The Dangerous Art of the Documentary

Filip Hammar (The Last Journey)

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 00:32:00 -0000

In the charming, heartfelt documentary “The Last Journey”, Swedish TV personality Filip Hammar embarks on a cross-country road trip with his ailing father with the goal of rekindling his zest for life. In his discussion with Tiller, Filip shares how the film has made his 80-year-old father the most beloved man in Sweden (2:30), the similarity between himself and Johnny Knoxville (17:00), how humor accents sadness (26:30), taking inspiration from Errol Morris and Werner Herzog (34:00), and his father’s one-line review of the film (42:30).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

David Terry Fine (Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam | Netflix)

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 21:23:00 -0000

David Terry Fine’s Netflix documentary “Dirty Pop” tells the story of Lou Pearlman, the architect of the modern boy band era and the extraordinary web of lies, deceit, exploitation and greed that propped up his music empire. In his discussion with Tiller, David reflects on his journey from the edit chair to the director’s chair (2:00), the importance of pushing against creative gatekeepers (11:30), posthumously bringing the lead character to life (24:00), the ethics of utilizing A.I. tools in documentaries (32:00) and his experience rewatching the final film (42:00).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Gianfranco Rosi (Pompei: Below the Clouds)

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 21:49:00 -0000

Italian master Gianfranco Rosi makes some of the most ravishing big-screen nonfiction films you will find. His latest, “Pompei: Below the Clouds”, a black-and-white masterpiece shot with a fixed camera, explores the complex lives of the people living in a region that seems to always be teetering on the edge of a haunting archival status. In his conversation with Tiller, they discuss the love they hold for their shared mentor Chuck Bowden (3:30), how Naples is a reflection of a suspended time (16:00), the importance of selecting the frame (26:00), why it’s impossible to describe his process (34:00), his preferred shooting specs (42:00), and how he knew when the film was “finished” (51:00).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Julia Loktev (My Undesirable Friends: Part I - Last Air in Moscow)

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 01:09:00 -0000

Soviet-born filmmaker Julia Loktev came to Moscow in 2021 to make a film about independent journalists being declared “foreign agents” by Putin’s regime. Her film “My Undesirable Friends” ended up becoming a rare glimpse into the lives of brave female journalists speaking truth to power in the face of Putin’s war against Ukraine. In her discussion with Tiller, Julia shares how loneliness inspires her to tell real stories (3:30), her secrets to filming verité (8:00), the advantages that filming on iPhones provided (18:00), the organization behind the chaos of shooting for hours (27:00), and what’s to come in Part Two of this film (36:00).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

David Borenstein (Mr. Nobody Against Putin)

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 22:30:00 -0000

Director David Borenstein’s latest documentary “Mr. Nobody Against Putin” is nominated for Best Documentary Feature in the 2026 Academy Awards. It follows a Russian teacher as he secretly documents his school becoming a war recruitment center during the Ukraine invasion. In his conversation with Tiller, David discussed the myth of the auteur director (3:00), adjusting his initial vision for the film (9:00), constructing the film with the teacher’s voice-over (17:00), the drama of the opening scene (24:00), and the broader context this film touches on (32:30).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Isaac Gale (Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted)

Mon, 02 Feb 2026 16:05:00 -0000

Director Isaac Gale’s film “Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted” follows cult musician Swamp Dogg, alongside housemates Moogstar and Guitar Shorty, as they turn their home into an artistic playground. Isaac talks to Tiller about the singularity of Swamp Dogg as a film subject (2:25), finding the visual vibe of the film (16:30), subverting expectations for the audience (28:00), and the journey of getting into theaters (35:00).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Tony Zierra (Filmworker)

Fri, 16 Jan 2026 20:48:00 -0000

Director Tony Zierra’s 2017 film “Filmworker” tells the story of Leon Vitali, who surrendered his promising acting career to become Stanley Kubrick’s devoted acolyte. In his discussion with Tiller, Tony talks about his surprising first impression of Leon (3:00), why Leon could not adapt to the culture of Hollywood (12:00), developing trust with his film subject (19:30), the tragedy of Leon’s life after Kubrick died (31:00), and how the film redeemed him in front of the world (37:00).

The remastered film is now available to watch on Doc Addicts at https://www.docaddicts.com/filmworkerdirectorscut.

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Andrew Jarecki & Charlotte Kaufman (The Alabama Solution | HBO Max)

Fri, 12 Dec 2025 14:51:00 -0000

Directors Andrew Jarecki and Charlotte Kaufman take viewers deep inside one of the nation’s deadliest prison systems in their latest film “The Alabama Solution”, where incarcerated men defy the odds stacked against them to expose an explosive and shocking cover-up. They share with Tiller how this story inspired them (2:30), their co-directing method (6:45), the intention behind the cinematography (16:00), gaining access to an underground civil rights movement within the Alabama prison system (24:00), the construction of character in the edit (31:00), and the only way they know how to make documentaries (39:00).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Geeta Gandbhir (The Perfect Neighbor | Netflix)

Wed, 03 Dec 2025 00:39:00 -0000

Director Geeta Gandbhir’s new film "The Perfect Neighbor" is largely made up of police bodycam footage, tracking the events of a seemingly minor neighborhood dispute in Florida escalating into deadly violence. Geeta shares with Tiller how she got her first film job on Spike Lee’s “Malcom X” (2:00), discovering the trove of archival evidence (7:00), how the system failed the entire neighborhood and how the entire tragedy was preventable (19:00), and the thought and craft behind the original photography (33:00).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Chai Vasarhelyi & Lynsey Addario (Love+War | National Geographic)

Fri, 21 Nov 2025 02:29:00 -0000

Pulitzer Prize-winning Lynsey Addario has risked her life to capture the stark realities of war — from the Middle East and Afghanistan to Ukraine. From National Geographic Documentary Films and Academy Award-winning filmmakers Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, “Love+War” chronicles Addario’s ascent in the male-dominated world of conflict photography. In their conversation, Tiller learns why this is Chai’s most personal film (3:00), how Lynsey decided to become the subject of a film (9:00), the lifelong cognitive dissonance of Lynsey’s life (20:00), Chai’s standard of stories that actually matter (31:30), and how Lynsey has managed to sustain her challenging lifestyle (40:00).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Gabe Polsky (The Man Who Saves the World? | In Theaters)

Thu, 06 Nov 2025 03:59:00 -0000

Director Gabe Polsky’s new documentary “The Man Who Saves the World?” tells the story of Patrick McCollum, a spiritual leader living in Moraga, California. The twist is this: certain Indigenous leaders in the Amazon believed Patrick is the answer to an ancient prophecy––the one who will unite and save the world. Gabe talks to Tiller about how he decided to dive all the way into this topic (3:45), his reliance on instinct while shooting (13:00), the complicated relationship he formed with the lead subject (20:00), the patchwork editorial process (27:30), and the hardest parts about making a film (31:00).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Rebecca Miller (Mr. Scorsese | Apple TV+)

Sun, 19 Oct 2025 17:54:00 -0000

Director Rebecca Miller’s latest five-hour docuseries profiles America’s greatest living director, Martin Scorsese. She talks to Tiller about how she framed her pitch to Scorsese (6:00), the selection of soundtrack (15:00), the importance of his key collaborators (24:00), how she took a cubist approach to Scorsese’s portrait (30:00), and what she learned about the art of directing (38:30).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Abel Ferrara (Turn in the Wound)

Sat, 04 Oct 2025 00:20:00 -0000

Legendary director Abel Ferrara’s latest film, “Turn in the Wound”, explores human conflict and the search for peace and balance through the music and words of Patti Smith in reflective conversation with the experiences of people at war in Ukraine. This is one interview Tiller has been looking forward to all his professional life. Abel shares with Tiller the secret to retaining his unflinching creative vision (1:30), making the decision to travel to war-torn Ukraine (8:00), how the film captures the cross-section of humanity in Ukraine (19:00), interweaving the arc of Patti’s story (29:30), the resilient nature of the Ukrainian people (40:00), and what Abel’s working on next (48:00).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Bill Banowsky & Paul O'Bryan (A Savage Art: The Life & Cartoons of Pat Oliphant)

Mon, 15 Sep 2025 16:23:00 -0000

Director Bill Banowsky and producer Paul O’Bryan’s latest film “A Savage Art: The Life & Cartoons of Pat Oliphant” chronicles the incredible life and career of political cartoonist Patrick Oliphant, which also provides a concise history of political cartoons, political polarization and corporate media control. In their discussion, Bill and Paul reflect on becoming friends with Pat Oliphant (2:00), finding conflict and humanity in a film subject they respect (12:00), the genius of Pat’s ability to satirize intense subjects (20:30), and how Pat influenced the modern art of memes (30:00).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Amy Berg (It's Never Over, Jeff Buckley)

Mon, 01 Sep 2025 19:24:00 -0000

Director Amy Berg returns to the podcast to discuss her latest film, “It’s Never over, Jeff Buckley”, a portrait of the gifted musician who died tragically in 1997, having only released one album. Amy shares with Tiller how Jeff Buckley appealed to both masculine and feminine audiences (2:00), the impulsive nature of artists adding to their mythology (12:00), finding the right financiers and producing partners (18:00), designing the animation style (26:00), and ultimately what she hopes people feel while watching this movie (36:00). The film is available to purchase now on Digital/VOD.

