Pure Nonfiction: Inside Documentary Film: Recent Episodes
Pure Nonfiction
If you love documentary films, hear from the top storytellers on Pure Nonfiction. Host Thom Powers is well-connected in this world as a documentary curator for the Toronto International Film Festival, DOC NYC, and SundanceNow Doc Club. He leads conversations that are frank, funny and revealing. Listen to interviews with Oscar-winning filmmakers Barbara Kopple, Alex Gibney, and Roger Ross Williams; as well as the directors of “Making a Murderer,” “Weiner” and “OJ: Made in America.” Often the stories behind the scenes are as dramatic as what’s on the screen. On Twitter, Facebook, Instagram: @purenonfiction. Subscribe now.
"Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World" profiles the Pulitzer-winning poet who died in 2019. The filmmaker Sasha Waters describes how she shaped this biography drawing upon the memories of Oliver's friends including filmmaker John Waters, poet Mark Doty, and journalist Maria Shriver; along with contributions from Oliver's admirers such as Stephen Colbert and Oprah Winfrey. The film is being released theatrically by Kino Lorber and will be broadcast on PBS' American Masters on August 25.
Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction@thompowers1
Zayd Ayers Dohrn is the son of Bernardine Dohrn and Bill Ayers who were leaders in the Weather Underground, known for bombing the U.S. Capitol, the Pentagon, and other high profile targets. Zayd explores their complicated legacy in the podcast Mother Country Radicals and his new memoir Dangerous, Dirty, Violent, and Young.
Host Thom Powers interviews Zayd about what he learned. They discuss past documentary treatments in "Underground" (1976) by Emile d'Antonio and "The Weather Underground" (2002) by Sam Green and Bill Siegel. For more on this era, hear our past interviews with Bill Siegel (ep 15), on Fred Hampton (ep 132), and on Columbia 1968 (ep 185).
Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction@thompowers1
Recorded live in New York, host Thom Powers interviews the directors of three new projects: Alexandria Stapleton (Sean Combs: The Reckoning), Zach Heinzerling (Rafa) and Trish Dalton (Reggae Girlz). The conversations took place as part of Documentary Spotlight, co-presented by The Ankler, in partnership with Apple TV, Hulu, Netflix, Prime Video, and Red Bull Studios.
Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction@thompowers1
Recorded live in New York, host Thom Powers explores four new documentary projects interviewing director Rebecca Miller (Mr Scorsese), director Ally Pankiw (Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery), producer/editor Shane Reid (John Candy: I Like Me), and producer Sara Bernstein (Marty: Life is Short). The conversations took place as part of Documentary Spotlight, co-presented by The Ankler, in partnership with Apple TV, Hulu, Netflix, Prime Video, and Red Bull Studios.
Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction@thompowers1
"American Doctor" looks at the war in Gaza through the eyes of three volunteer surgeons from different backgrounds - Palestinian, Jewish and Zoroastrian. The film debuted at Sundance and will be released this summer from Watermelon Pictures. Host Thom Powers interviewed director Poh Si Teng in front of a live audience at CPH:DOX. She started out as a producer of acclaimed works such as "St. Louis Superman" and "Patrice: The Movie" before making her directorial debut with "American Doctor."
Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction@thompowers1
"John Candy: I Like Me" (Amazon) looks at the highs and lows of the beloved comedian who was ever-present in the 1980s and early 90s before his death at age 43. Host Thom Powers interviews director Colin Hanks and producer Ryan Reynolds. They may be better known for their acting roles, but both have a deep commitment to documentary. Hanks previously directed docs on Tower Records and the Eagles of Death Metal. Reynolds is an executive producer and featured in the hit documentary series "Welcome to Wrexham."
Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction@thompowers1
“Mel Brooks: The 99-Year-Old Man” (HBO Max) is the latest collaboration by Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio who previously profiled comedians George Carlin and Gary Shandling. Their latest two-part series looks at the creator of iconic works such as “The Producers,” “Blazing Saddles,” and “Young Frankenstein.” In this interview, Apatow and Bonfiglio describe how they sought to get to layers of Brooks’ life that he hadn’t discussed before.
Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction@thompowers1
Frontline executive producer Raney Aronson-Rath speaks about leading PBS's current affairs series while President Trump is defunding public television. Instead of shrinking, Frontline is growing with new staff and an invigorated mission. Host Thom Powers interviews Raney a wide on a wide range of projects, including the Sundance prize-winning doc "One in a Million" that follows a family of Syrian refugees for ten years. The new division of Frontline Features will release the film to theaters later this year.
Explore the Pure Nonfiction archives to hear interviews on past Frontline productions including "Abacus: Small Enough to Jail" (ep 49), "For Sama" (ep 114), and "20 Days in Mariupol" (ep 169).
We wish to thank all our listeners as Pure Nonfiction celebrates its 10th anniversary.
Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction@thompowers1
Fifteen films are shortlisted for the Oscars Feature Documentary category. On this episode, we hear from four of the directing teams:
-
"The Alabama Solution" with Andrew Jarecki and Charlotte Kauffman
-
"Yanuni" with Richard Ladkani
-
"My Undesirable Friends Part 1 - Last Air in Moscow" with Julia Loktev
-
"Cutting Through Rocks" with Sara Khaki and Mohammedreza Eyni
These conversations were recorded an online edition of Documentary Spotlight, co-presented by The Ankler.
Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1
"Come See Me in the Good Light" (Apple TV) portrays a love story of the spoken word poets Andrea Gibson and Megan Falley as they make the most of their lives in the face of a terminal cancer diagnosis. The film is joyous, funny and shortlisted for the Oscars' Best Documentary category. Pure Nonfiction host speaks with the director Ryan White and the one of the film's key figures Megan Falley. You can hear producer Jessica Hargrave interviewed on episode 229.
Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1
Director Alexandria Stapleton discusses her Netflix series "Sean Combs: The Reckoning," backed by executive producer Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews Stapleton about each episode of the series and the participants who overcame years of fear and intimidation to finally speak out.
Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction@thompowers1
"Apocalypse in the Tropics" explores the tumultuous battle to save democracy in Brazil. It reveals striking parallels to politics in the United States. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers speaks with director Petra Costa and producer Alessandra Orofino.
Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1
Host Thom Powers interviews the film teams behind five projects that are qualified for the Oscars:
MY MOM JAYNE (director Mariska Hargitay, producer Trish Adlesic, editor J.D. Marlow) exploring the life of Hollywood star Jayne Mansfield through the eyes of her daughter.
PUT YOUR SOUL ON YOUR HAND AND WALK (director Sepideh Farsi) profiling the Gaza photographer Fatma Hassona.
CHILD OF DUST (director Weronika Mliczewska, producr Bao Nguyen) follows the lifelong dream of a man in Vietnam to meet his father in the U.S.
NORITA (director Jayson McNamara, producer Sarah Schoellkopf) tells the history of Argentinian activist Nora Cortiñas.
QOTZUÑI: PEOPLE OF THE LAKE (directors Michael Salama, Gastón Zilberman) looks at an indigenous community in Bolivia trying to recover from the disappearance of a massive lake.
Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1
Hear the filmmakers behind four of this year's most acclaimed documentaries: director Tamara Kotevska ("Honeyland") and cinematographer Jean Dakar on "The Tale of Silyan"; first time director Beth Lane on "UnBroken"; co-director Mohammedreza Eyni on "Cutting Through Rocks"; director David Osit and producer Jamie Goncalves on "Predators." These talks were recorded before a live audience in Los Angeles at our Documentary Spotlight event in partnership with The Ankler.
Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1
Recorded live in Los Angeles, we partnered with The Ankler to bring you conversations covering four new documentaries: producer Jessica Hargrave (pictured) on “Come See Me in the Good Light”; director Dan Farah on “The Age of Disclosure”; producer Alisa Payne on “The Perfect Neighbor”; and directors Andrew Jarecki and Charlotte Kaufman on “The Alabama Solution.”
Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1
"Songs From the Hole," now playing on Netflix, won the SXSW Audience Award and the Blackstar Jury Prize for its artful approach to telling a story about solitary confinement. "It's eye-opening in a way you may have forgotten your eyes could still be opened," wrote critic Daniel Fienberg in The Hollywood Reporter. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews director Contessa Gayles about her career path from working inside CNN to going independent. Her other films include "The Feminist on Cellblock Y" and "The Debutantes."
Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction@thompowers1
Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady have been making films as a team for over 20 years. They have a fierce dedication to the art of observational documentary, even as that form becomes harder to finance. Among their celebrated titles are One of Us, 12th & Delaware, andthe Oscar-nominated Jesus Camp. Their latest film Folktales follows three teens in Norway learning outdoor survival skills at a folk high school where they bond with sled dogs. The film is being distributed to U.S. theaters by Magnolia Pictures.
Hear our previous interview with Heidi and Rachel from 2016 talking about Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You on episode 14.
Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1
Our Emmy contender conversations conclude with a look at three stand out biographies. Host Thom Powers interviews these directors:
R.J. Cutler on "Martha" (Netflix)
David Gelb with cinematographer Adam Bricker on "Chef's Table: Legends" (Netflix)
Laurent Bouzereau on "Music By John Williams" (Disney+)
Recorded live in Los Angeles at Documentary Spotlight, co-presented by The Ankler.
Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1
Thom Powers hosts conversations on three Emmy contenders:
"Will & Harper" (Netflix) with participant Harper Steele
"Social Studies" (FX) with director Lauren Greenfield and participants Sydney Shear, Dominic Brown, Jonathan Gelfond
"Chimp Crazy" (HBO) with director Eric Goode and executive producer Jeremy McBride
Recorded live in Los Angeles on June 8, 2025 at Documentary Spotlight, co-presented by The Ankler.
Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1
Recorded live in New York City, Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews the filmmakers behind four Emmy contenders:
Michelle Khare of "Challenge Accepted" (YouTube)
Lance Oppenheim of "Ren Faire" (Max)
Liz Garbus of "Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer" (Netflix)
"The Fall of Diddy" (ID) team of Mary Robertson, Emma Schwartz, Yoruba Richen
Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1
Live from New York City, Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews the directors behind several projects contending for Emmy nominations:
Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson on "Ladies and Gentlemen...50 Years of SNL Music" from Peacock; and "Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)" from Hulu
Reginald Hudlin on "Number One on the Call Sheet" from Apple TV+
David Tedeschi on "Beatles ‘64" from Disney+
Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1
Kenya's Sam Soko is a prominent figure in the rising wave of African documentary. He won international attention for his films Softie and Free Money at Sundance, TIFF and elsewhere. In this interview recorded at CPH:DOX, he explains there's a new crisis for African documentary. Cutbacks at USAID have hurt filmmakers who relied on NGOs for work. Whether or not you've seen Sam's films, this conversation evokes a critical moment for global storytelling.
Titles mentioned in his conversation include: Softie, Free Money, Matabeleland, and The Battle for Laikipia.
Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction@thompowers1
"Blue Road: The Edna O'Brien Story" profiles the Irish novelist who broke taboos both in her writing and her personal life. Her early novels were denounced by the Catholic Church and banned by the Irish Censor Board. This stunning film puts her legacy into a new perspective. "Blue Road" premiered at TIFF and is now playing in theaters in Ireland and the UK, but hasn't yet found U.S. distribution. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews director Sinead O'Shea whose previous films include "Pray for Our Sinners" and "A Mother Brings Her Son to be Shot."
Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1
“Secret Mall Apartment” tells the story of a group of artists who found a hidden space a Rhode Island mega mall that they occupied for four years while evading security. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews Jeremy Workman about how he convinced the artists to tell their story after they had turned down other documentary makers for over 15 years. He also discusses his day job editing movie trailers; and what he learned from his father, the filmmaker Chuck Workman.
Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1
Frederick Wiseman: An American Institution is the title of a career retrospective currently running at New York's Film at Lincoln Center through March 5. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews Wiseman at age 95 about how he maintained his independence for over five decades. They discuss a range of topics including what's happening with his 2005 documentary "The Garden" that was never released.
Hear our previous interview with Wiseman on episode 55. You can also find his films on Kanopy.
Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1
Four interviews about films on the Oscars Shortlist for Documentary Feature: supervising editor David Teague and animator Renata Galindo on FRIDA; co-director Angela Patton on DAUGHTERS; producer Rafael Marmor on WILL & HARPER; director Shiori Ito on BLACK BOX DIARIES. Recorded live in New York City on January 5, 2025 at Documentary Spotlight, co-presented by Pure Nonfiction and The Ankler, and moderated by Thom Powers.
Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1
Three interviews about films on the Oscars Shortlist for Documentary Feature: Stephen Maing and Brett Story on UNION; Laurie Anderson and Gary Hustwit on ENO; Slava Leontyev, Paula Dupre' Pesman, and Joe Berlinger on PORCELAIN WAR. Recorded live in New York City on January 5, 2025 at Documentary Spotlight, co-presented by Pure Nonfiction and The Ankler, and moderated by Thom Powers.
Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1
"Queendom" profiles the non-binary Russian performance artist Jenna Marvin. We watch her challenge Russia's repressive laws against the LGBTQ+ community and protest the country's war on Ukraine, putting herself at great risk. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews director Agniia Galdanova and producer Igor Myakotin about what motivated them on this project despite the inherent dangers. "Queendom" is on the Oscars Shortlist for Documentary Feature and available on video on demand.
Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1
After Afghanistan experienced a change of power in 2021, Egyptian filmmaker Ibrahim Nash'at embedded himself in the country and documented how the Taliban took control of over $7 billion worth of U.S. military equipment. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews Ibrahim about the making of "Hollywoodgate," how he coped with risk, the role of his mentors Talal Derki and Jess Search, and why he embraced therapy in the process.
"Hollywoodgate" is on the Oscars Shortlist for documentary feature. Watch it on Jolt Film.
Hear Talal Derki discuss "Of Fathers and Sons" on episode 96.
Hear more about Jess Search on episodes 168 and 200.
Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1
Adam Kinzinger was the first Republican Congressman to call for the impeachment of Donald Trump after the Jan 6 insurrection. That caught the attention of the Hollywood comedy writer and director Steve Pink ("Hot Tub Time Machine"). Although Pink is liberal and Kinzinger is conservative they shared a sense of humor and an opposition to Trump. "The Last Republican" follows Kinzinger over a year as he served on the Congressional committee to investigate Jan 6. The film is opening at New York's Film Forum. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews Kinzinger and Pink about releasing the film at a time when Trump is vowing to seek retribution against his enemies.
Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1
"The Bibi Files" looks at the corruption case against Benjamin Netanyahu, drawing upon a vast trove of leaked interrogation footage. Netanyahu went to court trying to block the film from being shown, but that motion failed. Producer Alex Gibney and director Alexis Bloom discuss the challenges they faced in getting the film made and seen.
Watch the film on Jolt.
Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1
William Kentridge is well-known in the world of museums and galleries. Now he brings together all of his artistic disciplines - drawing, animation, sculpture and performance - to create the 9-part film essay "Self-Portrait as a Coffee Pot" streaming on Mubi. If you're a stranger to his work, see 10 Works to Know by William Kentridge from the Royal Academy of Art. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews Kentridge about creativity, therapy, optimism and his collaboration with the esteemed editor Walter Murch.
Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1
Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews the directors of four films in the inaugural London edition of Documentary Spotlight, co-presented by The Ankler.
Follow the links below to see the film trailers:
Director Daniela Volker on
The Commandant's Shadow
Director Hasan Oswald on
Mediha
Director Vanessa Hope on
Invisible Nation
Director Jeff Zimbalist and producer Tamir Ardon on
Skywalkers: A Love Story
Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1
Brian Eno and filmmaker Gary Hustwit discuss their film "Eno"; and director Benjamin Ree talks about "The Remarkable Life of Ibelin" with Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers. Both interviews were recorded in front of a live audience at the inaugural London edition of Documentary Spotlight, co-presented by The Ankler.
Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1
"Ernest Cole: Lost and Found" explores the legacy of the photographer who covered apartheid in the 1960s from the perspective of a Black South African. Cole was driven into exile in the U.S. and Europe. He died in obscurity in 1990, but he left behind a secret archive of over 60,000 negatives shot in exile that were recently discovered. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews director Raoul Peck ("I Am Not Your Negro") about this new film. He also previews two more works coming next year on George Orwell and Haiti.
Listen to past interview with Raoul on episodes 170 (on "Silver Dollar Road") and 21 (on James Baldwin).
Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1
Jazz musicians, CIA operatives, and African revolutionaries are among the many figures who populate "Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat" that win a Sundance jury award for Cinematic Innovation. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews director Johan Grimonprez in front of a live audience at CPH:DOX in Copenhagen.
Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1
Our third episode recorded live in Los Angeles for Documentary Spotlight, co-presented by The Ankler, features:
-
"Frida" director Carla Gutierrez and composer Victor Hernandez Stumpfhauser (Amazon)
-
"I Am: Celine Dion" director Irene Taylor with rare disease specialist Dr. Paula Barreras (Amazon)
-
"Daughters" co-director Natalie Rae (Netflix)
Interviewed by Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers.
Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1
We look at two new documentaries from directors who also work in comedy. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews Steve Pink ("Hot Tub Time Machine") whose documentary debut "The Last Republican" profiles Illinois Congressman Adam Kinzinger who voted to impeach Donald Trump after the January 6th insurrection.
The second interview is with Josh Greenbaum ("Barb and Star Go to Vista del Mar") whose new film "Will & Harper" profiles Will Ferrell and Harper Steele as they take a cross country road trip after Harper has come out as a transgender woman.
"Will & Harper" is now streaming on Netflix. Both interviews were recorded in October at the Documentary Spotlight event in Los Angeles, co-presented with The Ankler.
Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1
Our latest Documentary Spotlight event took place in October, co-presented by The Ankler in Los Angeles. On this episode, we hear selections from the following conversations hosted by Thom Powers:
-
"Sugarcane" directors Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie explore how indigenous communities in Canada investigate the legacy of abuse in Catholic residential schools. The film won the Sundance Documentary Directing Prize.
-
"Porcelain War" co-director Brendan Bellomo describes profiling three Ukrainian artists against the backdrop of Russia's war on their country. The film won the Sundance Grand Jury Prize for Documentary.
-
"No Other Land" directors Basel Adra and Yuval Abraham discuss their collaboration between Palestinian and Israeli filmmakers to document the destruction of a village in the West Bank. The two co-directors spoke by Zoom from the village of Masafer Yatta. "No Other Land" won the Jury and Audience Awards in Berlinale's Panorama section.
This is the first of three episodes covering the Los Angeles Documentary Spotlight.
Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1
Shiori Ito shocked Japan in 2017 when she publicly accused a prominent journalist with close ties to the Prime Minister of raping her. Both the police and her family tried to dissuade her from pursuing the case. She felt like there was a "black box" of cover up. She broke the silence and stigma, first by writing a memoir and now directing the film "Black Box Diaries" about her experiences trying to speak her truth, despite enormous backlash and death threats. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was acquired by MTV Documentary Films for distribution. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviewed Shiori in March during the CPH:DOX festival in Copenhagen.
"Nocturnes" won a Sundance special jury prize for cinematic craft. In the film, set in the mountainous forest on the border of India and Bhutan, we follow the scientist Mansi who works at night projecting light onto a sheet where countless species of colorful moths gather. The film offers an escape into nature away from the industrialized world. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews the two directors Anupama Srinivasan and Anirban Dutta about their unique approach. They also describe the hazards of filming under constant rain with leeches falling from the trees. "Nocturnes" is currently being released in theaters across the U.S. by Grasshopper Films.
Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1
"Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story" profiles the actor who was paralyzed from a horse riding accident and found a new purpose in life. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews the documentary directors Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui. They discuss how they made their way to this project after previously collaborating on films about fashion designer Alexander McQueen in "McQueen" and the paralympics in "Rising Phoenix."
Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1
"Daughters," now streaming on Netflix, follows a Daddy Daughter Dance held in a prison. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews the film's director Angela Patton and Natalie Rae Robison, who collaborated on the feature documentary debut. They also discuss the contributions of cinematographer Michael "Cambio" Fernandez and executive producer Kerry Washington.
Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1
Episode 200 is dedicated to the legacy of Jess Search, the visionary producer and co-founder of Doc Society. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews Beadie Finzi of Doc Society and Judy Kibinge of Docubox in Kenya. They are two members of DISCO (Decentralised Independent Story and Culture Organizers), a network of documentary organizations around the world. They discuss the mission of DISCO and the Independence Project.
Learn more at:
Doc Society
Docubox
The DISCO Network
Independence Project
Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1
"No Other Land" is directed by a collective of two Palestinians and two Israelis. They capture lives of Palestinians in the West Bank village of Masafer Yatta that's been routinely targeted by Israeli settlers and the military with violence and home demolitions. Taking place from 2019 to 2023, the film shows an alliance form between two of the directors – Basel Adra, who lives in Masafer Yatta, and Yuval Abraham from Israel – in their efforts to expose an injustice.
"No Other Land" won the Berlin Film Festival's jury and audience prizes in the Panorama section. Now it's coming to festivals in North America at TIFF, Camden, NYFF and other stops. It will be released in theaters this fall.
Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers conducted this interview by Zoom reaching Basel Adra in Masafer Yatta and Yuval Abraham in Jerusalem. The film's other directors are Hamdan Ballal and Rachel Szor.
"Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa" profiles the woman who holds a world record for climbing Mount Everest. But her story is much bigger than that, overcoming innumerable hardships. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews director Lucy Walker about following Lhakpa on her quest to summit Everest for her tenth time and her hope to inspire other women, especially her daughters. Lucy describes how her earlier film "Blindsight" (2006) about a group of blind Tibetan youths trying to climb Everest gave her the confidence to tell Lhakpa's story.
"Mountain Queen" is now streaming on Netflix.
Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1
Two years ago, Sonya Childress and Sarah Driver founded Color Congress to support documentary organizations led by people of color in the United States. They serve over 100 organizations that have long been overlooked and underfunded. Color Congress has given out grants, convened a conference, and is preparing to launch a new distribution initiative. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews Sonya and Sahar about how Color Congress is filling a void and what they've learned about building allies in fractious times.
They also discuss a new existential threat from a right-wing movement that is targeting organizations that serve people of color. Sonya points to the recent legal case of the Fearless Fund as a cautionary tale.
Sonya was previously interviewed on PN episode 139.
Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1
"Skywalkers: A Love Story" (on Netflix) profiles the couple Ivan Beerkus and Angela Nikolau who attempt to climb the second tallest building in the world. It's both illegal and highly dangerous. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews filmmaker Jeff Zimbalist about how he and co-director Maria Bukhonina captured this adventure like a heist movie.
Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1
"Copa 71" tells the story of an international women's soccer competition held in 1971, two decades before FIFA sanctioned an official Women's World Cup. Taking place in Mexico City's massive Azteca stadium, it was the largest live audience for any women's sporting event ever. But it was erased from history. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews filmmakers Rachel Ramsay and James Erskine about how they found the participants who waited 50 years to tell their story.
Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1
"Copa 71" tells the story of an international women's soccer competition held in 1971, two decades before FIFA sanctioned an official Women's World Cup. Taking place in Mexico City's massive Azteca stadium, it was the largest live audience for any women's sporting event ever. But it was erased from history. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews filmmakers Rachel Ramsay and James Erskine about how they found the participants who waited 50 years to tell their story.
Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1
ESPN’s 30 for 30 broke the formula of sports documentaries by enlisting independent filmmakers. Now the series celebrates its 15th anniversary. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers recently moderated a live conversation at the DGA Theater in New York City to look at three new 30 for 30 titles. We hear from:
-
The Luckiest Guy in the World director Steve James and producer Marquis Daisy
-
Minister of Defense directors Ken Rodgers and Courtland Bragg
-
The Great Heisman Race of 1997 producer Carolyn Hepburn
-
ESPN Films executive producer Marsha Cooke
Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1
Pure Nonfiction partnered with The Ankler for a live event in Los Angeles that highlighted documentary projects eligible for this year’s Emmys. On this episode, host Thom Powers interviews the teams behind five different feature docs:
-
Sarah Gibson and Erin Lee Carr on Stormy
-
Lance Oppenheim and Kathleen Lingo on Spermworld
-
Justin Wilkes, Lisa Henson, and Brian Henson on Jim Henson Idea Man
-
Bao Nguyen on The Greatest Night in Pop
-
Alex Gibney on In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon
Whether or not you’ve seen these projects, the interviews bring insight into a wide variety of filmmaking styles. On our previous episode, we heard from the filmmakers behind five documentary series that are Emmy contenders.
Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1
Pure Nonfiction partnered with The Ankler for a live event in Los Angeles that highlighted documentary projects eligible for this year’s Emmys. On this episode, host Thom Powers interviews the teams behind five different episodic series:
-
Andrew Jarecki on The Jinx - Part Two
-
Prentice Penny on Black Twitter: A People’s History
-
Sam Lipman-Stern and Adam Bhala Lough on Telemarketers
-
Jasha Klebe on Our Planet II
-
Fisher Stevens on Beckham
Whether or not you’ve seen these projects, the interviews bring insight into a wide variety of filmmaking styles. On the next episode, we hear from the filmmakers behind five Emmy contenders in the categories for feature documentary.
Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1
"Flipside" is a personal essay film in which director Chris Wilcha grapples with middle age by trying to document the New Jersey record store where he worked as a teenager. In the process, he returns to multiple other documentary projects that never came to fruition - interweaving interviews with jazz photographer Herman Leonard, TV writer David Milch, radio host Ira Glass, writer Starlee Kine, director Judd Apatow, comedian Uncle Floyd, and others.
This subject hits close to home for Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers who was once was featured in the New York Times article Untold Stories, Abandoned Films about his own unfinished films.
Flipside is now playing in theaters from Oscilloscope Laboratories.
Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1
Indian documentary film has been gaining world renown with Peabody Awards, Oscar nominations and other recognition. A key trailblazer for this movement is Anand Patwardhan who has grappled with India's most hot button political issues in films such as "Reason" and "Father, Son and the Holy War." Now in his 70s, he's releasing his most personal film "The World is Family." He profiles his parents whose lives were intertwined with India's fight for independence.
Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviewed Anand at the Toronto International Film Festival where "The World is Family" made its debut. Anand's next festival stop is the New York Indian Film Festival on June 1. See this article in Indiewire where esteemed Indian directors including Shaunak Sen and Vinay Shukla pay tribute to Anand.
For more coverage of the documentary scene, subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1
"Songs of Earth" is both a love story and a cinematic exploration of nature. Filmmaker Margreth Olin profiles her parents while immersing us in Norway's landscape of glaciers, fjords and waterfalls. After winning acclaim at festivals from CPH:DOX to TIFF, the film is now playing in U.S. theaters from Strand Releasing. It begs to be experienced on a big screen. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews Margreth about her attention to the image capturing, sound design, and the profound experience of screening the film in her family’s village.
For more insights on documentary, subscribe to the Pure Nonfiction newsletter Doc Voices.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1
Rob Reiner started his directing career with the spoof documentary "This is Spinal Tap" and is now editing a sequel. He has a new documentary now playing on Max, "Albert Brooks: Defending My Life" that traces six years of friendship between the two filmmakers.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1
During the Second Intifada in the early 2000s, Yousef Srouji was a boy living with his family in the West Bank town of Beit Jala. His mother Suha used a camcorder to capture family life including when they were forced to take shelter from gunfire and explosions. Years later, Yousef discovered the footage and turned it into the film Three Promises that won the top jury prize at the Camden International Film Festival. Now the film is opening in New York at the DCTV Firehouse Cinema.
Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviewed Yousef from his home in Ramallah. They discuss his career as "an accidental filmmaker" and his motives to return to Palestine after his family moved away.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1
Paul Cronin has spent years creating a massive oral history about the Columbia University student uprising in 1968. The work titled "A Time to Stir" was first presented publicly in 2008 as a four rough cut at the Toronto International Film Festival. Village Voice critic Scott Foundas wrote that it was "the most vital movie" of that year's festival. Ultimately, Paul recorded over 700 interviews that he compiled into a 10-part project that has a length of 15 hours. You can watch it for free on his Vimeo page.
Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviewed Paul this month, a few days after Columbia University called in police again to quell student protests. Suddenly, Paul's research has a new currency as people seek comparisons between campus protests in 1968 and 2024.
For more about Paul's work, including his projects on Werner Herzog, Abbas Kiarostami, Haskell Wexler, Amos Vogel and Peter Whitehead, see his website thestickingplace.com
On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1
"The Contestant" takes us back to the early days of reality TV in Japan. An aspiring comedian named nicknamed Nasubi ("eggplant") auditions for the hit show Denpa Shonen, known for real people performing crazy stunts. The show’s producer Toshio Tsuchiya brings Nasubi to a room and tells him to get undressed. The room contains a rack of magazines and little else. Toshio informs Nasubi that he needs to fill out magazine sweepstakes coupons to win his food and clothing. He can’t leave the room until he’s reached one million yen of prizes. It sounds crazy, but Nasubi lived by the terms of this concept for over a year, not realizing that his life was being turned into a weekly TV program with millions of viewers.
Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews first time filmmaker Clair Titley about how she pulled off the film with the help of her producer Megumi Inman and the production company Misfits. "The Contestant" is now streaming on Hulu.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1
The non-profit Just Vision has a long history of covering Israel-Palestine in documentary films such as "Encounter Point," and "Budrus." Currently all their films are available for free at justvision.org. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers speaks with the group's creative director Julia Bacha and executive director Suhad Babaa about their latest film "Boycott" and how their work changed with the recent escalation of violence.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1
Growing up in Kolkata, Sreemoyee Singh fell in love with Iranian cinema and poetry. She pursued that passion by moving to Iran, learning Persian and capturing her journey in her debut documentary "And, Towards Happy Alleys." The title comes from a poem by Forough Farrokhzad who was a major inspiration for Sreemoyee. During her trip, she meets with filmmakers Jafar Panahi and Mohammad Shirvani, actress Aida Mohammadkhani ("The White Balloon"), and human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh.
The film has been on a festival run including Berlin, CPH:DOX and Sheffield. On April 18, Pure Nonfiction will host a screening with Sreemoyee at New York’s IFC Center, co-presented by Bitchitra Collective and Scroll.in. Click here for tickets.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1
Mila Turajlić has spent over 20 years exploring the legacy of Yugoslavia. Now she has two new films that draw upon the extraordinary archive of cameraman Stevan Labudovic who traveled the world in the 1950s and 60s capturing the anti-colonial fight for independence across Africa and Asia. The films are "Non-Aligned" and "Ciné-Guerillas" both subtitled "Scenes from the Labudovic Reels."
On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1
"The Mother of All Lies" won the Cannes Film Festival directing prize for Un Certain Regard and was Morocco's official submission for the Oscars. First time filmmaker Asmae El Moudir discusses how she overcame obstacles in the eight year experience of making the film.
Host Thom Powers interviewed Asmae in front of a live audience at the CPH:DOX festival. Watch the film's trailer.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1
"In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon" covers the highs and lows of the musician's career as he goes into the studio to create his most recent album "Seven Psalms" that was released in 2023 to critical acclaim.
Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviewed filmmaker Alex Gibney live at the CPH:DOX festival in Copenhagen. Alex describes how he approached sensitive topics including the break up of Simon & Garfunkel, the importance of free association in filmmaking, and hard won lessons learned in his career.
Hear our previous interviews with Alex Gibney on episodes 16, 86 and 101.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1
In his book "The Persuaders," Anand Giridharadas profiles activists and organizers who seek to change people's minds in a time of divisiveness. Host Thom Powers interviews Anand about how he found optimism in the work of persuaders such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Loretta Ross. They also discuss what replaces the concept of objectivity in journalism, the relationship of social media to constructive dialogue, and more.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1
Carla Gutierrez is a renowned documentary editor, known for films such as "RBG" and "Julia." Now she makes her directorial debut with "Frida" about the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews Carla about her bold choices to tell the story mainly through Frida's own words and bring movement to the paintings through animation. "Frida" is streaming on Amazon Prime, starting March 15, 2024.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1
Alissa Wilkinson stands out amongst film critics for writing extensively about documentaries. She was based at Vox.com for many years, but a few months ago she moved to The New York Times where she launched a column called Documentary Download. This was welcome news to Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers who years ago wrote the wishful post Wanted: Documentary Critics. Thom and Alissa discuss the state of film criticism and what's unique about reviewing nonfiction.
For more on Alissa, see Alissawilkinson.com.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1
Filmmaker S. Leo Chiang reflects on the relations between Taiwan and China in the Oscar nominated short "Island in Between" streaming from The New York Times Op-Docs. Leo travels to the Kinmen Islands that belong to Taiwan, but lie near the coast of China on the front lines of geopolitics.
Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews Leo about the film and his career working between the United States, Taiwan and China. Leo discusses his 2019 documentary Our Time Machine, the PBS series Asian Americans, the creation of the Asian American Documentary Network, A-Doc, and his collaborations with Jean Tsien who was interviewed on episode 130.
Fifteen films have been chosen for the Oscars documentary short list, the round that comes before nominations. Pure Nonfiction partnered with The Ankler to spotlight seven of the Oscar contenders at a live event in Los Angeles on January 4, 2024.
On this episode, host Thom Powers interviews Joe Brewster, Michèle Stephenson, Tommy Oliver (Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project), Davis Guggenheim, Michael Harte (Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie), Moses Bwayo and Barbie Kyagulani (Bobi Wine: The People's President).
Photo: Thom Powers with "Going to Mars" directors Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson.
Fifteen films have been chosen for the Oscars documentary short list, the round that comes before nominations. Pure Nonfiction partnered with The Ankler to spotlight seven of the Oscar contenders at a live event in Los Angeles on January 4, 2024.
On this episode, host Thom Powers interviews Luke Lorentzen (A Still Small Voice), Nisha Pahuja (To Kill a Tiger), Lauren Domino (American Symphony), and Maite Alberdi (The Eternal Memory).
Photo: The Ankler publisher Janice Min and podcast host Thom Powers.
In "The Disappearance of Shere Hite," Oscar-nominated director Nicole Newnham ("Crip Camp") profiles the sex researcher who soared to success in the 1970s, but then faded into obscurity. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers talks to Newnham about navigating Hite's complex personality, how the film team uncovered the author's private writings and brought them to life with the collaboration of Dakota Johnson.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1
Filmmaker Julie Cohen ("RBG") profiles three intersex activists in her new film "Every Body," now streaming on Peacock. One of those activists is Alicia Roth Weigel who recently published her memoir "Inverse Cowgirl". Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews them about dispelling misinformation and celebrating intersex lives.
In his new film "Silver Dollar Road," Oscar-nominated director Raoul Peck ("I Am Not Your Negro") focuses on the Reels family in North Carolina, who fought for decades to protect their waterfront property passed down from generation to generation. The film chronicles how the Reels withstood fraudulent land claims, violence, and having two family members sent to jail for eight years because they refused to vacate their home. Peck builds upon the work of reporter Lizzie Presser who wrote about the Reels in an article jointly published by ProPublica and The New Yorker; and videographer Mayeta Clark who covered the Reels alongside Presser.
Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers talks to Peck about how the filmmaker formed his own bond with the Reels family, how he personally relates to this story about land, and how he grew inspired early in his career to make documentary films from watching Barbara Kopple's "Harlan County USA". Hear our previous interviews with Peck on episodes 21 and 31.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1
Associated Press videographer Mstyslav Chernov won the Pulitzer Prize for his coverage of Russia's war against Ukraine. When the war escalated in February 2022, Mstyslav covered the front lines for his documentary "20 Days in Mariupol". The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and will begin streaming on PBS Frontline on November 21st. It's been selected for the DOC NYC Short List that's known as a predictor of Oscar contenders.
Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviewed Mstyslav in front of a live audience at the School of Visual Arts in the MFA program for Social Documentary. Mstyslav talks about his journey as a war journalist and his exploration of different storytelling forms that include his writing a novel called "The Dreamtime" published in the U.S. by Cherry Orchard Books.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1
"While We Watched" profiles the Indian TV journalist Ravish Kumar during a period when he's under extreme pressure including death threats for trying to do his job. The film is a cautionary tale over threats to journalism around the world. Director Vinay Shukla is among a new wave of Indian documentary filmmakers that have gained international recognition. Earlier this year on episode 154, the Oscar-nominated filmmaker Shaunak Sen ("All That Breathes") said he marks the rise of this new movement with Vinay's first film "An Insignificant Man" in 2016 (co-directed with Khushboo Ranka) about an insurgent politician. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews Vinay about his journey from "An Insignificant Man" to "While We Watched". The new film is currently available for streaming in the U.S. from PBS's POV series.
On Instagram: @whilewewatched @purenonfiction @thompowers1
"Casa Susanna," playing on PBS Passport, tells the secret history of a Catskills resort in the late 1950s and early 1960s that was a safe haven for transgender expression. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews director Sébastien Lifshitz on how he won the trust of the film’s participants to share their stories after six decades.
Maite Alberdi has become Chile’s most prominent documentary maker. Her films include "Tea Time," about a monthly salon of women; "The Grown-Ups", about adults with Downs Syndrome; and "The Mole Agent" that’s a comic detective story inside a nursing home.
Her new work is "The Eternal Memory." She follows the journalist Augusto Gongora and his wife Paulina Urrutia as they cope with Augusto’s experience with Alzheimer’s syndrome. The film won the World Documentary Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival where it was bought by MTV Documentary Films for distribution.
Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviewed Maite in March at the CPH:DOX festival. Hear their previous interview about "The Mole Agent" on episode 119.
On Instagram: @maitealberdi @thompowers1 @purenonfiction
No shade to Barbie, but our favorite summer film is "Kokomo City" that won audience prizes in Sundance and Berlin for its raw and raucous profile of four black transgender sex workers.
First time filmmaker D. Smith had a successful career as a Grammy-nominated music producer. But when she came out as transgender, she was effectively blacklisted from that industry. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviewed Smith in her hometown at the Miami Film Festival about the desperation and inspiration behind this film.
On Instagram: @truedsmith @thompowers1 @purenonfiction
Asif Kapadia has won renown for his biographical portraits in "Senna", "Diego Maradona" and the Oscar-winning "Amy". In this wide-ranging conversation, he speaks about the setbacks and breakthroughs in his career. The topics include his clash with Harvey Weinstein over his fiction feature "The Warrior" and being plunged into an Oscar campaign with "Amy".
Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviewed Asif in March at CPH: DOX in Copenhagen. Asif was there to present "Creature", a dance film that's a collaboration with the choreographer Akram Khan, starring Jeffrey Cirio. The Guardian described "Creature" as "something genuinely strange which can’t be pinned down to a single explanation."
Asif previously appeared on episode 108 where he went deeper into the making of his documentaries.
On Instagram: @asifkapadia1 @thompowers1 @purenonfiction
John Leguizamo has a versatile writing and acting career from Broadway to Hollywood. Now he hosts the series "Leguizamo Does America" that explores Latin American communities across the country. He makes stops in New York, Miami, Washington, Chicago, Puerto Rico and Los Angeles interviewing prominent locals on their history, cuisine and culture. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers talks to Leguizamo about what he learned along the way.
On Instagram: @johnleguizamo @thompowers1 @purenonfiction
Oscar-winning director Roger Ross Williams has a bounty of new releases this year. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviewed Williams at the CPH:DOX festival about three of those works: Love to Love You, Donna Summer on HBO, The 1619 Project on Hulu and his fiction feature debut Cassandro coming this fall from Amazon Studios. Williams also discusses his stint serving on the AMPAS Board of Governors when he led a campaign to increase enrollment of women and BIPOC members. For more on Williams' career, hear his interview from 2016 on episode 13.
Instagram: @onestoryup @rogerrosswilliams @thompowers1 @purenonfiction
Elvis Mitchell explores the flourishing of American Black cinema from 1968 to 1978 in the documentary "Is That Black Enough for You?!?" (Netflix). Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers sat down with Elvis in their hometown of Detroit during the Freep Film Festival.
The conversation delves into Elvis’s Detroit roots - with local references ranging from the Fox Theater to the Electrifying Mojo. He shares insights from his new film and explains why he left his job as a New York Times film critic.
As mentioned in the podcast, here’s a link to his 2002 Pinocchio review.
On Instagram: @theelvismitchell @thompowers1 @purenonfiction
Showtime's acclaimed series "Couples Therapy" is now in its third season. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers sat down with its star Dr. Orna Guralnik along with co-creators Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg and one of its directors Pax Wasserman. The interview was recorded before a live audience at New York's IFC Center.
This week, Pure Nonfiction debuted the email newsletter Producer's Notebook that covers latest developments in documentary producing. You can subscribe for free at PureNonfiction.net.
Instagram: @thompowers1 @purenonfiction
Lisa Cortés has a multi-faceted career working for Def Jam and executive producing the award-winning fiction film "Precious". Now she's directed the documentary "Little Richard: I Am Everything" that helps to rewrite the history of rock and roll.
Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews Lisa about her background in the Black church, the music business and her move into making documentaries.
On Instagram: @misscortes @thompowers1 @purenonfiction
Harry Belafonte died this week at age 96. Years ago he resolved to leave behind an account of his life in the memoir "My Song" and the documentary "Sing Your Song". Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviewed Belafonte and his daughter Gina in 2013 as part of the Montclair Film Festival. The conversation was recorded in front of a live audience at NJPAC in Newark, New Jersey.
"Sing Your Song", directed by Susanne Rostock, is available on video on demand.
E. Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin have explored the mentality of risk takers over several films. They won an Oscar for Free Solo. Their latest documentary "Wild Life" tells the love story of Doug and Kris Tompkins who earned a fortune leading the clothing brands North Face and Patagonia, then left their corporate lives to devote themselves to conservation.
Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviewed Chai and Jimmy in Copenhagen at the CPH:DOX festival where "Wild Life" had its international premiere. The film, produced by National Geographic, is being released in theaters in April and comes to Disney+ on May 26. In this conversation, the filmmaking couple also discuss their first collaboration "Meru" about a harrowing expedition that Jimmy undertook with Conrad Anker and Renan Ozturk.
On Instagram: @chaivasarhelyi @jimmychin @thompowers1 @purenonfiction
Chase Joynt has explored transgender topics in several films including "No Ordinary Man" about jazz musician Billy Tipton and his latest "Framing Agnes", now available on VOD. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews Chase to discuss how trans experience has traditionally been filtered by outsiders across the spectrums of medicine, academia and media. Chase also reflects on what it means to be releasing this film against a backdrop of backlash, violence and anti-trans legislation.
"Framing Agnes" premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival where it won the Audience Award in the Next section. "Framing Agnes" draws upon a rare archive of interviews with trans and gender non-conforming people conducted in the 1950s. The interviews were undertaken by sociologist Harold Garfinkel who is portrayed by Chase in the film's reenactments. The director enlists other trans actors to perform the transcripts of subjects who were interviewed by Garfinkel. The cast includes Zackary Drucker as Agnes, Jen Richards as Barbara and Angelica Ross as Georgia.
Chase gives credit to other collaborators on the project including sociologist Kristen Schilt and historian Jules Gill-Peterson.
On Instagram: @chasejoynt @thompowers1 @purenonfiction
Russian dissident Alexei Navalny is profiled in the Oscar-nominated film “Navalny” at a critical stage when he’s trying to uncover the Russian agents who tried to kill him. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews director Daniel Roher who completed the film in his late 20s. Today, its success may seem preordained, but Daniel explains it was anything but that.
