Pure Nonfiction: Inside Documentary Film
185 episodes - English - Latest episode: 11 days ago - ★★★★ - 211 ratingsIf 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.
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Episodes
133: Remembering Leon Gast & “When We Were Kings”
March 18, 2021 17:20 - 42 minutes - 61.8 MB“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.
132: Telling the Story of Fred Hampton
March 04, 2021 08:25 - 34 minutes - 49.3 MBThe 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 f...
131: Alex Vitale on Rethinking True Crime
February 26, 2021 13:48 - 30 minutes - 41.4 MBTrue 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.
130: Jean Tsien Goes Outside Her Comfort Zone
February 18, 2021 16:24 - 33 minutes - 44.4 MBJean 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 stor...
129: Breaking Rules with Victor Kossakovsky, Kirsten Johnson & Garrett Bradley
February 11, 2021 15:58 - 52 minutes - 71.1 MBFilmmaker 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...
128: Bao Nguyen on Bruce Lee in “Be Water”
January 21, 2021 07:52 - 5 MBFilmmaker 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...
127: Remembering Robert Fisk
December 29, 2020 22:38 - 5 MBJournalist 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
126: Loira Limbal on “Through the Night”
December 21, 2020 22:35 - 5 MB“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 ...
125: Garrett Bradley on “Time”
October 14, 2020 22:03 - 5 MBGarrett Bradley is having a moment. In January, she won the Sundance Documentary Directing Prize for her film “Time” that comes to Amazon this month; and she has a multi-channel video installation coming to MoMA in November. “Time” focuses on the quest of a New Orleans mother known as Fox Rich to get her husband out of prison over more than 20 years. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers talks to Garrett about growing up as the daughter of artists, the making of her two companion films “Alone” and...
124: Jeff Orlowski on “The Social Dilemma”
October 07, 2020 21:55 - 5 MB“The Social Dilemma” interviews former insiders at Google, Facebook and Twitter who confess they’re now afraid of the technology they helped to create. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews the film’s director Jeff Orlowski, who previously made “Chasing Ice” and “Chasing Coral.”
123: Yoruba Richen on Breonna Taylor & Harry Belafonte
October 01, 2020 11:30 - 31 minutes - 43.2 MBThe New York Times Presents episode on “The Killing of Breonna Taylor” made its debut in September, the same week as The Sit-In: Harry Belafonte Hosts the Tonight Show. Yoruba Richen directed both documentaries and discusses them with Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers. Starting in June, Yoruba investigated the Louisville police shooting of Taylor in collaboration with reporter Rukmini Callimachi. Her project on Belafonte looks back to 1968 when he took the place of Johnny Carson for one week ...
122: Free hajooj kuka
September 22, 2020 13:10 - 24 minutes - 34.2 MBThe Sudanese filmmaker hajooj kuka (who spells his name in lowercase) came to prominence in 2014 with his film “Beats of the Antonov” that won the People’s Choice Documentary Award at the Toronto International Film Festival. On September 17, 2020 he was sentenced to prison in Khartoum along with four other artists on dubious charges of disturbing the peace. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers talks to hajooj’s longtime producer Steven Markovitz who’s helping to organize the campaign #ReleaseThe...
121: Mark Cousins’ Cinematic Road Trips
September 17, 2020 14:02 - 41 minutes - 56.7 MBMark Cousins has changed the way film history is understood. He opened up a global perspective in his book and film series called The Story of Film and now he’s uncovered a hidden history in Women Make Film. The 14-part series is rolling out on TCM this fall along with 100 films by international women directors. Tilda Swinton, one of Mark’s longtime collaborators, is executive producer and a key voice in the series. In June 2019, Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviewed Mark in his homet...
120: Cameron Bailey on #TIFF20 and Planet Africa
September 08, 2020 15:30 - 27 minutes - 38.1 MBCameron Bailey is the artistic director of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). The 2020 festival takes place September 10-19 adjusting to the extraordinary circumstances of the pandemic. In this interview with TIFF documentary programmer Thom Powers, Cameron discusses what shaped his career path and explains the significance of the image on his office wall (of M’Bissine Thérèse Diop in Black Girl). He also describes the history of TIFF’s Planet Africa section that he started in 1...