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady (Folktales)

Sat, 16 Aug 2025 16:57:00 -0000

Oscar-nominated filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady's life-affirming documentary “Folktales” tells the timely and heartwarming story of teenagers who choose to spend an unconventional "gap year" learning to dog sled and survive the Arctic wilderness, in hopes of finding connection and meaning in the modern world. In their discussion with Tiller, they share how this film came to fruition (4:00), putting together a Norwegian crew (14:50), the number one rule they learned about living in the wild (23:00), the subtleties of their filming choices (30:00), the secret to their co-directing cohesion (37:30) and what they love about directing (41:00).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Mstyslav Chernov (2000 Meters to Adriivka | PBS)

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 03:02:00 -0000

Oscar-winning director Mstyslav Chernov’s follow-up to “20 Days in Mariupol” is another masterful portrait of the war in Ukraine, titled “2000 Meters to Andriivka.” This film captures a Ukrainian platoon's mission: traverse a heavily fortified mile of forest to liberate a strategic village from Russian forces. Mstyslav shares with Tiller his experience capturing the harrowing search for humanity through the lens in a war zone (2:00), removing his bias as a Ukrainian so the film doesn’t feel like propaganda (13:00), crafting the score with his composer (20:00), editing the rhythm of battlefield scenes like a musical album (29:00), and how he remains centered while making these films (37:00).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

William Kentridge (Self-Portrait as a Coffee-Pot | MUBI)

Fri, 18 Jul 2025 20:59:00 -0000

William Kentridge's extraordinary nine-part series “Self-Portrait As A Coffee-Pot” is a vast, self-exploration into the creative labyrinthine mind of a prolific visual artist. In his discussion with Tiller, William ponders over the winding road of his creative process (3:30), how he interviewed himself for the film (9:30), uncovering the unconscious artistry within himself (21:00), the invaluable contribution of a talented editor (32:00), how he brought the film into museums (39:30) and creating art that defies our algorithms (45:30).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

David Gelb (Chef's Table | Netflix)

Fri, 04 Jul 2025 16:00:00 -0000

Filmmaker David Gelb’s series “Chef’s Table”, which profiles some of the most renowned chefs in the world, has been a major hit on Netflix for a decade now, spanning 7 seasons and 5 spinoffs. David reflects on how his vantage point has changed over 10 years of creating “Chef’s Table” (2:00), the development process with Netflix (8:45), how they select their chefs (15:30), the unenvious pressures in a chef’s life (26:00) and if David feels imprisoned by his own success (31:00).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Thom Zimny (Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen & and the E Street Band)

Sat, 21 Jun 2025 15:36:00 -0000

Director Thom Zimny returns to the show to discuss his latest collaboration with Bruce Springsteen, “Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.” Thom discusses with Tiller his 20-year-long creative process with Bruce (1:45), how the film mirrors the emotional ride of a Springsteen concert (12:00), humanizing the fan base (21:30), evoking the emotion behind the lyrics (27:00), starting the film with no notion of where it’s going (34:00), and “the silent conversation” of the edit (39:00).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Questlove (Ladies & Gentlemen...50 Years of SNL Music)

Fri, 06 Jun 2025 16:06:00 -0000

Oscar-winning documentarian, The Roots drummer, and music icon Questlove joins the show to talk about his latest documentary, “Ladies & Gentlemen…50 Years of SNL Music.” The film takes audiences on a journey through the unparalleled musical legacy of Saturday Night Live, diving into the stories, surprises, and seismic impact of SNL’s musical guests. Questlove shares with Tiller how he first pitched the idea to Lorne Michaels (5:00), his struggles with imposter syndrome as an artist (11:00), the metaphysical part of creativity (15:00), and the biggest lesson he wants people to take away from this film (22:00).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Liz Garbus (Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer | Netflix)

Thu, 22 May 2025 13:00:00 -0000

Academy Award nominee Liz Garbus joins Tiller to discuss her latest masterful contribution to the realm of true crime, “Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer”, a tense examination of the ongoing the hunt for the Long Island serial killer through the perspective of his victims, their loved ones and the police. Liz discusses with Tiller how the documentary film industry has changed over the last 25 years (2:00), the moral quandary in telling true crime stories (6:00), whether she chose this story or if the story chose her (13:00), how the series highlights the failures of the criminal justice system (20:00), and the ongoing nature of the story (29:00).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Errol Morris (Chaos: The Manson Murders | Netflix)

Fri, 09 May 2025 16:02:00 -0000

Welcome to Season 4 of The Dangerous Art of the Documentary!

Oscar-winning director Errol Morris seeks to understand why Charles Manson’s followers killed 7 people in 1969 through his latest work “Chaos: The Manson Murders”, a chilling exploration of a conspiracy of mind control, CIA experiments, and murder. Tiller starts the discussion by sharing how Errol inspired him to become a filmmaker (1:30) before Errol unpacks the difference between a conspiracy and a conspiracy theory (6:00), how he knows when to stop making a film (11:00), the meaning of his own term “Errol’s razor” (25:00), the stupidity of some of the murderous culprits (34:00), the similarities between “Chaos” and his 1988 masterpiece “The Thin Blue Line” (44:30), and what fascinates him most about true crime (50:00).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Kevin Macdonald (One to One: John & Yoko)

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 23:20:00 -0000

Acclaimed filmmaker Kevin Macdonald’s latest film “One to One: John & Yoko” provides a fresh lens into the lesser-known side of John Lennon’s life after The Beatles by incorporating never-before-seen footage of John and Yoko’s concert performance at Madison Square Garden and of their lives in New York's Greenwich Village. Kevin shares with Tiller how he came to direct both narrative and documentary films (3:00), weaving together the disparate strands of John and Yoko’s story (7:30), what he discovered about them through the never-before-seen archival (20:00), how the best works of art never patronize an audience (28:30), and why he didn’t expect this film to resonate so much with a young audience (36:00).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Lauren Stowell and Gabe Honig (Celtics City | HBO)

Thu, 27 Mar 2025 18:19:00 -0000

HBO’s latest 9-part series “Celtics City” chronicles the remarkable saga of the Boston Celtics, the NBA’s winningest and most storied franchise. Director Lauren Stowell and showrunner Gabe Honig join Tiller to discuss the first steps they took to starting such a monumental project (2:00), the weekly rhythm and delegation of responsibilities (16:00), collaborating through pressurized moments (28:00), the thought behind integrating pre-existing interviews (35:00), and what they hope people take away from this series (43:00).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Raoul Peck (Ernest Cole: Lost and Found)

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 03:36:00 -0000

Oscar-nominated filmmaker Raoul Peck’s latest film, “Ernest Cole: Lost and Found”, chronicles the profound life and work of Ernest Cole, one of the first Black freelance photographers in South Africa, whose work revealed to the world the realities of Black life during apartheid, and later, its echoes in New York City and the American South. Raoul shares with Tiller how he sees the difference between convincing an audience versus telling a story (2:30) how he uses his personal background as a medium to tell each story with deep authenticity (2:30), finding the soul of this film (8:00), why he doesn’t call his art “journalism” (19:00), his process of creation and experimentation (26:30), the deep understanding he shares with his editor (32:00), and the suffocating constraints of the doc industry today (39:00).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Julian Brave NoiseCat & Emily Kassie (Sugarcane)

Fri, 28 Feb 2025 16:12:30 -0000

A stunning tribute to the resilience of Native people and their way of life, SUGARCANE, the debut feature documentary from Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie, is an epic cinematic portrait of a community during a moment of international reckoning. Nominated for an Academy Award in 2025, it bravely illustrates an investigation into abuse and missing children at an Indian residential school that sparks a reckoning on the nearby Sugarcane Reserve. Julian and Emily share with Tiller how they came together to make this film (2:00), the decision to make Julian an on-camera character (8:00), how they constructed the edit after shooting for 160 days (12:30), using archival as a form of memory and propaganda (19:30), and how it felt screening the film for the first time at the world premiere (28:00).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Angela Patton & Natalie Rae (Daughters)