"All That Breathes" won top prizes at Sundance and Cannes for its portrayal of two brothers in New Delhi who dedicated themselves to rescuing birds from the hazards of the polluted city. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers talks to director Shaunak Sen about how he scrapped his first year of filming to start over. Shaunak discusses the contributions of cinematographer Benjamin Bernhard ("Aquarela") and editor Charlotte Munch Bengtsen ("The Truffle Hunters") in the creation of one of the year's most visually striking films.
"All That Breathes" is now playing on HBO Max.
On Instagram: @purenonfiction @shaunak_sen
Joyce Chopra broke the glass ceiling for women in film by directing classic works such as the ground-breaking personal documentary "Joyce at 34" and the fiction film "Smooth Talk" that won the Sundance Grand Jury Prize in 1986. Those films and others are now streaming in a collection of her work on the Criterion Channel. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews Joyce about her new memoir “Lady Director” where she reflects candidly on the highs and lows of her career, including her documentary education at Drew Associates and her clashes with producers Sydney Pollack and Harvey Weinstein that almost caused her to give up filmmaking.
Follow @purenonfiction on Instagram; and sign up for our free newsletter.
During China's feudal era, women kept in seclusion developed a secret language called nüshu. Hidden Letters profiles two millennial women in China who are among the very few people keeping the language alive. The film was named to the Oscars' Short List of 15 documentary features that will be narrowed to five nominees later this month.
Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews director Violet Du Feng about changes for women in China, the effects of capitalism in the country and her goals to reach both Chinese and western audiences.
The conversation includes references to Lisa See's novel "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan"; and the film's producers Mette Cheng Munthe Kaas and Jean Tsien (who was previously interviewed on episode 130).
On Instagram: @hiddenlettersfilm @purenonfiction
Rebeca Huntt tells her own coming of age story in her debut documentary "Beba," now streaming on Hulu. She uses the medium of film to explore the personal, political and poetic. The New Yorker critic Richard Brody describes the film as "an intimate story with a grand scope." It's been nominated for the Cinema Eye Honors in three categories including Best Director and was named by Indiewire as one of the Top 25 Films of 2022.
On Instagram: @bebafilm @rebecahuntt @purenonfiction @thompowers1
La Madrina: The [Savage] Life of Lorine Padilla profiles the South Bronx “godmother” who transitioned from life in the Savage Skulls street gang to become a beloved community activist. Filmmaker Raquel Cepeda tells a nuanced portrait of Lorine, drawing upon previously unseen footage captured in the 1970s and ‘80s for documentaries such as "80 Blocks from Tiffany’s" and "Flyin’ Cut Sleeves” that focused on Bronx gangs. Raquel wrote about her own New York upbringing in her memoir Bird of Paradise: How I Became Latina. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews Lorine and Raquel along with the film’s executive producer Henry Calfant, a pioneering chronicler of the Bronx hip hop scene who produced “Style Wars” and directed “Flyin’ Cut Sleeves."
After a two year hiatus, Pure Nonfiction has resumed its live screening series at New York’s IFC Center. The spring season takes place on Tuesday nights through the end of May. This conversation was recorded before a live audience for the season’s opening night on April 5, 2022. If you’re in New York City, join us in person!
W. Kamau Bell has a wide-ranging career in stand-up comedy, TV hosting, podcasting, and more. Now he directs the four-part Showtime series "We Need to Talk About Cosby". It explores the once beloved entertainer who's been accused by over 60 women of rape, sexual assault, and harrassment. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers talks to Kamau about how he navigated the intense emotions around Cosby's legacy.
Hear Kamau discussing different aspects of the series on Larry Willmore: Black on the Air and Fresh Air. For more on his work, visit wkamaubell.com.
Abigail Disney made headlines three years ago when she launched a critique on the labor practices of Walt Disney Company that was co-founded by her grandfather Roy O. Disney. Now she pushes that argument further in the documentary The American Dream and Other Fairy Tales that she directed with Kathleen Hughes. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviewed Disney and Hughes as the film was making its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. The film won strong reviews in Variety and The Hollywood Reporter and is still seeking distribution.
This conversation references Disney’s previous credits as a producer on Pray the Devil Back to Hell; and as a director with Hughes on The Armor of Light. It also touches upon the experiences of Abigail’s father Roy E. Disney covered in the book DisneyWar. Hear more of Abigail’s critique against the Walt Disney Company in her interview on KCRW’s The Business; and her own podcast All Ears with Abigail Disney.
Stanley Nelson's latest film "Attica" was picked for the Oscar Documentary Short List. It's playing on Showtime and available free for a limited time on YouTube. In February, the Criterion Channel will present a retrospective titled "Black History Rising: Documentaries by Stanley Nelson." The collection covers five films: "The Black Press: Soldiers Without Swords" about African-American-owned newspapers; "Freedom Summer" on the 1964 Mississippi voter registration drive; and a deeply personal film about his family, "A Place of Our Own." Stanley looks back on his career in a wide-ranging interview with Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers.
The burning of the Amazon rainforest is a global tragedy. Filmmaker Alex Pritz collaborates with members of the Uru-eu-wau-wau indigenous community to document what's happening on the ground in The Territory. Premiering at Sundance, the film has been hailed as "riveting" (Variety), "gorgeously and sometimes ingeniously conceived" (Indiewire). Alex describes the making of the film with host Thom Powers.
We Met in Virtual Reality, premiering in the Sundance World Documentary Competition, profiles several users on the platform VRChat during the pandemic. Director Joe Hunting uses a camera built for VR so he can film people's avatars in their imagined worlds. The film is more about relationships than technology. Joe's previous short films set in VR can be viewed on his website joeahunting.com. Guest host Samah Ali (who studied VR for her master's degree) interviews Joe about what he learned making his first feature.
Pure Nonfiction's coverage during the Sundance Film Festival is sponsored by National Geographic Documentary Films.
Filmmaker Ramin Bahrani is best known for his fiction films such as "99 Homes" and "The White Tiger" that was Oscar-nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay. Now he directs his first feature documentary "2nd Chance," a complex profile of Richard Davis who invented a lightweight bullet proof vest. Davis called his company 2nd Chance and his products helped save hundreds of lives. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews Bahrani about the moral complexities of Davis' legacy that are explored in the film.
Pure Nonfiction’s coverage during the Sundance Film Festival is sponsored by National Geographic Documentary Films.
“Mija,” premiering in the Sundance NEXT section, profiles Doris Muñoz, a young talent manager in the music business as she works with Latinx superstar Cuco and the newcomer Jacks Haupt. Filmmaker Isabel Castro immerses us in Doris’ world, drawing upon eclectic influences. Isabel's early idea of the film was “Almost Famous, but make it Chicano.” Then she had to adapt as the story takes unpredictable twists and turns. Our Pure Nonfiction interview is led by guest host Samah Ali, founder of Sisterhood Media and a festival programmer at DOC NYC and Hot Docs.
Pure Nonfiction’s coverage during the Sundance Film Festival is sponsored by National Geographic Documentary Films.
"Fire of Love" tells the story of volcanologists Katia and Maurice Krafft who spent over two decades filming and studying volcanoes before they died getting too close to one. The documentary makes its world premiere on the opening night of the Sundance Film Festival: January 20, 2022. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews filmmaker Sara Dosa on how she crafted the story of the Kraffts into an essayistic documentary with themes of love and risk, narrated by Miranda July.
Pure Nonfiction’s coverage during the Sundance Film Festival is sponsored by National Geographic Documentary Films.
The PBS Frontline documentary “American Insurrection” investigates the violent mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews the director Rick Rowley who collaborated on the project with correspondent A.C. Thompson of ProPublica and the Berkley Center for Investigative Journalism. Rowley discusses what he’s learned from studying vigilante groups such as the Proud Boys and the Boogaloo Boys and reflects on the historic link between America’s foreign wars and the rise of homegrown militias.
On Twitter: @frontlinepbs @ProPublica @ucbsoj @thompowers @PureNonfiction
In the three-part series Nuclear Family, filmmaker Ry Russo-Young explores her own family history. She was born in 1981 and grew up with two lesbian moms Russo and Robin and an older sister in Manhattan at at time when gay parenting was still rare. Her sperm donor Tom Steel was a gay lawyer in San Francisco who wound up suing Ry’s moms for paternity rights. From a young age, Ry was active in trying to tell her family’s story and defend her mothers against discrimination in the courts and in the media. Ry appeared in Meema Spadola’s PBS documentary Our House (2000) about kids of gay and lesbian parents; and was profiled in the New York Times magazine in 2004. But there were always murky areas to the lawsuit that Ry couldn’t fully confront until now.
Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers helped to produce "Our House” and finally gets a chance to re-open questions with Ry that remained perplexing for over 20 years.
Sonya Childress and Jesse Wente are among the most eloquent voices calling for change in the North American documentary industry. In June 2020, Childress published A Reckoning: The Documentary Film Industry Must Chart a New Path Forward that brought a critique over questions of authorship, accountability and ownership. She draws upon her experience working with Active Voice, Firelight Media and the Perspective Fund.
Wente is an Anishinaabe writer and executive director of the Indigenous Screen Office (ISO). That organization published the On-Screen Protocols and Pathways guide to working with First Nations, Métis and Inuit Communities. He’s the author of the new book Unreconciled: Family, Truth and Indigenous Resistance.
Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviewed Childress and Wente in September 2020 by teleconference for a panel titled Creating a Better Documentary Industry at the TIFF Industry Conference. This podcast excerpts the heart of the conversation as they confront questions of capitalism, journalistic objectivity and how to create meaningful change.
This year's TIFF Industry Conference will take place Sept 9-14 including discussions on Documentary History, Telling Family Stories and more. You can register for a Digital Talks pass to watch anywhere in the world.
In the Same Breath is a strikingly original analysis of the early days of the pandemic as it unfolded in China and the United States. Filmmaker Nanfu Wang draws upon multiple sources of footage to study how governments shaped the messaging about coronavirus and how they missed opportunities to limit the virus. Her collaborators include her husband Michael Shade as an editor and Jialing Zhang as one of the producers. Nanfu and Jialing previously appeared on episode #115 to discuss their film One Child Nation about China’s extreme efforts to control population growth. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews Nanfu about the logistical and emotional challenges of navigating China’s censorship. She discusses the lessons she learned making her first film Hooligan Sparrow, about a Chinese dissident, that was her first experience with government pressure.
“Enemies of the State” looks at the strange case of Matt DeHart, a member of the hacktivist group Anonymous who was prosecuted for child pornography. He claimed the charges were a cover up to seize his computers containing government secrets. Director Sonia Kennebeck and producer Ines Hoffman Kanna spent years trying to untangle the knotty mysteries of his case. Their previous film National Bird (2016) won the Ridenhour Documentary Film Prize for its profile of three people who worked on the U.S. military’s drone program and became whistle blowers. One of the film’s subjects Daniel Hale was recently convicted under the Espionage Act. Sonia discusses his case recently covered in The Washington Post. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews Sonia about both films.
Enemies of the State is now available on VOD from IFC Films.
Warning: this episode reveals details from “Enemies of the State” that might be considered spoilers if you haven't seen the film.