119: Going Undercover with “The Mole Agent”
September 02, 2020 21:40 - 5 MBComedy meets poignancy in Maite Alberdi’s “The Mole Agent.” The Chilean director follows a private investigator who goes undercover to infiltrate a retirement home. His client fears the staff is mistreating the residents. Inside the retirement community, the mole agent Sergio witnesses a generation struggling with loneliness and lost connections to their families. Alberdi’s earlier film “Tea Time” (2014) also looked at senior citizens and won countless festival awards. She followed with “The ...
118: Meet Ja’Tovia Gary
August 27, 2020 06:33 - 37 minutes - 51.8 MBJa’Tovia Gary was recently profiled in The New York Times. If you don’t know her work yet, let this podcast be your introduction. Her most recent project “The Giverny Document” exists both as a 42-minute film and an art installation. It’s a work that makes eclectic connections between Nina Simone, Claude Monet’s gardens and the police killing of Philando Castile. It also pays homage to the classic French documentary “Chronicle of a Summer” as Ja’Tovia stands on a Harlem street corner to ask ...
117: The Making of McMillion$
August 21, 2020 13:20 - 37 minutes - 51.5 MBMcMillion$ is a 6-part HBO series that details an elaborate scam over the McDonald’s Monopoly game. For over 10 years, the key game pieces worth up to a million dollars were being stolen and given to hand-picked “winners.” Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews the filmmakers James Lee Hernandez and Brian Lazarte who spent several […] The post 117: The Making of McMillion$ appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
116: Iyabo Boyd of Brown Girls Doc Mafia
August 13, 2020 21:12 - 38 minutes - 53 MBBrown Girls Doc Mafia started as an impromptu meet up in 2015 and has grown into an organization with a membership of more than 4000 women and non-binary people of color working in documentary.Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews the group’s founder Iyabo Boyd. She talks about her work at the grant funder Chicken & […] The post 116: Iyabo Boyd of Brown Girls Doc Mafia appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
115: Uncovering China’s “One Child Nation”
February 14, 2020 14:08 - 28 minutes - 66.3 MB“One Child Nation” investigates China’s policy of pressuring families to have only one child. Filmmakers Nanfu Wang and Jialing Zhang grew up in China during the years of the policy that lasted from 1979 to 2015. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews them about the making of the film and their strategies to avoid government […] The post 115: Uncovering China’s “One Child Nation” appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
114: “For Sama” Inside Syria
February 07, 2020 19:30 - 28 minutes - 65.4 MBThe Oscar-nominated documentary “For Sama” takes a personal journey through the war in Syria. Waad Al-Kateab became a citizen journalist, capturing the siege of Aleppo and events of her own life. We watch her fall in love and get married to a doctor, Hamza, who shares her commitment to stay in Aleppo. The film is […] The post 114: “For Sama” Inside Syria appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
113: Inside “American Factory”
January 30, 2020 14:31 - 38 minutes - 87.6 MBBarack and Michelle Obama picked the film “American Factory” to be the first film backed by their company Higher Ground. Now the film is Oscar nominated for Best Documentary Feature and available on Netflix. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews filmmakers Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert about their long history filming inside the factory in […] The post 113: Inside “American Factory” appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
112: Sundance 2020 Preview
January 19, 2020 08:00 - 19 minutes - 27.2 MBHear insider tips and exclusive clips on documentaries at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers got an early look at over 25 films premiering at the festival. In this annual preview episode he discusses his favorites that will be looking to secure distribution deals. Last year, our Sundance Preview gave listeners early exposure […] The post 112: Sundance 2020 Preview appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
111: Profiling Toni Morrison
August 26, 2019 14:46 - 17 minutes - 24.7 MBToni Morrison, who passed away in August at age 88, is the subject of a new documentary currently in theaters “Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am.” Filmmaker Timothy Greenfield-Sanders had known Morrison since the early 1980s when he began photographing her. In 2006, she gave him the inspiration to create the documentary trilogy “The Black […] The post 111: Profiling Toni Morrison appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
110: Joshua Wong on Hong Kong