Fri, 14 Feb 2025 17:00:00 -0000

“Daughters” presents the story of four young girls as they prepare for a special Daddy Daughter Dance with their incarcerated fathers, as part of a unique fatherhood program in a Washington, D.C. jail. For most of the daughters, the dance will be the only time they will be able to touch or hug their fathers during sentences, some of which are as long as 20 years. Co-directors Angela Patton and Natalie Rae share with Tiller their experience meeting because of a TED talk (3:00), earning the trust of the mothers and daughters (8:30), working with the fathers inside the prison (15:00), the cinematographer’s vital impact (21:00), why the film took so many years to make (33:00), and how to follow their impact campaign (40:50).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Dylan Reeve (Tickled)

Fri, 31 Jan 2025 14:00:00 -0000

In “Tickled”, a story stranger than fiction, journalist David Farrier and filmmaker Dylan Reeve uncover a strange tickling subculture. Delving deeper into the dark world of a tickling competition, they are with fierce resistance as they uncover a dark empire ensnaring and exploiting vulnerable young men. Dylan shares with Tiller how he and his co-director David Farrier blindly stumbled into this story (1:00), why they had to reshoot virtually everything (11:00, getting threats the deeper they went down the rabbit hole (18:30), the lies and bravery of his main characters (30:00), when they realized the film had transitioned from silly to dark and investigative (34:00), and the enduring legacy of making a film like this (41:00).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Gilad Baram (Koudelka Shooting Holy Land)

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 01:00:00 -0000

Gilad Baram is an Israeli photographer, visual artist and documentarian. His 2015 film “Koudelka Shooting Holy Land” follows iconic Czech photographer Josef Koudelka’s journey through Israel and Palestine as he captures the essence of that conflicted land. Tiller begins the discussion explaining how he thinks this film achieves rigorous artistic singularity (2:30), before Gilad shares why this was never meant to be a film (10:30), Koudelka’s surprising documentation of the West Bank border (20:00), how a foreign Czech photographer helped him look at his homeland of Israel in a new way (27:00), and the importance of still photography in our increasingly digital world (35:00).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Josh Greenbaum (Will & Harper | Netflix)

Fri, 20 Dec 2024 17:00:00 -0000

Director Josh Greenbaum’s latest documentary, “Will & Harper”, depicts an intimate portrayal of friendship, understanding and America as Will Ferrell and his recently transitioned close friend Harper Steele, former SNL head writer, embark on a cross-country road trip. Josh shares with Tiller the experience of being approached by Will and Harper with the initial film idea (2:30), Josh’s multi-step prep process (6:00), how he ensured the road trip felt authentic (12:30), finding acceptance in the most unexpected places (15:30), the grand epiphanies they realized along the way (20:00), how removing the “comedy” was the key editorial breakthrough (25:00), and the fundamental definition of a director (29:00).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Alexandre O. Philippe (Lynch/Oz)

Fri, 06 Dec 2024 17:00:00 -0000

The themes, images, and cultural vernacular of Victor Fleming’s The Wizard of Oz continue to haunt David Lynch’s filmography. Is Lynch trapped in the Land of Oz? Through six distinct perspectives, Alexandre O. Philippe’s Lynch/Oz helps us reexperience and reinterpret The Wizard of Oz by way of David Lynch, delivering new appreciations of both. In his discussion with Tiller, Alexandre speaks about the allure of making films about films (2:00), his jazz-inspired approach to interviews (7:30), how he selected his eclectic cast of characters, including John Waters (15:30), the art of the essay film (19:30), selling the film just on the title (29:00), and crafting the masterful opening scene (32:00).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

R.J. Cutler (Elton John: Never Too Late | Disney+)

Fri, 15 Nov 2024 17:00:00 -0000

PART TWO! Director R.J. Cutler returns to the show to discuss his two latest biopic documentaries, “Martha” and “Elton John: Never Too Late.” In Part Two, R.J. discusses with Tiller about how Elton John walked into his life (0:35), the theme of mortality in the film (4:30), exploring the most raw emotional moments of Elton’s life (12:00), and how Elton's relationship with John Lennon fundamentally changed his life (18:00).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

R.J. Cutler (Martha | Netflix)

Thu, 31 Oct 2024 16:00:00 -0000

PART ONE! Director RJ Cutler returns to the show to discuss his two latest biopic documentaries, “Martha” and “Elton John: Never Too Late.” In Part One, RJ will share with Tiller how he and Martha first connected (3:00), creating a film around a potentially unreliable narrator (9:00), why Martha was the only on-camera interview in the film (12:00), how he prepared Martha to be vulnerable (14:30), why nothing surprises him when making documentaries (18:30), and what it means to be in search of ecstatic truth (26:00).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Edmund Stenson (Blink | Theaters & Disney+)

Fri, 04 Oct 2024 16:00:00 -0000

Directors Daniel Roher and Edmund Stenson’s latest film “Blink”, the follow-up to their Academy Award winning feature “Navalny”, follows a family taking their three children on an epic journey to see the beauty of the world before they lose their eyesight to an incurable condition. Edmund joins Tiller to discuss the nuances of capturing cinematic moments with verité (3:30), editing scenes in your mind as you film them (9:00), how to decide what to shoot as a team (13:00), how his editing background helped him communicate his cinematic language (19:00), and crying when he captured the final moment of the film (23:00).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Maciek Hamela (In The Rearview)

Fri, 20 Sep 2024 13:00:00 -0000

Maciek Hamela’s minimalist debut film, “In the Rearview” is an expansive road trip through the Russian invasion of Ukraine that drove more than 15 million refugees — more than one-third of Ukraine’s population — in out of their homes and country. In this film, Maciek drives a van of Ukrainian refugees as they encounter numerous military checkpoints while trying to make their way to Poland. Maciek shares with Tiller how and why he made this film (2:00), his thought process in framing the film as a “profound act of bearing witness” (22:00), the agonizing process of cutting down the film when everything felt important (32:00), and creating a ravishing score purely from the sounds of car in the film (41:30).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Nenad Cicin-Sain (Kiss the Future | Paramount+)

Fri, 06 Sep 2024 13:00:00 -0000

Director Nenad Cicin-Sain’s latest film “Kiss the Future” covers the incredibly dire yet uplifting stories of underground art and music, which culminated in a live concert by the band U2, during the brutal four-year siege of Sarajevo. Nenad opens up about about his connection to Sarajevo and researching this story (2:30), creating a war film first and a concert film second (12:45), what made Matt Damon such a great producer (18:30), the path to filming interviews in a bombed out former Red Cross building (23:45), the transfer of trauma when making a film about genocide (33:00), and the perfect metaphor for the role of a director (45:00).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Fisher Stevens (Beckham | Netflix)

Thu, 22 Aug 2024 16:50:00 -0000

Actor, Producer, and Director Fisher Stevens is the creative force behind Netflix’s Emmy-nominated docuseries “Beckham”, which follows David Beckham's rise from humble working-class beginnings to football stardom, as well as all his personal turbulence along the way. Fisher shares with Tiller why he pivoted from acting to documentaries (2:00), the backstory behind his unlikely partnership with the Beckhams (7:30), building trust with David (12:00), figuring out the story structure in the edit (23:00), filming over 20 hours of interviews with David (30:00), and what it really means to be a director (37:30).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Sam Jones (Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off | Max)

Fri, 09 Aug 2024 16:00:00 -0000

Director, photographer, interviewer, and yes, amateur skateboarder Sam Jones reflects on the winding journey of directing “Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off”, a definitive, no-holds-barred look at the life and iconic career of skateboarding’s greatest to ever do it. Tiller and Sam discuss why Tiller is envious of Sam’s career (2:45), the backstory behind Sam’s debut documentary from 2002 about the band Wilco (9:50), how Tony Hawk truly lives as hard as he can (21:00), Sam’s decision to make the film independently even though every streamer passed on it (28:30), continuing to find inspiration on the long lonely road of documentary filmmaking (36:00), and how this is ultimately film about people, not for people (44:00).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Jeff Zimbalist (Skywalkers: A Love Story | Netflix)