On Twitter: @soniakennebeck @c_odebreaker @thompowers @PureNonfiction
Fran Lebowitz is one of New York’s great conversationalists. Martin Scorsese's new Netflix series “Pretend It’s a City” lets her talk at length about her five decades of living in New York City. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews Lebowitz about working with Scorsese and her long friendship with Toni Morrison to whom the series is dedicated. Lebowitz also shares her opinions on the New York mayoral election and discusses her mother Ruth.
This interview was recorded on May 7, 2020 for DOC NYC Spring Showcase.
Documentary editor Lewis Erskine died last week at age 64. He was cherished by colleagues as a storyteller and a teacher. His Twitter handle was @editorsavant and his credits include Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool, Freedom Riders and Jackie Robinson. In the days after his death, Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers spoke to three of Lewis' colleagues. Filmmaker Stanley Nelson describes first meeting Lewis when they worked for WNET public television and how they collaborated for over two decades starting with The Black Press: Soldiers Without Swords. Sabrina Schmidt Gordon, who was Lewis’ assistant editor on The Black Press, celebrates his legacy as a mentor. Shola Lynch describes how she met Lewis working together on Ken Burns’ Jazz series, then later turned to him for help on her films Chisholm 72: Unbought and Unbossed and Free Angela and All Political Prisoners.
Further links referenced in the conversation:
Black Documentary Collective
The Creative Power of BIPOC Editors panel
BIPOC Editors Database
Master Class with Lewis Erskine and City College (2019)
Lewis Erskine at Sundance 2017 “Examine Your Privilege"
“Movements are messy,” says Astra Taylor. She knows this not only from studying activist history, but also from personal experience as a co-founder of the Debt Collective. Their work succeeded in canceling over $2 billion of student debt. Astra’s new short documentary You Are Not a Loan (free on The Intercept) brings together students and professors to discuss changing the cost of education. She’s also published a new book of essays Remake the World. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers talks to Astra about both new works. She reflects on the legacy of Occupy Wall Street and on her friend David Graeber, author of Debt: The First 5000 Years and Bullshit Jobs: A Theory, who died last year.
Links to further references in this discussion:
Episode 93: Astra Taylor on “What is Democracy?”
Democracy May Not Exist, But We’ll Miss It When It’s Gone
Berkeley in the Sixties
Encounter at Kwacha House
The Murder of Fred Hampton
“When We Were Kings” director Leon King died on March 8 at age 84. He took over twenty years to make his Oscar-winning documentary about the boxers Muhammad Ali vs George Foreman, filmed in Zaire in 1974 and completed in 1996.
Further links:
Watch “When We Were Kings"
Watch “Soul Power”
Watch “Smash His Camera"
New York Times obituary on Leon Gast
Leon Gast on the making of his first film “Our Latin Thing”
Pure Nonfiction episode 15: Muhammad Ali on Film
The New Yorker on William Greaves’ "The Fight"
This episode's closing narration refers to the reckoning over documenting BIPOC stories. For more, read Sonya Childress & Natalie Bullock Brown in Documentary and Stanley Nelson in the Los Angeles Times.
Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers explores the story of Leon's perseverance in interviews with his wife Geri Spolan-Gast, producer David Sonenberg, editor Jeffrey Kusama-Hinte and filmmaker Barbara Kopple.
The new Hollywood film “Judas and the Black Messiah” is based on the lives of Black Panther leader Fred Hampton and the person who betrayed him, FBI informant William O’Neal. The film’s director Shaka King has credited documentaries for playing a key role in his research. One of his main influences was “Eyes on the Prize II” (1990) that scored the journalistic feat of interviewing O’Neal after he had gone into a federal witness protection program. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews four members of the “Eyes” team - directors Louis Massiah and Terry Kay Rockefeller along with researchers Noland Walker and co-director Bennett Singer. They describe how they got O’Neal to talk, why questions still linger about his reported suicide, and the legacy of the Black Panthers.
Further resources:
-
Learn more about our guests: Louis Massiah (executive director, Scribe Video Center), Terry Kay Rockefeller, Bennett Singer (co-director, Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin and Cured), Noland Walker (co-programmer, ITVS’s Independent Lens)
-
Watch all 14 episodes of Eyes on the Prize on Kanopy This podcast conversation touches upon episode 9 “Power!” about the Black Panthers and especially focuses on episode 12 “A Nation of Law?” both co-directed by Louis Massiah and Terry Kay Rockefeller. Read the book Voices of Freedom, an oral history based on interviews from "Eyes on the Prize,” edited in part by Bennett Singer.
-
Watch the raw footage of William O’Neal’s interview on Vimeo or read the transcript from the "Eyes on the Prize" archives at Washington University. Browse the full collection.
-
Watch The Murder of Fred Hampton (1971), directed by Howard Alk and Michael Gray, on Vimeo from the Chicago Film Archives.
-
Read the TruthOut article by Fred Hampton’s attorney Flint Taylor on recent revelations about J. Edgar Hoover’s connection to William O’Neal.
-
Read articles from 1990 about the death of William O’Neal in the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Reader.
-
Listen to the Pure Nonfiction interview with Jon Else discussing his book True South about the making of "Eyes on the Prize.”
-
For more on COINTELPRO, watch Sam Pollard’s MLK/FBI about surveillance of Martin Luther King Jr; Johanna Hamilton’s 1971 about the break-in to a FBI office that revealed the counter intelligence program.
-
Watch Stanley Nelson’s Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution.
-
In the podcast, Noland Walker mentions the COINTELPRO plan to disrupt the 1972 National Black Political Convention in Gary, Indiana. Watch William Greaves’ recently restored film Nationtime covering that event.
-
For further viewing related to this era, watch Shola Lynch's Free Angela and All Political Prisoners and Sam Green and Bill Siegel’s Weather Underground.
-
For more recent documentaries on FBI surveillance and informants, see Lyric Cabral and David Felix Sutcliffe’s (T)ERROR, Assia Boundaoui’s The Feeling of Being Watched, Katie Galloway and Kelly Duane de la Vega’s Better This World and Jamie Meltzer’s Informant.
True crime documentaries are booming. But what do they tell us about criminal justice and what do they leave out? Alex Vitale, the author of the book “The End of Policing,” talks to Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers about the state of the genre. Alex gives favorable takes on the Netflix series “Time: The Kalief Browder Story” and Errol Morris’ classic “The Thin Blue Line.” But he raises questions about other trends. For more on this topic, listen to the podcast “Running from COPS.”
Jean Tsien has worked as a documentary editor for over 30 years with directors such as Orlando Bagwell, Barbara Kopple, and Roger Ross Williams. She’s been a mentor to emerging filmmakers, not only in the U.S. but also in China and Taiwan where she lived until moving to New York at age 11. Now Jean has moved into producing. Her latest project is "76 Days," set in Wuhan, China during the city’s lockdown for Covid-19. DOC NYC recently honored her with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Jean has stories to tell, but normally prefers to stay behind the scenes. Talking on a podcast? That’s way outside her comfort zone. She explains why to Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers.
“Don’t film if you can live without filming.” Those are the words of Victor Kossakovsky from his 10 Rules of documentary making. Those rules are the starting point for a wide-ranging conversation with Victor along with Kirsten Johnson and Garrett Bradley, moderated by Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers. All three directors were part of DOC NYC’s 2020 Short List for feature documentaries. Kirsten was previously on episode 24 discussing her previous film Cameraperson; her latest film is Dick Johnson is Dead on Netflix. Garrett was previously on episode 125 discussing her new film Time on Amazon Prime. Victor’s new film is Gunda, distributed in the U.S. by Neon. In this conversation he also refers to his earlier films Losev and The Belovs.
Filmmaker Bao Nguyen profiles Bruce Lee, searching for the man behind the icon, in the ESPN documentary “Be Water.” Bao’s other films include his history of Saturday Night Live “Live from New York” and a short film about his Vietnamese-American family “Where Are You Really From?” In this interview with Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers, Bao describes his intent to place Lee’s story in the context of being Asian-American. Bao invokes the poet Ocean Vuong in reflecting on the expectations placed on Asian-American storytellers.
Journalist Robert Fisk died in October at age 74. He spent decades reporting in the Middle East as a newspaper columnist and the author of books including “Pity the Nation” and “The Great War for Civilization.” Filmmaker Yung Chang profiles Fisk in the film “This is Not a Movie.”Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviewed Fisk and Chang at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival where the documentary has its world premiere.On Twitter: @yungfilms @thompowers @PureNonfiction
“Through the Night” profiles a 24-hour child care run by Deloris “Nunu” Hogan and her husband Patrick from their home in New Rochelle, NY. The film won a Special Jury Prize at the DOC NYC festival and was a NY Times Critic’s Pick. It had an Oscar-qualifying run in virtual cinemas and will air on POV in the spring. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers talks to the director Loira Limbal about her hopes and fears in making the film. She’s known in the documentary community for her behind the scenes role at Firelight Media’s Documentary Lab where she’s been a mentor to other filmmakers of color. She talks about the gap after her 2009 directing debut “Estilo Hip Hop” (co-directed by Vee Bravo) and what it took to embark on “Through the Night” while also holding a full-time job and being a single mother.On Twitter: @DJLaylo @ThrutheNightDoc @thompowers @PureNonfiction
Garrett references the 2010 article in The New York Times What Is It About 20-Somethings? For further reading, see interviews with her in The New York Times, Filmmaker Magazine, and Film Comment. On Twitter: @thompowers @PureNonfiction
Links to references that arise in the conversation:Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now book by Jaron LanierThe Mechanics and Psychology Behind the Social Dilemma Medium article by Jeff Seibert Moment led by Tim KendallOne Project led by Justin RosensteinThe Center for Humane Technology led by Tristan HarrisI Have Blood on My Hands Buzzfeed article on Facebook whistleblower Sophie ZhangCoded Bias documentary directed by Shalini KantayyaWeapons of Math Destruction book by Cathy O’NeilAlgorithms of Oppression book by Safiya Umoja Noble
This year, Powers' picks include:
The Fight
Boys State
The Dissident
Whirlybird
Time
Giving Voice
The Truffle Hunters
The Mole Agent
On Twitter: @thompowers @PureNonfiction
Hear their previous interview on episode 42 discussing “Cocaine Cowboys.”
On Twitter: @billycorben @alfredspellman @thompowers @PureNonfiction
See Tricia Todd's documentary "Agile, Mobile, Hostile: A Year with Andre Williams"
On Twitter: @alexgibneyfilm @HBODocs @thompowers @PureNonfiction
On Twitter: @PHfilms @sethmeyers @mulaney @AlexBuono @ReneeGoldsberry @ABrightMonster @RealRichardKind @thompowers @purenonfiction
This is the fourth and final installment of conversations from the DOC NYC Short List. Previous episodes were:
90: Getting Political
91: Portrait Documentaries
95: Getting Personal
On Twitter: @ttwardle @sanditan @ramellross @thompowers @purenonfiction
On Twitter: @UnitedSkatesDoc @HBODocs @thompowers @purenonfiction
If you’re in New York, visit us at Pure Nonfiction at IFC Center.