July 21, 2019 15:43 - 22 minutes - 31.4 MB“Joshua: Teenager vs Superpower” on Netflix follows the Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong who started leading protests at the age of 14. His actions helped give rise to a democracy movement that brought over a million people to the streets this summer. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviewed Joshua and the film’s director Joe Piscatella […] The post 110: Joshua Wong on Hong Kong appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
109: Running with Beto
May 30, 2019 07:00 - 29 minutes - 40 MBBeto O’Rourke rose from obscurity to political stardom in 2018 when he ran for the Texas Senate seat against incumbent Ted Cruz. Filmmaker David Modigliani follows that journey in “Running with Beto,” now playing on HBO. On this podcast, Modigliani is joined by three Beto volunteers who are prominently featured in the film: Shannon Gay, […] The post 109: Running with Beto appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
108: Asif Kapadia on Ayrton Senna, Amy Winehouse & Diego Maradona
May 16, 2019 07:00 - 39 minutes - 54.3 MB“Diego Maradona”, making its world premiere at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, is the latest from director Asif Kapadia. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviewed Asif about that film along with his previous documentaries “Senna” (about Formula One race car driver Ayrton Senna) and the Oscar-winning “Amy” (about singer Amy Winehouse). Their conversation took place […] The post 108: Asif Kapadia on Ayrton Senna, Amy Winehouse & Diego Maradona appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
107: Rachel Lears on filming Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
May 02, 2019 07:00 - 27 minutes - 37.8 MB“Knock Down the House” captures four working class candidates running for Congress in West Virginia, Nevada, Missouri and New York City. That last one is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who overcame enormous odds to become the youngest woman elected to Congress at age 29. Director/producer/cinematographer Rachel Lears and her husband producer/editor Robin Blotnick follow AOC early on […] The post 107: Rachel Lears on filming Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
106: Werner Herzog on “Meeting Gorbachev”
April 25, 2019 07:00 - 47 minutes - 65.7 MBWerner Herzog talks about the history of Germany, the Soviet Union and dispenses marital advice on this episode. His latest film “Meeting Gorbachev” is based on interviews he conducted with the former Soviet leader over 2017-18. The film was co-directed by his longtime producer André Singer.Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviewed Herzog at TIFF Doc […] The post 106: Werner Herzog on “Meeting Gorbachev” appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
105: Sam Green & David Harrington on Kronos Quartet
April 18, 2019 07:00 - 49 minutes - 68.1 MBKronos Quartet performs live for the documentary “A Thousand Thoughts” about the group’s history. The film is directed by Sam Green, who narrates the live performances, and Joe Bini. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews Green and Kronos founder David Harrington about this unique act of live cinema. On Twitter: @kronosquartet @PureNonfiction @thompowers The post 105: Sam Green & David Harrington on Kronos Quartet appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
104: Penny Lane on “Hail Satan?”
April 11, 2019 07:00 - 27 minutes - 37.6 MB“Hail Satan?” looks at the Satanic Temple that started six years ago as political provocation and grew into an international movement. Director Penny Lane (“Our Nixon,” ‘Nuts!”) and producer Gabriel Sedgwick got drawn into the topic by a Village Voice article by Anna Merlan. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews Lane about key members of […] The post 104: Penny Lane on “Hail Satan?” appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
103: Alison Klayman on Steve Bannon in “The Brink”
April 04, 2019 07:00 - 34 minutes - 47.3 MBDirector Alison Klayman (“Ai Wei Wei: Never Sorry”) spent a year on the road with Steve Bannon as he met with European right wing leaders to spread his nationalist ideology. That journey is captured in “The Brink.” The film’s producer Marie Therese Guirgis started the project with a Bannon connection from outside politics. Fifteen years […] The post 103: Alison Klayman on Steve Bannon in “The Brink” appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
102: Baseball on Drugs in “Screwball”
March 28, 2019 07:16 - 39 minutes - 54 MB“Cocaine Cowboys” director Billy Corben and producer Alfred Spellman talk to Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers about their new comic documentary “Screwball” covering the baseball drug scandal that disgraced Yankee Alex Rodriguez and other players. Hear their previous interview on episode 42 discussing “Cocaine Cowboys.” On Twitter: @billycorben @alfredspellman @thompowers @PureNonfiction The post 102: Baseball on Drugs in “Screwball” appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