Fri, 26 Jul 2024 20:11:18 -0000

Director Jeff Zimbalist returns to the podcast to discuss his second feature film of the year, “Skywalkers: A Love Story”, a thrilling tale about a daring couple that performs acrobatics atop the world’s last super skyscraper. Jeff talks with Tiller about blending the genres of heist and romance (3:30), why this film had to be independently financed (11:00), interweaving the themes of love, risk and trust (17:00), directing Angela and Ivan’s camerawork on top of skyscrapers (27:00), how the presence of a film crew brought a deeper truth out of their relationship (32:00), the difference between “facts” and “ecstatic truth” in nonfiction filmmaking, (36:00), and the humbling truth about love that Jeff learned while making this film (46:00).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Jeff Zimbalist (How To Come Alive With Norman Mailer)

Sat, 06 Jul 2024 01:51:16 -0000

Director Jeff Zimbalist’s latest film, HOW TO COME ALIVE WITH NORMAN MAILER, explores the rollercoaster life of America’s most controversial and bestselling author of the 20th Century, Norman Mailer. Prophet, hedonist, violent criminal, literary outlaw, and social provocateur, Mailer’s ideas about love, anger, fear, and courage cut to the core of human nature, are more relevant than ever today, and point to a prescription for waking ourselves up, shaking free of society’s expectations, and coming alive as a people. Jeff shares with Tiller his familiarity with Norman Mailer prior to embarking on the film (2:50), why he ended the film with Norman “getting right with God” (10:00), what Norman means to be “an intellectual rascal” (17:00), how Jeff brought Mailer to life as the first-person perspective of the film (23:00), pitching the film as commercially viable (32:00), the importance of producers who still take a leap of faith in today’s fraught documentary market (38:00), and how artists can access the depths of their minds (41:00).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Alex Gibney (In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon | Amazon & Apple TV+)

Sat, 22 Jun 2024 16:00:00 -0000

Academy and Emmy Award winning director Alex Gibney, head of the prolific doc studio Jigsaw Productions, has a new film about an old legend, Paul Simon. “In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon”, is a look back on Paul Simon's extraordinary six-decade career as well as an intimate glimpse into his creative process as he is in the studio creating his newest album, Seven Psalms. In his discussion with Tiller, Alex reflects on capturing both the practical and mystical method of Paul’s creative process (2:20), starting to put the film together with Paul (8:30), weaving the distant past with the present day (15:30), uncovering the intimacy between Paul and Wynton Marsalis through their disagreements (21:30), and how creating music is unexpectedly evocative of the documentary process itself (28:00).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Gabriela Cowperthwaite (The Grab | Amazon & Apple)

Thu, 13 Jun 2024 23:00:00 -0000

Director Gabriela Cowperthwaite’s newest film, “The Grab”, is an earth-shattering revelation. Over six years in the making, it follows the incredible work of an investigative journalist who uncovers the money, influence and alarming rationale behind covert efforts to control the most vital resource on the planet. In her discussion with Tiller, Gabriela reflects on her journey of starting to go down this treacherous rabbit hole (1:00), making a complicated global plot feel like a digestible, present tense thriller (8:00), her collaborative methods (15:30), what happened to the film when they received 20,000 secret emails (22:30), how to end an existentially terrifying investigative film like this with genuine hope (29:00), and selling the film’s commercial appeal despite possibly making enemies with world power governments (36:00).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Rory Kennedy & Mark Bailey (The Synanon Fix | Max)

Fri, 31 May 2024 16:00:00 -0000

Acclaimed filmmakers Rory Kennedy and Mark Bailey join Tiller to discuss their latest hit documentary “The Synanon Fix”, a four-part series that tracks the rise and fall of an organization that began as a rehab for heroin addicts and devolved into an egalitarian community that mandated vasectomies, shaved heads, partner swapping, bizarre social experiments, and ultimately, child abuse and attempted murder. Rory and Mark share how they’ve balanced marriage, co-parenting and running a film company together (1:40), what exactly is Synanon (7:30), why the “cult members” of Synanon feel so genuine and familiar to us today (14:00), the group leader Chuck’s various methods of social experimentation (19:00), the division of labor between directing (Rory) and writing (Mark) (28:00), constructing their opening title sequence (33:00), and how this film “holds the tension of the opposites ” (42:50).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Avi Belkin (Mike Wallace is Here | Max)

Fri, 17 May 2024 19:00:00 -0000

Director Avi Belkin’s masterful 2019 film “Mike Wallace is Here” offers an unflinching look at the legendary reporter, who interrogated the 20th century’s biggest figures in his over fifty years on air. Unearthing decades of never-before-seen footage from the 60 Minutes vault, the film explores what drove and plagued Wallace, whose storied career, marked by aggressive reporting style and showmanship, was entwined with the evolution of journalism itself. In his discussion with Tiller, Avi reflects on his foundational approach to nonfiction filmmaking (4:40), the tension between conventional storytelling and evolving the medium (11:00), the origin of “Mike Wallace is Here” (16:00), painting an faithful portrait of a dead man from a bygone era (21:00), moving between genres within one film (30:00), addressing the scene of Mike losing his son (37:30), and Mike’s incredible interview with Barbara Streisand (45:00).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Chris Hegedus (The War Room | Max, The Criterion Collection)

Thu, 02 May 2024 19:00:00 -0000

Renowned cinema verité filmmaker Chris Hegedus, along with her late husband and co-director D.A. Pennebaker, was nominated for an Academy Award in 1993 for “The War Room”, a fleet-footed and entertaining documentary following the brainstorming and bull sessions of Bill Clinton’s crack team of campaign consultants, especially James Carville and George Stephanopoulos, who became media stars in their own right. In her discussion with Tiller, Chris reflects on first getting connected with Pennebaker (3:00), recognizing dramatic verité stories to tell (11:30), meeting the larger-than-life star of “The War Room” James Carville (16:40), shooting only 40 hours on 16mm film (21:10), her and D.A.’s editing process (31:00), and ultimately when to put the paintbrush down (39:00).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Bao Nguyen (The Greatest Night in Pop | Netflix)

Thu, 18 Apr 2024 19:00:00 -0000

Director Bao Nguyen’s new documentary “The Greatest Night in Pop” chronicles the dreamlike recording session for “We Are the World,” the 1985 charity single sung by a motley crew of America’s biggest pop stars. In his conversation with Tiller, Bao reveals why he questioned if he was the right person to tell this story (3:00), his journey to find the long sought-after archival footage (8:40), the practice in ‘80s nostalgia (15:00), why he insisted on filming interviews at the same studio in Hollywood where they recorded the song (19:10), finding surprising characters in the unlikeliest places (26:00), and how they replicated the same filming look of the original music video, from using cheap TV doc crew lights to hunting down the same cameras used in 1985 (36:30).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Jill Magid (The Proposal)

Thu, 04 Apr 2024 19:00:00 -0000

Artist-turned-filmmaker (and old friend of Tiller’s) Jill Magid joins the show to discuss her brilliant 2018 film “The Proposal”, which tracks her journey to recover the works of famed Mexican architect Luis Barragán from a Swiss bunker. Jill discusses with Tiller her artistic voyage from sculptor to filmmaker (3:40), her fascination with incorporating herself as a subject in her art (8:15), the project’s organic evolution from art proposal to feature film (15:00), learning the medium of filmmaking and she went along (20:20), editing the film in a freezing make-shift bunker (31:20), and her carefully crafted performance of “self” (35:00).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Thom Zimny (SLY | Netflix)

Thu, 14 Mar 2024 19:00:00 -0000

In his new film “Sly”, filmmaker Thom Zimny offers an intimate perspective of the great Sylvester Stallone by delving into his Hollywood successes, personal pitfalls, underdog story and its parallels with the characters he brought to life. In his conversation with Tiller, Thom discusses finding the rhythm of the film (5:45), the dream space of editing an archival-based film (9:10), letting the themes speak to him organically (15:00), the dramatic imagery of Sly moving homes (23:52), writing with visual grammar (29:38), and interviewing Sly for 7 hours (38:30).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Marilyn Agrelo (Mad Hot Ballroom)

Fri, 01 Mar 2024 20:00:00 -0000

This one is from the vault. If you haven't seen Mad Hot Ballroom from director Marilyn Agrelo, stop now and go check it out. It's a classic and a masterpiece. Centered around a ballroom dancing competition for fifth grade dance teams in New York City elementary schools, Agrelo captures a genuine and life-affirming transformation as a group of children evolve from reticent novices to confident contestants versed in the Latin styles of foxtrot, merengue and rumba. Agrelo shares with Tiller the challenges of capturing the spirit of New York City (4:25), casting the right teachers and kid dancers (14:10), the mechanics of verité filming and simultaneous editing (21:22), the art of directing kids (28:50), being validated by local criminals (32:45), and the film's shocking critical reception (42:00).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Lisa Cortés & Diego Hurtado de Mendoza (The Space Race | Disney+ & Hulu)