Thanks to SVA MFA Social Documentary Program for their recording support.
On Twitter: @ABombach @thereelrudyv @BingLiu89 @alexhonnold @thompowers @purenonfiction
Films discussed (in chronological order):
Knock Down the House
The Brink
Where’s My Roy Cohn?
American Factory
Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool
Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am
Ask Dr. Ruth
Mike Wallace Is Here
Untouchable
The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley
Sea of Shadows
Tigerland
Maiden
Apollo 11 and Vanity Fair on Apollo 11
The Biggest Little Farm
Untitled Amazing Jonathan Documentary
Cold Case Hammarskjöld
This is Personal
Hail Satan?
Thanks to the hard-working publicists who met our podcast deadline, especially the folks at Acme, Brigade, Cinetic, Dish Communications, DKC, Falco Ink, HBO Documentary Films, Magnolia, Neon, Participant Media, Susan Norget Promotions, Sunshine Sachs and apologies to anyone we’ve forgotten.
On Twitter: @thompowers @PureNonfiction
This interview was recorded at SVA’s MFA Social Documentary department.
On Twitter: @astradisastra @thompowers @PureNonfiction
On Twitter: @TheRevAl @RevDrBarber @nelsongeorge @TirrellWhittley @thompowers @PureNonfiction
Related Pure Nonfiction episodes:
11: Morgan Neville 46: Rashida Jones77: Wim Wenders90: DOC NYC Short List filmmakers on “Getting Political” On Twitter: @ThePopeMovie @QuincyDJones @MrRogersMovie @TremoloDocs @HBODocs @thompowers @PureNonfiction
On Twitter: @MMFlint @FilmmakerJulie @anniesundberg @mainmaing @thompowers @purenonfiction
Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.
On Twitter: @DOCNYCfest @Raphaellochka @1basil1 @thompowers @PureNonfiction This episode was recorded at the School of Visual Arts MFA Social Documentary Department. Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.
On Twitter: @ShirkersFilm @thompowers @PureNonfictionPure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.
On Twitter: @maximpoz @thompowers @PureNonfictionPure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.
On Twitter: @mtyrnauer @scottythemovie @ScottyBowers @thompowers @PureNonfiction This interview took place at the School of Visual Arts in the MFA Social Documentary Program. Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.Note: This episode contains explicit content.
On Twitter: @jasonkilo @thompowers @PureNonfiction Related: Errol Morris interviewed on episode 51 and episode 62. Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.
On Twitter: @Whitneythefilm @thompowers @PureNonfictionThis interview was recorded at SVA’s MFA Social Documentary program.Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.
On Twitter: @ttwardle @thompowers @PureNonfiction Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.
On Twitter: @EatingAnimalsUS @thompowers @PureNonfiction This interview was recorded at SVA MFA Social Documentary Program. Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.
The conversation touches upon the #MeToo movement and references two articles by Janis Hirsch:
Comedy Writer Reveals Lurid Details of Sexual Harassment on Set - And Why it Cost Her a Job (October 2017)
I Worked for Garry Shandling, and Judd Apatow’s Doc Shows a Man I Never Knew (March 2018)
On Twitter: @JuddApatow @HBODocs @thompowers @PureNonfiction
Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.
On Twitter: @lizgarbus @thompowers @PureNonfiction
Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.
On Twitter: @ThePopeMovie @thompowers @PureNonfiction
Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.
On Twitter: @betsywest @filmmakerjulie @RBGmovie @thompowers @PureNonfiction.
This interview was recorded during the Miami Film Festival at the offices of Rakontur. Thanks to sound recordist Khaleel Bailey.
Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.
This interview was recorded during the Montclair Film Festival.
On Twitter: @dawnporterm @purenonfiction @thompowers
Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.
On Twitter: @joeberlinger @thompowers @PureNonfiction
This interview was recorded at the School of Visual Arts MFA Social Documentary Program. Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.
On Instagram: @bloodlightandbami @thompowers1 @purenonfiction
This interview was recorded at SVA’s MFA Social Documentary program. Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.
The film’s executive producers have appeared on past episodes of Pure Nonfiction. Hear Alex Gibney on episode 16 (touching upon “Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room”) and episode 60 (focusing on Rolling Stone) ; and Frank Marshall on episode 44.
On Twitter: @boerumhillfilm @TheChinaHustle @thompowers @PureNonfiction
Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.
On Twitter: @RunawayFilmsSF @vegasbabyfilm @thompowers @PureNonfiction
This interview was recorded at SVA MFA Social Documentary Program.
Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.
Wild Wild Country executive producer Josh Braun was interviewed on Pure Nonfiction #33.
On Twitter: @WildCountryDoc @MarkDuplass @raphaellochka @PureNonfiction
Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.
Parental guidance: This episode contains adult language and subject matter.
Read Thom’s tribute to Chris Hondros from 2011.
On Twitter: @greg_campbell @hondrosfilm @thompowers @PureNonfiction
This interview was conducted at SVA MFA SocDoc program. Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.
On Twitter: @caneparitilidie @jessicadimmock @thompowers @PureNonfiction
Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.
On Twitter: @joshrushing @thompowers @PureNonfiction
Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.
On Twitter: @GloriaAllred @thompowers @PureNonfictionPure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.
You can watch an extended version of this interview at TIFF Originals on YouTube.
Read more about the St. Clair Bourne retrospective at New York’s Metrograph cinema (Feb 16-19)
Hear Jon Else discuss Henry Hampton’s work on “Eyes on the Prize” on episode 40.
Ava DuVernay talked about the influence of Pollard’s film “Slavery by Another Name” on episode 26.
“Sammy Davis Jr: I Gotta Be Me” had its world premiere at TIFF. It’s currently playing film festivals and will come to PBS American Masters in the fall.
On Twitter: @PBSAmerMasters @thompowers @PureNonfiction
Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.
On Twitter: @yford @StrongIslandDoc @bryanfogel @IcarusNetflix @chasingcoral @thompowers @PureNonfictionPure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.
Films discussed in this episode (in order of mention):
Three Identical Strangers
The Imposter
American Animals
The Sentence
On Her Shoulders
Minding the Gap
Our New President
Clinica de Migrantes
Shirkers
Believer
RBG
Won’t You Be My Neighbor
306 Hollywood
A Thousand Thoughts
Cameraperson
I Am Not Your Negro
Faces Places
On Twitter: @sundancefest @thompowers @purenonfiction
Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.
On Twitter: @errolmorris @brettmorgen @catsinistanbul @thompowers @purenonfiction @docnycfest
Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.
For more, listen to:
PN 51 with Errol Morris and Elsa Dorfman on “The B-Side”
PN 58 with Brett Morgen on his career
Try our other podcast:
Documentary of the Week, produced by WNYC.
If you’re in New York City, join us for Stranger Than Fiction’s winter season (Feb-March) on Tuesday nights at the IFC Center.
On Twitter: @jenbrea @unrestfilm @thompowers @PureNonfiction
Unrest website: www.unrest.film
Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.
On Twitter: @alexgibneyfilms @JigsawProds @thompowers @PureNonfictionPure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.
On Twitter: @yford @thompowers @PureNonfiction
This interview was recorded at SVA MFA Social Documentary program in New York City. Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.
On Twitter: @BrettMorgen @thompowers @PureNonfiction Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.
FILMS DISCUSSED IN THE INTRO HIGHLIGHTING SPECIAL GUESTS AT DOC NYC
Streetlight Harmonies (with Doo Wop singers from The Crystals, The Drifters, The Chantels)
Soufra (with Susan Sarandon)
Fail State (with Dan Rather)
Maddman: The Steve Madden Story (with Steve Madden)
Antonio Lopez 1970: Sex Fashion & Disco (with Pat Cleveland)
Metropolis Competition (on New York stories)
Itzhak (with Itzhak Perlman)
Hello Hello Hello : Lee Ranaldo : Electric Trim (with Sonic Youth’s Lee Ranaldo)
Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars (with Eric Clapton)
Short List section
Risk (with Laura Poitras)
Faces Places (with Agnès Varda)
The B-Side: Elsa Dorfman’s Portrait Photography (with Errol Morris)
Wormwood (with Errol Morris)
FILMS & FESTIVAL SECTIONS DISCUSSED
The Final Year (opening night)
New World Order section
Eurotrump (US premiere)
Sky & Ground (world premiere)
Fight the Power section
Baltimore Rising
Sonic Cinema section
David Bowie: The Last Five Years (US premiere)
The Beatles, Hippies & Hell’s Angels (US premiere)
Father’s Kingdom (world premiere)
Repeat Attenders (world premiere)
Centerstage section
A Murder in Mansfield (world premiere)
True Crime section
Zero Weeks
VIEWFINDERS COMPETITION FILMS
Viewfinders Pass
Mole Man (world premiere)
The Stranger (US premiere)
Naila and the Uprising (world premiere)
The Judge (also discussed on PN 54)
Silas (also discussed on PN 54)
Love Means Zero (also discussed on PN 53)
Love, Cecil
This is Congo
Coming up on Pure Nonfiction ep 58: a discussion of DOC NYC PRO 8-day conference.
On Twitter: @Raphaellochka @1basil1 @DOCNYCfest @thompowers @PureNonfiction.
Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.
This episode was recorded at SVA’s MFA SocDoc department.
You can find Varda’s past work on Sundance Now and Filmstruck.
On Twitter: @facesplacesfilm @jrart @thompowers @purenonfiction
Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.
On Twitter: @ZipporahFilms @thompowers @PureNonfiction
Zipporah Films website: http://www.zipporah.com.
Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.
The films discussed in order of mention are:Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood (d. Matt Tyrnauer)Silas (d. Anjali Nayar & Hawa Essuman)The Legend of the Ugly King (d. Hüseyin Tabak)The Other Side of Everything (d. Mila Turajlic)Cocaine Prison (d. Violeta Ayala)The Judge (d. Erika Cohn)Azmaish: A Journey Through the Subcontinent (d. Sabiha Sumar)Of Sheep & Men (d. Karim Sayad)Long Time Running (d. Jennifer Baichwal & Nick de Pencier)Our People Will Be Healed (d. Alanis Obomsawin)There is a House (d. Alan Zweig)A Skin So Soft (d. Denis Côté)The Carter Effect (d. Sean Menard)Mrs. Fang (d. Wang Bing)Lots of Kids, a Monkey and a Castle (d. Gustavo Salmerón)Makala (d. Emmanuel Gras)Faces Places (d. Agnes Varda & JR)Hear Part 1 of the TIFF Preview on episode 53.
On Twitter: @thompowers @DorotaMischka @PureNonfiction @TIFF_net
Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.
On Twitter: @thompowers @DorotaMischka @PureNonfiction @TIFF_net
Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.
On Twitter: @domorisseau @LCTheater @thompowers @purenonfiction
Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.
On Twitter: @errolmorris @thompowers @purenonfiction
Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.
On Twitter: @DAPennebaker @PHFilms @Criterion @thompowers @PureNonfiction
Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network. Our podcast will take a break for the summer and resume with Season 4 in the fall. Stay tuned to @PureNonfiction on Twitter for updates.
On Twitter: @AbacusMovie @ThomPowers @PureNonfiction
Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.
