Chris and Erik Ewers- Brothers/Co-Directors on Ken Burns Documentary about the Youth Mental Health Crisis

Erik and Chris Ewers are brothers and co-directors on a new Ken Burns PBS documentary, “Hiding in Plain Sight.” The two-part, four-hour film is about the mental health crisis our youth are facing. It follows the journeys of more than 20 young Americans from all over the country and all walks of life. The first-person accounts show the seemingly insurmountable obstacles faced by those who live with mental disorders.

Erik Ewers, an Emmy Award-winning editor has worked with documentary filmmaker Ken Burns for more than 30 years, including nearly all of his single and multi-episodic films. He currently serves as Ken’s senior editor and as co-director and editor of Ewers Brothers Productions, a preferred collaborative company in the co-creation of Ken’s films. He’s an expert in all aspects of filmmaking, having served as music producer, writer, director, film producer, picture editor, and sound effects, music, and dialogue editor. He’s open about his own mental health struggles.

Christopher Loren Ewers, Erik’s younger brother, has been working behind the camera for over 20 years and has traveled the world exploring the human experience through the lens. His eclectic work includes a variety of subjects, formats and collaborators, however, it’s the unique mix of Chris’s film and journalism backgrounds that puts documentary filmmaking at the center of his work. His cinematography has been featured in each of Ken’s films since The Vietnam War.

The Ewers Brothers’ timely documentary, “Hiding in Plain Sight” confronts the issues of stigma, discrimination, awareness, and silence helping to push the ongoing shift in the public perception of mental illness today. You will understand why Erik and Chris refer to the youth they interviewed as “heroes” and you will leave feeling hopeful with insight as to how to change the narrative to find wellness and community.

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