The Documentary Series

Digging Deeper into the Mission

The Hutson Project: A Documentary Series

Some stories are too important to be told in a single book. They deserve to be explored through the voices of witnesses, the words of original documents, the places where history unfolded, and the evidence that remains hidden in archives around the world. The Hutson Project was created to do exactly that.

History Had Eyes is developing a full-scale, eight-episode documentary series that investigates one of the most extraordinary historical questions of the twentieth century: What if Tsar Nicholas II survived the events at the Ipatiev House in 1918? Drawing upon years of research, newly assembled evidence, and more than 500 documented endnote citations from Rescuing Nicholas: The Secret Mission to Save the Tsar, this series follows the evidence wherever it leads, allowing viewers to examine the historical record for themselves.

At the heart of the documentary is the remarkable story told by my great-uncle, Martin Van Buren Hutson, a young American soldier assigned to the American Expeditionary Forces in Siberia. For decades, his account remained a private family story. Today, it serves as the starting point for a much broader historical investigation involving Allied intelligence operations, presidential decision-making, diplomatic correspondence, military records, forensic science, and the continuing questions surrounding the fate of the Romanovs.

The Hutson Project is not intended to replace traditional history, but to challenge historians, researchers, students, and curious viewers to reexamine the evidence with fresh eyes. Through archival documents, historical maps, expert analysis, dramatic recreations, and on-location filming, the series seeks to separate documented fact from long-held assumption and invite thoughtful discussion about one of history's enduring mysteries.

Whether you arrive as a skeptic or a believer, our invitation is the same: examine the evidence, weigh the sources, and decide for yourself. History belongs to everyone willing to ask difficult questions and sometimes, the greatest discoveries begin by looking again.

Documentary Highlights

  • Eight professionally produced documentary episodes exploring one of history's greatest unresolved mysteries.

  • Based on more than 500 documented endnote citations from Rescuing Nicholas and years of historical investigation.

  • Featuring original documents, maps, archival research, expert analysis, and dramatic recreations that bring the evidence to life.

  • Following the remarkable journey of Martin Van Buren Hutson and the American Expeditionary Forces in Siberia.

  • Designed to inform - not persuade - by inviting viewers to examine the evidence and reach their own conclusions.

“Because sometimes the most important stories are not the ones history remembers... but the ones history overlooked.”