On Twitter: @thesheilanevins @thompowers @PureNonfictionPure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.
On Twitter: @PureNonfiction @thompowers“Swimming to Cambodia” is now available on DVD. This episode also touches upon the IFC TV series “Documentary Now” that has a parody episode of the film titled “Parker Gail’s Location is Everything” (season 2, episode 3). Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.
On Twitter: @iamrashidajones @hotgirlswanted @thompowers @PureNonfiction
This episode was recorded at the Miami Film Festival. Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.
On Twitter: mtyrnauer @janejacobsdoc @thompowers @purenonfiction
This interview was recorded at SVA's MFA Social Documentary program. Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF Podcast Network.
On Twitter: @LeDoctor @suckatash23 @FindingOscarDoc @thompowers @PureNonfiction
This interview was recorded at SVA’s MFA Social Documentary program. Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF Podcast Network.
On Twitter: @MarkHarrisNYC @nedlandmedia @thompowers @PureNonfiction
Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network. This interview was recorded at the School of Visual Arts' MFA Social Documentary program.
On Twitter: @billycorben @alfredspellman @rakonturmiami @thompowers @purenonfiction Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF Podcast Network.
On Twitter: @danaeelon1 @thompowers @PureNonfiction
Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network. Check out the new podcast TIFF Long Take interviewing key figures in the film world.
On Twitter: @thompowers @PureNonfiction
Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.
On Twitter: @MarinaZenovich @PureNonfiction @thompowers
Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.
On Twitter: @GleasonMovie @TeamGleason @PureNonfiction @thompowers
Thanks to our supporters True/False Film Fest. Subscribe to their new podcast: True/False PodcastPure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.
Want to hear even more? Listen to these episodes:Ezra Edelman (“O.J.: Made in America”) ep. 10Roger Ross Williams ("Life, Animated”) ep. 13Raoul Peck (“I Am Not Your Negro”) ep. 21Ava DuVernay (“13th”) ep. 26Gianfranco Rosi ("Fire at Sea”) ep. 28
On Twitter: @ezraedelman @RogerRossWill @IAmNotYourNegro @ava @thompowers @purenonfiction
Pure Nonfiction is distributed by TIFF podcast network.
On Twitter: @jheil @MarkHalperin @SHO_TheCircus @SHO_Docs @thompowers @purenonfictionTrumped: Inside the Greatest Political Upset of All TimeThe CircusArticle: “The Kennedy Films of Robert Drew & Associates” by Thom Powers
Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.
On Twitter: @orwany @doxbox_ngo @purenonfiction @thompowers
Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.
On Twitter: @MohamedNasheed @thompowers @purenonfiction
Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.
On Twitter: @sundancefest @thompowers @purenonfictionPure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF Podcast Network
Watch: Project XRead: “Titanpointe: The NSA’s Spy Hub in New York, Hidden in Plain Sight”
On Twitter: @fieldofvision @moltke @purenonfiction @thompowers
This interview was conducted on November 28, 2016 at SVA’s MFA Social Documentary department.
Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.
On Twitter: @13thfilm @eji_org @IAmNotYourNegro @ezraedelman @OJMadeInAmerica
Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.
Twitter: @thesheilanevins @HBOdocs @thompowers @purenonfiction
Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.
On Twitter: @purenonfiction @thompowers
Useful Links:Werner Herzog websiteWerner Herzog: A Guide for the PerplexedWatch Joe Bini on Editing with Herzog at TIFF Doc Conference 2016
Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.
On Twitter: @MorganSpurlock @jchilnick @thompowers @purenonfiction @deiafilm @joshfoxfilm“Rats” on Discovery Channel
Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.
On Twitter: @AVAETC @13thfilm @thompowers @purenonfiction
Ava DuVernay website
Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.
Mark your calendar for the DOC NYC festival, America’s largest documentary festival, on Nov 10-17.
This episode was recorded at the School of Visual Arts MFA Social Documentary program
On Twitter: @rodblackhurst @brimcgi @thompowers @purenonfiction
Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.
On Twitter: @Cameraperson16 @purenonfiction @thompowers
Cameraperson
Pure Nonfiction
DOC NYC
This interview was recorded on May 5, 2016 at the Montclair Film Festival’s Audible Lounge. Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.
On Twitter: @thompowers @purenonfiction
Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.
Stop Making SenseNeil Young: Heart of Gold Justin Timberlake + The Tennessee Kids
On Twitter: @purenonfiction @thompowers “Gringo: The Dangerous Life of John McAfee”
Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.
On Twitter: @purenonfiction @thompowers @girlunboundfilm
@KarlMarxCity
Girl Unbound
Karl Marx City
Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.
On Twitter: @purenonfiction @thompowers @SkyjackersTale @AbacusMovie
The Skyjacker’s Tale Abacus: Small Enough to Jail
Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.
On Twitter: @purenonfiction @thompowers @tiff_net
I Called Him Morgan
Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary
Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.
On Twitter: @purenonfiction @thompowers @tiff_net @karlmarxcity
Season Two is supported by the TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) podcast network.
On Twitter: @barbarakopple @TheSharonMovie @sharonjones @thompowers @purenonfiction
Miss Sharon Jones!
Kopple’s production company Cabin Creek
Pure NonfictionThis interview was recorded at the SVA MFA Social Documentary program.
Episode 17 marks the end of Pure Nonfiction’s Season One. We’ll be back in September with Season Two starting at the Toronto International Film Festival. Until then, enjoy our back catalogue of shows.
For more, read “How Alex Gibney is Reinventing Documentary Filmmaking” by Boris Kachka in New York magazineOn Twitter: @AlexGibneyFilm @thompowers @purenonfiction This interview was recorded at the School of Visual Arts MFA Social Documentary program. Pure Nonfiction is sponsored by Sundance Now Doc Club.
Documentaries directed by Alex Gibney mentioned in this interview:
Zero Days (2016)
Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine (2015) - A critical look at the Apple CEO.
Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief (2015) - An expose of the Church of Scientology, based on the book by Lawrence Wright.
Finding Fela! (2014) - A complicated portrait on the life and music of Nigeria's Fela Kuti.
The Armstrong Lie (2013) - Cyclist Lance Armstrong talks about the doping program that led to his downfall.
We Steal Secrets: The Story of Wikileaks (2013) - Documenting the leak of government documents by Bradley Manning, their public release by Wikileaks, and the group’s controversial leader Julian Assange.
Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God (2012) - Examining pedophilia in the Catholic Church, from the first known protest against clerical abuse in the US all the way to the Vatican.
Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer (2010) - The former New York State governor speaks on camera about the prostitution scandal that led to his resignation.
Taxi to the Dark Side (2007) - Oscar winner for Best Documentary, investigating the US government’s use of torture during the war in Afghanistan.
Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005) - Chronicling the corruption that caused the company Enron to file for the largest corporate bankruptcy of its time.
Documentaries produced by Gibney, mentioned in the interview:The Blues (2003) - Executive produced by Martin Scorsese, this multi-part series featured films directed by Scorsese, Wim Wenders, Clint Eastwood, Marc Levin, and others.The Trials of Henry Kissinger (2002) - directed by Eugene Jarecki, the film takes its inspiration from Christopher Hitchens’ book making a case for bringing war crime charges against the former Secretary of State.The Pacific Century (1992) - a 10-part PBS series about the rise of the Pacific Rim economies. Alex's father Frank Gibney wrote the accompanying book.
On Twitter: @MuhammadAliDoc @Kartemquin @thompowers @PureNonfiction
The Trials of Muhammad Ali
Pure Nonfiction is sponsored by Sundance Now Doc Club.
On Twitter: @HeidiLoki @RachelLoki @thompowers @purenonfiction
Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You
Pure Nonfiction is sponsored by Sundance Now Doc Club.
On Twitter: @RogerRossWill @LifeAnimatedDoc @thompowers
Life, Animated
Music By Prudence
God Loves Uganda
Roger Ross Williams website
Pure Nonfiction is sponsored by Sundance Now Doc Club.
On Twitter: @davidfarrier @DylanReeve @TickledMovie @thompowers
http://tickledmovie.com/
Pure Nonfiction is sponsored by Sundance Now Doc Club.
On Twitter: @YoYo_Ma @TremoloDocs @silkroadproject @Judith_Hill @Participant @HBODocs @thompowers
On Twitter: @ezraedelman @thompowers
O.J.: Made in America
Pure Nonfiction is sponsored by Sundance Now Doc Club.
On Twitter: @PHFilms, @DAPennebaker, @UTCFilm, @HBODocs, @thompowers
Unlocking the CagePennebaker Hegedus Films
Thanks to Sundance Now Doc Club for sponsoring this episode.
On Twitter: @_PRINCESS_SHAW @thompowers @purenonfiction
Presenting Princess Shaw http://www.presentingprincessshaw.com/
On Twitter: @jkriegman @weinerdoc @anthonyweiner @thompowers
Thanks to our sponsor SundanceNow Doc Club.
Watch Take 5 short films for free at http://take5.docclub.com/.
This episode was recorded at Jacob Burns Media Arts Lab.
Thanks to our sponsor SundanceNow Doc Club.
Watch Take 5 short films for free at http://take5.docclub.com/.
On Twitter: @thompowers
Show notes:
Swimming to Cambodia
Cousin Bobby
The Agronomist
Jimmy Carter: Man From Plains
I’m Carolyn Parker
On Twitter: @lizgarbus @HBODocs @thompowers
Thanks to SundanceNow Doc Club for sponsoring this episode. This episode was recorded at SVA MFA Social Documentary Film Program.
Show notes:
Moxie Firecracker Films
Nothing Left Unsaid: Gloria Vanderbilt and Anderson Cooper What Happened, Miss Simone?
Bobby Fischer Against the World
The Farm: Angola, USA
On Twitter: @fbailey @randybarbato @WorldofWonder @HBODocs @thompowers
Thanks to SundanceNow Doc Club for sponsoring this episode.
This episode was recorded at SVA MFA Social Documentary Film Program.
Show notes:
Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures
World of Wonder
The Fabulous Pop Tarts
On Twitter: @allHs, @filmgreek, @MakingAMurderer, @thompowers
Thanks to SundanceNow Doc Club for sponsoring this episode.
Show notes:
Watch "Making a Murderer" on Netflix
Kevin Kiner composed the music to "Making a Murderer"
On Twitter: @dawnporterm, @trappeddoc, @gideonsarmyfilm, @thompowers
Thanks to SundanceNow Doc Club for sponsoring this episode. http://www.docclub.com/
Show notes:
Trilogy Films is Dawn Porter’s production company“Gideon’s Army” is on SundanceNow Doc Club“Trapped” is now playing in theaters
On Twitter: @kcorncoop, @joesviolin, @thompowers
Thanks to SundanceNow Doc Club for sponsoring this episode. http://www.docclub.com/
Show Notes:
Maysles Documentary Center"Making Dazed” appears on the Criterion Collection edition of “Dazed and Confused”“Heidi Fleiss: Hollywood Madam” is on SundanceNow Doc Club“Joe’s Violin” is now playing at festivals“The New Yorker Presents” Season 1 is on Amazon