Thu, 15 Feb 2024 20:00:00 -0000

"The Space Race", a new film by directors Lisa Cortés and Diego Hurtado de Mendoza, profiles the pioneering Black pilots, scientists, and engineers who joined NASA to serve their country in space, even as their country failed to achieve equality for them back on Earth. From 1963, when the assassination of JFK thwarted Captain Ed Dwight’s quest to reach the moon, to 2020, when the echoes of the civil unrest sparked by the killing of George Floyd reached the International Space Station. In today’s discussion, Lisa and Diego share their paths to documentaries (1:40), their co-directing process (5:30), the injection of “Afro-Futurism” (12:00), the impact of George Floyd’s death on the International Space Station (21:48), and the experience of screening the film with the astronauts themselves (35:30).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Brett Morgen (Moonage Daydream | Max)

Thu, 01 Feb 2024 21:24:00 -0000

Season 3 kicks off with one of the great nonfiction filmmakers working today, Brett Morgen - the director, writer and editor of the film "Moonage Daydream", which explores David Bowie's creative, spiritual, and musical journey. In his discussion with Tiller, Brett shares how a speech impediment led him to make documentaries (2:45), determining the visual style for each film (6:25), the making of his 2002 film "The Kid Stays in the Picture" (9:10), the origin of "Moonage Daydream" (18:45), the two-year process of personally screening David Bowie's entire video archive (29:00), how Homer's "Illiad" inspired the structure of the film (37:50), when he knows a project is finished (45:30), and Sean Penn's single note that saved the film (49:20).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Seth Porges (Class Action Park | Max)

Fri, 08 Dec 2023 14:00:00 -0000

Seth Porges and Chris Charles Scott’s darkly comedic hit film “Class Action Park” skirts the trappings of 1980s nostalgia and chronicles the unbelievable rise and fall of the most insane – and possibly the most dangerous – amusement park that ever existed. In his discussion with Tiller, Seth reflects on the universality of doing idiotic, dangerous things as kids (2:08), the vital tonal shift in the film from hilarity to death (6:40), creating the film on their own dime (19:05), the editorial process (23:20), landing the film at HBO right at the onset of Max (26:15), how the first outline barely changed (31:30), and the choice to feature himself as an on-screen interview as well as incorporate voice-over narration (36:10).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Steve James (Hoop Dreams, A Compassionate Spy)

Thu, 23 Nov 2023 17:00:00 -0000

Filmmaker Steve James burst onto the scene in 1994 with his iconic documentary, "Hoop Dreams", a film that is widely considered one of the great works of American nonfiction cinema. His latest film, "A Compassionate Spy", tells the incredible story of Manhattan Project scientist Ted Hall, who, fearing the post-war risk of a nuclear holocaust, shared classified nuclear secrets with the Soviets. In today's episode, Steve discusses with Tiller the lasting legacy of "Hoop Dreams" (2:30), why he's made films outside of the streamer system (5:15), why he chose to make "A Compassionate Spy" (10:35), trusting his gut instinct (17:50), the production plan for "A Compassionate Spy" (22:40), how Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer" helped revitalize this time period for storytelling (34:40), and the shocking misconceptions he uncovered about WWII, Ted Hall, and the Military Industrial Complex (40:00).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Kathryn Ferguson (Nothing Compares | Paramount+)

Tue, 14 Nov 2023 04:18:00 -0000

Kathryn Ferguson’s 2022 film “Nothing Compares” follows the career of celebrated singer Sinéad O'Connor through her rise to fame and explores the ways her iconoclastic personality led to exile from the pop mainstream. In today’s episode, Kathryn shares with Tiller the origin for the film (2:00), her writing process (10:00), interweaving archival with audio-only interviews (14:00), creating a visual iconography through original cinematic photography (20:45), screening the film for Sinéad (33:05), and honoring Sinéad’s legacy (36:30).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Rhys Thomas & Alex Buono (Documentary Now! | Netflix)

Fri, 27 Oct 2023 23:30:00 -0000

SNL directors and co-creators of the cult favorite Documentary Now! Rhys Thomas and Alex Buono join Tiller to discuss their mockumentary series starring Fred Armisen and Bill Hader, in which each episode is a masterful homage to a classic documentary film style. They reflect on their start at SNL (2:20), the blend of documentary and narrative storytelling (9:20), how much is improvised (13:50), the challenges of making totally unique episodes (20:30) how pressure lends itself to creativity (28:30), turning far-fetched hilarious ideas into reality (32:40), the benefit of having great writers (38:30), and how legendary documentarians have received their work (44:10).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Alison Ellwood & Anoosh Tertzakian (San Francisco Sounds | MGM+)

Thu, 12 Oct 2023 22:33:00 -0000

The two-part docuseries “San Francisco Sounds”, helmed by directing duo Alison Ellwood and Anoosh Tertzakian, celebrates the musical and artistic renaissance that exploded in the Bay Area from the mid-sixties into the mid-seventies. Featuring the music of Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin, the Grateful Dead, Steve Miller, and many more, it’s a glimpse into a time and place that changed the world of music, love, and culture forever. Anoosh and Alison talk with Tiller about transitioning from editing to directing (2:00), the journey from “Laurel Canyon” to “San Francisco Sounds” (7:00), the benefit to using audio-only interviews (14:00), why it took over a year to make this movie (19:05), finding a fresh approach to telling the story of Janis Joplin (22:10), how they craft performances from their key interviews (25:08), the parts of the story that surprised them the most (30:20), and how money changes even the best art (34:00).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Kartiki Gonsalves (The Elephant Whisperers | Netflix)

Fri, 29 Sep 2023 02:50:00 -0000

Kartiki Gonsalves is the first Indian Film Director to have ever won an Academy Award in the history of India, which she received for her 2022 short film “The Elephant Whisperers”. Available on Netflix, this film follows a a couple in South India who devote their lives to caring for an orphaned baby elephant, forging a family like no other that tests the barrier between the human and the animal world. Kartiki shares with Tiller the experience of winning an Oscar (1:45), the origin of the film (5:30), the process of following her artistic instinct (11:05), intertwining the various love stories (16:40), finding the editorial structure (25:30), and the most special moment of the entire filmmaking process (31:00).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Chris Passig (Telemarketers | HBO)

Thu, 07 Sep 2023 19:00:00 -0000

Editor Chris Passig’s latest work, HBO’s “Telemarketers”, follows the 20-year journey of two telemarketers as they vow to expose the scam behind the American telemarketing industry. This three-part documentary takes you from an anarchic, seedy New Jersey call center filled with booze, drugs, and debauchery to the halls of the United States Senate as the world's unlikeliest journalists uncover a deep, nation-wide billion-dollar racket. Tiller speaks with Chris about how the series evolved from years of raw tapes into an HBO series with high-profile EPs (5:05), constructing multiple cohesive storylines in the edit (11:00), his shared background with director Sam Lipman-Stern (15:15), developing Sam and Pat Pespas’s friendship on screen (20:00), screening the series for Pat (25:10), pacing the series (28:35), the lead characters’ borderline stupid bravery (32:30), clarifying the complexity of the scam without including outside experts (37:20), and the reverberating effect of the series in the world (41:10).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Griffin Dunne (Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold | Netflix)

Thu, 24 Aug 2023 16:00:00 -0000

Actor, writer, producer, director, and loving nephew. Griffin Dunne is the only man who could have directed "Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold", an intimate insight into the remarkable career and tragic struggles his aunt, literary icon Joan Didion. The 2017 film is a touching tribute which includes a trove of archival materials as well as an interview with Didion herself, one of her last appearances before her death in 2021. In this episode, Griffin shares with Tiller his reflections on the title of the film (1:50), how he convinced Joan to trust him with her legacy (5:12), amassing his cast of interview subjects (12:26), his tonal inspirations for the film (16:35), Joan's defining reaction to the acid-dropping five-year-old from "Slouching Towards Bethlehem" (23:38), his experience sharing the film with Joan (27:04), and her lasting legacy with new generations (32:41).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Simon Chinn (Searching for Sugar Man, Man on Wire)

Thu, 10 Aug 2023 19:30:00 -0000

The role of the Producer is complex, challenging, and ever-changing. Simon Chinn is a double Oscar-winning Producer who is responsible for some of the most successful feature documentaries of recent years, including “Man on Wire”, “Searching for Sugar Man”, and “LA92”. Simon shares with Tiller his thoughts on producing his first feature “Man on Wire” (1:48), pitching the film to director James Marsh and star Philippe Petit (10:00), the keys to building a prolific career as a documentary producer (26:30), the challenge of sustaining excellence (34:45), and the future of nonfiction (40:45).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Jeff Tremaine (Jackass)