101: Alex Gibney on how Theranos fooled Silicon Valley
March 21, 2019 07:00 - 37 minutes - 51.1 MBHBO’s documentary “The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley” looks at the case of Elizabeth Holmes who created the company Theranos promising to revolutionize the field of blood-testing. The company swiftly rose to be valued at billions of dollars, but was eventually exposed as a fraud. Host Thom Powers interviews director Alex Gibney and […] The post 101: Alex Gibney on how Theranos fooled Silicon Valley appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
100: Inside “The Case Against Adnan Syed” on HBO
March 09, 2019 01:00 - 29 minutes - 40.4 MBSerial, the podcast, won millions of listeners to the story of the 1999 Baltimore murder of Hae Min Lee that sent her ex-boyfriend Adnan Syed to prison. Now the case is re-opened by private investigators in a new 4-part series “The Case Against Adnan Syed” on HBO. Episode one had its world premiere at Pure […] The post 100: Inside “The Case Against Adnan Syed” on HBO appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
99: D.A. Pennebaker, Seth Meyers, John Mulaney & more on Stephen Sondheim’s “Company”
February 28, 2019 08:00 - 38 minutes - 52.8 MBD.A. Pennebaker’s1970 documentary “Original Cast Album: Company” captures the dramatic recording session of the Stephen Sondheim musical. The film is a cult classic among Broadway fans. Now it’s the target of a loving parody in the third season of Documentary Now!, the IFC TV series created by Seth Meyers, Fred Armisen, Bill Hader and Rhys Thomas. Their […] The post 99: D.A. Pennebaker, Seth Meyers, John Mulaney & more on Stephen Sondheim’s “Company” appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
98: Tim Wardle, Sandi Tan & RaMell Ross on “Pushing Boundaries”
February 21, 2019 08:00 - 57 minutes - 79.5 MB“Three Identical Strangers,” “Shirkers” and the Oscar-nominated “Hale Country This Morning, This Evening” are the focus of this conversation about pushing stylistic boundaries in documentary. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviewed the filmmakers at DOC NYC in November 2018. This is the fourth and final installment of conversations from the DOC NYC Short List. Previous […] The post 98: Tim Wardle, Sandi Tan & RaMell Ross on “Pushing Boundaries” appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
97: “United Skates” with Tina Brown & Reggie Brown
February 14, 2019 08:00 - 26 minutes - 36.1 MBTribeca Audience Prize winner “United Skates” treats you to a dazzling display of roller skating styles in black communities across America. For several generations, roller rinks provided a place for skaters to come together in harmonious movement. Now that tradition is threatened by rinks closing throughout the country. Cities are more likely to give tax […] The post 97: “United Skates” with Tina Brown & Reggie Brown appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
96: Talal Derki on filming in Syria
February 07, 2019 08:00 - 43 minutes - 59.7 MBSyrian director Talal Derki has twice won the Sundance Film Festival’s World Cinema Best Documentary Award for “Return to Homs” and “Of Fathers and Sons.” That first film traced the early years of Syria’s civil war. Derki working with a team of camera people followed two peaceful protestors – national soccer star Abdul Basset Sarout […] The post 96: Talal Derki on filming in Syria appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
95: Free Solo, Minding The Gap & Getting Personal
January 31, 2019 08:00 - 45 minutes - 62.9 MB“Free Solo,” “Minding the Gap,” “On Her Shoulders” and “The Sentence” are four outstanding documentaries from the past year that test the boundaries of filmmakers to keep a critical distance. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviewed the filmmakers on a panel titled “Getting Personal” at the 2018 DOC NYC festival. Alexandria Bombach (“On Her Shoulders”) […] The post 95: Free Solo, Minding The Gap & Getting Personal appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
94: Sundance 2019 Preview
January 22, 2019 19:45 - 37 minutes - 51.2 MBAlexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Steve Bannon, Miles Davis & Toni Morrison are among the prominent documentary subjects at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers got an early look at many of the year’s most anticipated films. In this third annual Sundance preview, he shares exclusive clips and insights on what to expect. Films […] The post 94: Sundance 2019 Preview appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
93: Astra Taylor on “What is Democracy?”
