracy theory but rather his backstory and the sacrifices he and his family made in order that he could pursue his work.

“What really interested me was how so many people had become obsessed with the JFK case and made it their life’s work,” says Verkaik, whose previous documentaries include Daddy Doll about a boy growing up on a US army base.

“A former FBI agent I’d once interviewed, described the obsession as a sort of endless tunnel. Once you entered it, there was no way back,” he adds.

Initially, Verkaik had not considered Groden as a suitable subject. “He is one of the most famous conspiracy theorists but I wasn’t sure he would make for an interesting film. But then I read that he had been living in Dallas by himself for 20 years, leaving his wife and his children behind in Pennsylvania. That was the moment for me when I thought I really have to meet with him.”

Verkaik tracked down Groden at Dealey Plaza in Dallas where he can be found most days of the week, selling his conspiracy theory books and talking to tourists. “He was sceptical about the whole thing. He was wary of being portrayed as this crazy guy,” says the filmmaker, who first made contact in May 2013.

Verkaik spent some six months gaining Groden’s trust and researching his story through a series of long conversations. “We’d meet in diners, at conventions, sometimes at his home, and spend time going back through his life and history and putting things into perspective. He’s always been so obsessed with the case that he’s never really thought about himself,” says Verkaik.

A key period in Groden’s personal life was when his late wife developed cancer some 21 years ago, from which she would eventually die 18 years later. “Robert wanted to be there for her and the kids but his JFK obsession had led to so much fear and paranoia that she decided Robert should no longer be living with them. She wanted to create a sense of peace and security for her and the kids,” explains Verkaik.

With Groden’s blessing and help, Verkaik also got access to his sons. “The sons are immensely proud of their father but at the same time very upset about how he left. The younger son, was just 12 when his dad went and they’d never had a dialogue about it,” Verkaik concludes.

^{Kasper Verkaik}

Plaza Man Director: Kasper Verkaik Production: Zeppers Sales: Films Transit International and NPO Sales