Thu, 27 Jul 2023 19:00:00 -0000

Jeff Tremaine is the king of “Jackass”. As director, writer, and producer, he shepherded the hilarious daredevil phenomenon not only onto TV screens in 2000, but into 8 feature films, including the spinoff “Bad Grandpa” and 2022’s “Jackass Forever”. Yet behind the pranks, stunts, and pure Jackass-ery, there is a mastery of documentary filmmaking. Perhaps better than anyone else, Jeff has embodied the phrase “a method to the madness”. In his discussion with Tiller, Jeff reflects on the skateboard origins of Jackass (4:30), his “development” and “preproduction” processes (8:30), getting the first movie greenlit with MTV (16:00), finding new cast members for “Jackass Forever” (24:10), the hidden art of editing Jackass movies (32:45), how certain stunts go from funny to “crazy town” (44:00), his stress level while shooting (49:07), and what’s next in his post-Jackass career (54:40).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Julie Cohen (Every Body | In Theaters)

Thu, 06 Jul 2023 16:00:00 -0000

Director Julie Cohen, best known for her Oscar nominated film “RBG”, crafts a moving and eye-opening exploration of intersexuality in her new theatrical release, “Every Body.” By focusing on the lives of three intersex individuals – actor and screenwriter River Gallo, political consultant Alicia Roth Weigel, and Ph.D. student Sean Saifa Wall – Cohen foregrounds the ways the medical establishment and popular culture have historically denied the complexity of intersexuality by insisting on the existence of only two sexes. Julie speaks to Tiller about the incredible story that became the genesis of her film (3:30), finding her three star characters (10:00), society’s intolerance for gender ambiguity (18:03), her method of simultaneous filming and editing (26:31), and screening the film for the intersex community (29:01).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Lesley Chilcott (Arnold | Netflix)

Thu, 22 Jun 2023 19:00:00 -0000

Filmmaker Lesley Chilcott – perhaps best known for producing “An Inconvenient Truth” – recently directed Netflix's “Arnold”: a 3-part documentary series examining the life, work and deeper side of the cigar-chomping Governator action movie star…Arnold Schwarzenegger. In her conversation with Tiller, she discusses peeling back the complex layers of Arnold’s story (4:50), her interview process with Arnold (8:30), showing a new side of Arnold in the opening sequence (15:05), selecting the cast of characters from campaign managers to James Cameron (20:20), broaching and navigating the awkward subjects (26:35), contending with the trove of archival materials (37:00), filming impressionistic scenes of Arnold’s memory (40:50), and sharing the film with Arnold (43:50).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Nick Rosen & Peter Mortimer (The Alpinist | Netflix)

Fri, 09 Jun 2023 04:00:00 -0000

Nick Rosen and Peter Mortimer make climbing films. It’s their world and expertise. And when they heard about Marc-Andre Leclerc, the Canadian free-spirited 23-year-old free soloist who was making some of the boldest ascents in history, they knew they had to track him down. Nomadic and publicity shy, he doesn't own a phone or car, and is reluctant to let a film crew in on his pure vision of climbing. Thus began the journey to create THE ALPINIST, a fascinating, beautiful, and thrillingly filmed investigation into a life spent defying danger. In their conversation with Tiller, Nick and Peter talk about building their relationship with the elusive Marc-Andre (2:15), capturing the purity of Marc’s spirit (7:18), the incredible discipline of alpine soloing (13:15), the process of writing such a kinetic film (17:55), mountaineering cinematography (23:40), and what it means to live a life well lived (31:40).

Ondi Timoner (Last Flight Home)

Sat, 27 May 2023 04:00:00 -0000

Acclaimed director Ondi Timoner’s latest film “Last Flight Home” examines the last days of her father, Eli Timoner, and their family’s emotional turmoil as they grapple with his decision to end his own life. Through the film, Ondi journeys back through Eli's remarkable life to discover the true meaning of tragic loss and enduring love. In her discussion with Tiller, Ondi reflects on the decision to film her dad in hospice (2:24), the powerful personalities in her family (9:20), the right to die (19:05), learning how to live with dignity (28:00), editing the scene of her father's death (33:50), and the profound impact the films has had on audiences (35:50).

R.J. Cutler (Murf the Surf: Jewels, Jesus and Mayhem in the USA | MGM+)

Thu, 11 May 2023 04:26:00 -0000

R.J. Cutler’s new four-part documentary series explores the high-stakes Miami criminal underworld through the eyes of the most daring jewel thief in American history turned alleged murderer, Jack Roland Murphy, aka “Murf the Surf.” Featuring exclusive access to Jack Roland Murphy himself prior to his death in 2020, the series addresses the blurred line between fact and fiction, faith and delusion, sanity and madness—raising the timely question of who we believe, and why. In their conversation, R.J. discusses with Tiller how he learned at the feet of masters (3:00), the making of his and D.A. Pennebaker's iconic verité film “The War Room” about James Carville (9:20), why we’re so drawn to a murderous jewel thief as a main character (15:28), how Murf is the first true crime TV superstar (22:40), what it means to direct incredible collaborators (27:20), the symbolism behind his graphics and animation (31:31), what makes the documentary medium so malleable today (36:02), and whether Murf is a hustler, a liar, or truly born-again repentant (45:00).

Sebastian Junger (Restrepo)

Tue, 02 May 2023 04:00:00 -0000

Sebastian Junger's iconic Oscar-Nominated 2010 war epic RESTREPO chronicles the deployment of a platoon of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan's Korengal Valley, widely considered one of the most dangerous postings in the U.S. military. The movie focuses on a remote 15-man outpost, "Restrepo," named after a platoon medic who was killed in action. Experiential, immersive, and raw, RESTREPO is a 90-minute deployment to a complicated, fraught warzone. Sebastian discusses with Tiller if it is an anti-war movie (1:43), his path to the Korengal Valley (5:30), the challenge of editing down months of footage (11:02), capturing emotional interviews with hardened soldiers (12:10), and incorporating footage of Platoon Medic Restrepo (16:30).

Orlando von Einsiedel (Virunga, From Devil's Breath)

Tue, 18 Apr 2023 04:00:00 -0000

Academy award winning director Orlando von Einsiedel sits with Tiller to discuss his film VIRUNGA, a gripping expose of the realities of life in the Congo that follows a team of brave individuals risking their lives to protect the last mountain gorillas in Virunga National Park. Tiller also asks Orlando about his latest short film FROM DEVIL'S BREATH, a dramatic look at the catastrophic wildfires in Portugal in 2017 and a revolutionary scientific discovery creating hope in the face of climate change. During their discussion, Orlando describes his film selection process (2:10), the beginning of VIRUNGA (5:20), uncovering the story of corrupt oil drillers (9:18), recruiting an undercover journalist as a spy (13:49), financing the film (18:10), joining forces with Leonardo DiCaprio (23:00), creating FROM DEVIL'S BREATH (27:40), and intercutting dual narratives to tell one powerful story (33:10).

Waco: American Apocalypse - Episode 4: The Legacy of Waco

Wed, 29 Mar 2023 13:00:00 -0000

Bonus Series! This is Episode Four of the companion podcast series for Tiller's new Netflix series, Waco: American Apocalypse.

Waco: American Apocalypse is a deep dive into the Netflix documentary series, exploring topics and interviews that didn’t make the final cut. In Episode Four, Tiller and Lee evaluate how the tragedy at Waco became a rallying cry for the anti-government movement within America as well as a foundation for arguments surrounding gun rights and religious freedom. Tiller also speaks with Bob Ricks, the FBI’s Assistant Special Agent in Charge, about the FBI’s failed response to Waco, rampant conspiracy theories, government distrust, Waco’s connection to the Oklahoma City Bombing a year later, and how it resonates through to the present day.

Waco: American Apocalypse - Episode 3: The Toll It Took

Mon, 27 Mar 2023 13:00:00 -0000

Bonus Series! This is Episode Three of the companion podcast series for Tiller's new Netflix series, Waco: American Apocalypse.

Waco: American Apocalypse is a deep dive into the Netflix documentary series, exploring topics and interviews that didn’t make the final cut. In Episode Three, Tiller speaks to Lee about the challenge of objectively reporting on Waco and the lasting trauma the story has had on her life, as well as on those included in the documentary series. Featuring excerpts from interviews with KWTX reporter John McLemore, the sole reporter who covered the ATF raid live only to have his life upended by it, and David Thibodeau, perhaps the most well-known Branch Davidian alive today.

Waco: American Apocalypse - Episode 2: The Man Who Could Have Stopped It All

Fri, 24 Mar 2023 13:00:00 -0000

Bonus Series! This is Episode Two of the companion podcast series for Tiller's new Netflix series, Waco: American Apocalypse.

Waco: American Apocalypse is a deep dive into the Netflix documentary series, exploring topics and interviews that didn’t make the final cut. In Episode Two, Tiller speaks with Robert Rodriguez, an undercover agent with the ATF who embedded with David Koresh and the Branch Davidians. On the day of the raid, Robert knew the Davidians were tipped off that the ATF was coming, and he tried to call the whole thing off. However, despite his warnings, the ATF went ahead with their plan, resulting in the largest gunfight on US soil in over 100 years, and Robert was pinned as the scapegoat. In a rare interview not included in the documentary series, Robert shares intimate memories with Tiller from his time working undercover before narrating the day of the raid from his perspective in grueling detail.

Waco: American Apocalypse - Episode 1: Who in the Hell was David Koresh?

Wed, 22 Mar 2023 13:00:00 -0000

Bonus Series! This is Episode One of the companion podcast series for Tiller's new Netflix series, Waco: American Apocalypse.

Waco: American Apocalypse is a deep dive into the Netflix documentary series, exploring topics and interviews that didn’t make the final cut. In Episode One, director Tiller Russell and reporter Lee Hancock paint a complex portrait of cult leader David Koresh – the controversial figure at the center of the story – and discuss how he convinced over 100 people (and perhaps himself) that he was a living prophet. Featuring excerpts from interviews with FBI Agent Bob Ricks, Hostage Rescue Team Sniper Chris Whitcomb, Branch Davidian Kathy Schroeder, and Heather Jones, the last child to make it out of the compound alive.

Violet Columbus & Ben Klein (The Exiles)

Thu, 09 Mar 2023 05:00:00 -0000

“How would I describe myself? Fuck you. You can describe me.” Fair enough. The Oscar-nominated director of 1988’s essential documentary “Who Killed Vincent Chin?” before she became a NYU professor famous for drinking vodka on the rocks during class, Shanghai-born filmmaker Christine Choy is a character so incandescent that she’s every bit as powerful in front of the camera as she is behind it — a fact that “The Exiles” seizes upon from the moment it starts. In their debut feature film, Ben Klein and Violet Columbus follow their former professor Christine as she tracks down three exiled dissidents from the Tiananmen Square massacre to help her find closure on an abandoned film she began shooting in 1989. "The Exiles" premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival and was awarded the Grand Jury Prize for U.S. Documentary. In today's episode, Ben and Violet reflect on being mentored by Christine Choy (3:10), pitching the film premise to Christine (6:21), getting the film off the ground (10:30), replicating Christine’s archival footage with modern cinematography (15:58), building the interview setup in an empty movie theater (18:12), persuading Steven Soderberg to be an Executive Producer (22:12), deciding when to screen the film (28:50), and winning the Grand Jury Prize at a virtual Sundance (32:15).

Charles Ferguson (Inside Job)

Thu, 23 Feb 2023 05:00:00 -0000

The Academy Award Winner for Best Documentary in 2010, Inside Job, shows that the 2008 global financial Armageddon was no accident; it was predicted and could have been prevented. Director Charles Ferguson, with narration by Matt Damon, created a compelling, wonderfully illuminating film that provides a detailed examination of the rogue industry that led to the collapse and identifies key corrupt financial and political players. Charles joins Tiller to reflect on his iconic film, in which he discusses getting tipped off to the impending collapse of the housing marking (1:42), intense negotiations with Sony Picture Classics (5:40), framing it as a crime genre flick (8:28), conducting contentious interviews with corrupt bankers and brokers (15:28), blowback from Wall Street (20:42), translating complex ideas for a broad audience (26:12), and what he’s working on now (32:10).

Alexander Nanau (Collective)

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 05:00:00 -0000

In Alexander Nanau's 2019 Oscar nominated documentary "Collective", a fire at Bucharest’s Colectiv nightclub leaves 27 dead and 180 injured. Soon, more burn victims begin dying in hospitals from wounds that were not life-threatening. One revelation leads to another as the journalists start to uncover vast health care fraud. When a new health minister is appointed, he offers unprecedented access to his efforts to reform the corrupt system but also to the obstacles he faces. Following journalists, whistle-blowers, burn victims, and government officials, "Collective" is an uncompromising look at the impact of investigative journalism at its best. In today's discussion, Alexander shares with Tiller the film's point of origin (1:22), how he cultivated journalist sources in a Communist regime (6:30), constructing scenes while shooting verité (10:57), acquiring footage of the fire at Colectiv nightclub (18:40), gaining access to the Minister of Health (27:41), views on the fundamental failure of totalitarian society (31:45), and his unique writing process (40:30).

David Siev (Bad Axe)

Thu, 26 Jan 2023 20:00:00 -0000

Midwest-born and raised, David is a first-generation Cambodian-Mexican-American filmmaker. His SXSW award-winning feature debut BAD AXE captures his closely-knit Asian American family living in rural Michigan during the pandemic as they fight to keep their local restaurant and American dream alive. With rising racial tensions, the family uses their voice and must unite as they reckon with backlash from a divided community, white supremacists, and intergenerational trauma from Cambodia's "killing fields." David speaks to Tiller about starting to film his family with no idea where it was going (3:45), finding universality in his family's story (12:26), the American Experience (17:28), his editing process (21:01), including himself in the narrative (30:01), and screening the film for his family and town for the first time (39:58).

Ramin Bahrani (2nd Chance)

Thu, 12 Jan 2023 17:00:00 -0000

Narrative director Ramin Bahrani – best known for The White Tiger, Fahrenheit 451, and 99 Homes – speaks to Tiller today about his debut documentary feature entitled “2nd Chance”, a brilliantly inquisitive film about the inventor of the bullet proof vest, who shot himself in the chest 196 times. A self-made mythical figure with an allergy to accountability, Richard Davis’s hilarious yet heartbreaking story is a particularly American one, as Bahrani puts it.

During their discussion: Ramin reflects on:

His personal journey to taking on this film (2:40)

Extracting truth from a sociopath (10:30)

The invaluable note from EP Joshua Oppenheimer (19:23)

Influences on his voice-over script (25:04)

The powerful final scene (30:55)

Ending the film with Richard shooting himself over and over (37:20)

Bing Liu (Minding the Gap)

Thu, 29 Dec 2022 05:05:00 -0000

Bing Liu exploded onto the scene in 2018 with his Academy-award nominated documentary “Minding the Gap”, an extraordinary portrait of three young men (himself included) as they bond through skateboarding to escape their volatile family life in their Rust Belt home town. As they face adult responsibilities, unexpected revelations threaten their decade-long friendship. In today’s episode, Bing chats with Tiller about the origin and evolution of “Minding the Gap” (1:28), his editor Josh Altman’s invaluable perspective (7:34), braiding together individual storylines (14:00), exploring the topic of race through Kiere’s eyes (18:00), working with his composer (25:32), the evolution of a healthy soul (30:33), and the meaning behind the final track of the film (37:50).

Amy Berg (Deliver Us From Evil, Phoenix Rising)

Thu, 15 Dec 2022 17:00:00 -0000

Academy Award nominated filmmaker Amy Berg has built a prolific career elevating the voice of the underdog, investigating systemic abuse, and shining a light in dark places. She began with Deliver Us From Evil - a shocking revelation of child abuse in the Catholic Church - and most recently created Phoenix Rising, the true story of actress and activist Evan Rachel Wood's journey passing domestic violence legislation and naming her own infamous abuser for the first time. In today’s episode, she reflects on how she chooses her film topics (2:05), her approach to addressing hyper-sensitive subjects (8:45), the origin of Phoenix Rising (13:20), contending with the power of “celebrity” (18:50), how Twitter has changed the dialogue (22:00), examining Evan Rachel Wood’s personal archive (27:00), constructing the animation (31:23), collaborating with Evan (34:50), what has driven her to tell these stories (43:30), and how we can stop the cycle of systemic abuse (47:00).

Billy Corben (Cocaine Cowboys, God Forbid)

Thu, 01 Dec 2022 07:05:00 -0000

“Popcorn Doc” auteur and king of Miami Billy Corben, best known for his mainstream hit Cocaine Cowboys, joins Tiller to discuss his latest explosive film God Forbid: The Sex Scandal That Brought Down a Dynasty, which profiles former pool attendant Giancarlo Granada’s 7-year relationship with charming older woman, Becki Falwell, and her husband, the Evangelical Trump stalwart Jerry Falwell Jr., as well as the overarching influence this affair had on a presidential election. In their discussion, Billy chats about his path from child actor to doc director (1:55), becoming the face of Miami filmmaking (8:00), finding his signature style while crafting Cocaine Cowboys (10:20), developing God Forbid with Adam McKay (15:25), how he keeps his interviews fresh (27:00), the terror of filming without any other interviews booked (32:00), his original photography and editing process (43:53), and his biggest failure: staying sane (49:29).

Matthew Heineman (Retrograde)

Thu, 17 Nov 2022 05:05:00 -0000

Matthew Heineman is an Oscar-nominated director whose films plunge viewers deep into some of the most tumultuous conflicts in the world. His new film, "Retrograde", tells the story of the last months of the 20-year war in Afghanistan through the intimate relationship between American Green Berets and the Afghan officers they trained, resulting in the heart-wrenching fall of Kabul. In this conversation with Tiller, Matthew reflects on his own fascination with military service (3:20), pivoting from filming the Green Berets to Afghan General Sami Sadat (6:56), how he achieved such incredible intimacy with his subjects (9:50), constructing the story in real time (16:02), the parallels between himself and his protagonist (22:20), sneaking back into Kabul during the fall (24:54), crying while filming (30:15), and how he plans to push himself further as a storyteller (32:50).

James Marsh (Man on Wire)

Thu, 03 Nov 2022 04:05:00 -0000

Director James Marsh (The Theory of Everything) joins Tiller to revisit his Academy-Award winning film “Man on Wire”, a joyous and masterful documentary about high-wire daredevil Philippe Petit’s 1974 stunt: performing acrobatics on a thin wire strung between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. Their thoughtful discussion touches on sanctifying the Twin Towers in a post 9/11 era (2:25), James's process of courting Philippe (12:14), the film's unlikely success at the Sundance Film Festival (19:00), making documentaries cinematic (24:00), trusting the audience (25:45), crafting unique reconstructions (30:42), the hidden blessings of small budgets (38:00), signing a blood pact for Philippe's film archive (42:09), and finally whether James ever intends to return to nonfiction filmmaking (46:00).

Pippa Ehrlich (My Octopus Teacher)

Thu, 20 Oct 2022 04:05:00 -0000

Director and Conversation Journalist Pippa Ehrlich joins Tiller to discuss her first – and Oscar winning – film “My Octopus Teacher”, which documents a year spent by filmmaker Craig Foster forging a relationship with a wild octopus in the South African kelp forest. Pippa reflects on meeting Craig for the first time (2:27), learning underwater tracking (5:50), being gripped by “The Terrible Feeling” (9:18), and experiencing a shared consciousness with nature (13:30), before diving into the filmmaking specifics of crafting her three-day interview with Craig (20:04), finding the narrative structure and musical score (31:00), directing a team of masters (35:10), and reflecting on the life-altering experience of winning the Oscar on her first film and seeing her baby go out into the world (42:00).

William Friedkin (The French Connection, The Exorcist)

Thu, 06 Oct 2022 04:05:00 -0000

Disclaimer: This episode is not about a documentary. But when an idol comes calling, you answer. Legendary Hollywood film director William Friedkin sits down with Tiller for a rare interview to share stories about his Oscar-winning film “The French Connection”, including developing the script (2:30), directing Gene Hackman (16:30), never rehearsing (20:06), filming all over New York (22:45), hiring Fidel Castro’s cameraman (30:00), how it compares to “the perfect movie” (41:38), outwitting studio executives (48:50), and why winning the Academy Award was, as William put it, “the saddest day of my life” (59:02).

Emmett Malloy (Biggie: I Got A Story To Tell)

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 04:05:00 -0000

Iconic music documentary director Emmett Malloy joins Tiller to share stories and secrets from the making of his latest film “Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell” about the rapper Notorious B.I.G., including how he initially got the job (3:00), earning the trust of Ms. Wallace, Biggie's Mom (15:20), connecting with Biggie's best friend D. Roc (27:45), working with over 100 hours of rare footage (34:10), interviewing P. Diddy (45:00), and the honor of adding to Biggie's legacy (52:15).

Mark Lewis (Don’t F**k With Cats)

Thu, 08 Sep 2022 04:05:00 -0000

Tiller chats with director Mark Lewis about his hit Netflix documentary "Don't F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer", the hilarious yet harrowing tale of a widespread Internet group of animal lovers who came together to capture a murderer. Their conversation touches on Mark's fascination with true crime and the power of Internet sleuths (3:30), then goes deeper into how Mark and Tiller earn the trust of their interview subjects (17:00), until finally revealing how much films change in post (32:00) and what they believe is the true essence of documentary filmmaking (57:40).

Joe Berlinger (Paradise Lost, Conversations with a Killer)

Thu, 25 Aug 2022 04:05:00 -0000

Tiller sits with Oscar nominated and Emmy winning filmmaker Joe Berlinger, whose iconic career includes landmark films such as the "Paradise Lost" series, "Metallica: Some Kind of Monster", "Crime Scene", and "Conversations With a Killer." In this conversation, Berlinger describes his unconventional journey to filmmaking (4:00), then discusses the making of his 1992 masterpiece "Brother's Keeper" and why crime is such a perfect genre for documentary filmmakers (28:48), before finally breaking down how the medium of documentaries has evolved since the late 1980s (47:40). ---------------- Films discussed in this episode: Endless Summer (1966) dir. Bruce Brown. Stranger Than Paradise (1984) dir. Jim Jarmusch. The Thin Blue Line (1988) dir. Errol Morris. Brother’s Keeper (1992) dir. Joe Berlinger. Hoop Dreams (1994) dir. Steve James. Paradise Lost (1996 - 2011) dir. Joe Berlinger. Collective (2019) dir. Alexander Nanau. Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes (2019) dir. Joe Berlinger. Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel (2021) dir. Joe Berlinger.

Jaimie D’Cruz (Exit Through the Gift Shop)

Thu, 18 Aug 2022 04:05:00 -0000

Tiller talks to the multi-talented producer/director Jaimie D’Cruz about his journey from founding a hip-hop magazine to being nominated for an Oscar for the documentary “Exit Through the Gift Shop,” a brilliant collaboration with the legendary and elusive street artist Banksy.

Maclain and Chapman Way (Wild Wild Country, Untold)

Thu, 11 Aug 2022 04:15:00 -0000

Fresh off their popular sports anthology series "Untold", Emmy-winning filmmakers Maclain and Chapman Way sit with Tiller to revisit their their groundbreaking series, "Wild Wild Country", where they discuss everything from humanizing cult figures and breaking out in stress hives while editing, to the bright future of documentaries.

James Gay-Rees (Amy, Senna)

Thu, 11 Aug 2022 04:10:00 -0000

Oscar-winning producer James Gay-Rees shares the monumental challenges he faced while crafting the archival-only masterpieces "Amy" (on the life and tragic death of Amy Winehouse) and "Senna” (about the Brazilian racing champion Ayrton Senna), as well as what it really means to be a producer.

Allen Hughes (The Defiant Ones)

Thu, 11 Aug 2022 04:05:00 -0000

Grammy-winning filmmaker Allen Hughes rose to fame as the co-director—with his twin brother Albert—of Menace II Society and Dead Presidents, before moving on to direct blockbuster hit The Book of Eli. His latest is The Defiant Ones, a documentary series on the relationship between two very different hip-hop heavyweights. Tiller sits down with Allen to talk about the voodoo art of documentary filmmaking versus scripted movies, pushing past the naysayers, and how to successfully hide from Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine.

Introducing: The Dangerous Art of the Documentary with Tiller Russell

Thu, 04 Aug 2022 15:55:00 -0000

Hosted by acclaimed filmmaker Tiller Russell (Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer, Operation Odessa, The Last Narc, The Seven-Five), THE DANGEROUS ART OF THE DOCUMENTARY is a new series that reveals the wild stories behind some of the world’s most successful and iconic documentaries. Exchanging his camera for a microphone, Russell sits down with a who's-who of documentary filmmakers for riveting, in-depth conversations surrounding the intricate process of producing an engrossing documentary. In season one—debuting August 11, 2022—listeners can hear from documentarians including Allen Hughes (The Defiant Ones), James Gay-Rees (Amy, Senna), Maclain and Chapman Way (Wild Wild Country, Untold), Jaimie D’Cruz (Exit Through the Gift Shop), Joe Berlinger (Conversations with a Serial Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes), Mark Lewis (Don’t F**k With Cats) and Emmett Malloy (Biggie: I Got A Story To Tell). New episodes appear Thursdays, wherever you get your podcasts.