January 17, 2019 08:00 - 40 minutes - 56.2 MBCornel West, Wendy Brown and Rev William Barber are among the thinkers and activists captured in the new film “What is Democracy?”. Filmmaker Astra Taylor previously made two other documentaries on philosophers “Zizek!” and “Examined Life.” In addition to her work as a filmmaker, she’s also the author of “The People’s Platform” and the forthcoming “Democracy May […] The post 93: Astra Taylor on “What is Democracy?” appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
92: Aretha Franklin in “Amazing Grace,” Lost and Found
December 06, 2018 08:00 - 42 minutes - 59 MBIn 1972, Aretha Franklin recorded her biggest selling album “Amazing Grace” as a live gospel performance over two nights at a Los Angeles church, under the direction of Reverend James Cleveland. The event was recorded by camera crews led by Sydney Pollack. Due to technical problems, the project was abandoned and the footage stored for […] The post 92: Aretha Franklin in “Amazing Grace,” Lost and Found appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
91: Mr. Rogers, Quincy Jones, Jane Fonda & Pope Francis Walk Into a Bar
November 29, 2018 13:22 - 57 minutes - 78.5 MBThe art of portrait documentaries is discussed with five filmmakers: Wim Wenders (“Pope Francis: A Man of His Word”), Rashida Jones and Alan Hicks (“Quincy”), Morgan Neville (“Won’t You Be My Neighbor?) and Susan Lacy (“Jane Fonda: A Life in Five Acts”). This conversation was recorded at DOC NYC before a live audience. The filmmakers […] The post 91: Mr. Rogers, Quincy Jones, Jane Fonda & Pope Francis Walk Into a Bar appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
90: Michael Moore, Julie Cohen, Annie Sundberg & Stephen Maing on “Getting Political”
November 15, 2018 08:00 - 46 minutes - 63.2 MBFilmmakers Michael Moore (Fahrenheit 11/9), Julie Cohen (RBG), Annie Sundberg (Reversing Roe) and Stephen Maing (Crime + Punishment) sat down with Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers for a panel called “Getting Political” at the DOC NYC PRO conference on November 9, 2018. The date marked the two year anniversary of Donald Trump’s election and came […] The post 90: Michael Moore, Julie Cohen, Annie Sundberg & Stephen Maing on “Getting Political” appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
89: Opal H. Bennett on Short Documentaries
November 08, 2018 13:40 - 34 minutes - 46.8 MBShort documentaries are thriving on platforms like Netflix, HBO and New York Times Op-Docs. This year, the DOC NYC festival picked 12 short docs for its first ever Short List: Shorts. Programmer Opal H. Bennett talks to Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers to highlight some the year’s leading Short Doc awards contenders that are currently […] The post 89: Opal H. Bennett on Short Documentaries appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
88: DOC NYC Preview 2018
November 01, 2018 07:00 - 1 hour - 84.7 MBWim Wenders, Rashida Jones, and Michael Moore are among the hundreds of documentary filmmakers coming to New York City for the DOC NYC festival from November 8 to 15. DOC NYC artistic director and Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers gives a preview of the festival loaded with clips from films. He interviews key members of […] The post 88: DOC NYC Preview 2018 appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
87: Sandi Tan on “Shirkers”
October 25, 2018 07:00 - 30 minutes - 41.2 MBWinner of the 2018 Sundance Directing Award for World Documentary, Sandi Tan makes her debut with “Shirkers,” now on Netflix. She grew up in Singapore. As a teenager in the 1980s, she had an outsider’s sensibility, obsessed with punk rock, fanzines, and indie film. She took a film class from a middle-aged American man named […] The post 87: Sandi Tan on “Shirkers” appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
86: Alex Gibney & Trevor Birney, Wanted in Belfast
October 18, 2018 07:00 - 37 minutes - 50.9 MBAlex Gibney’s “No Stone Unturned” uses leaked police documents to investigate an unsolved mass murder in Northern Ireland. Now the police are pushing back. On August 31, police raided the Belfast homes and office of producer Trevor Birney and journalist Barry Mccaffrey and arrested them over the leaked documents. Gibney has been notified that he’s […] The post 86: Alex Gibney & Trevor Birney, Wanted in Belfast appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
85: Maxim Pozdorovkin on Trump, Putin & Pussy Riot
August 02, 2018 07:00 - 47 minutes - 65.5 MBDuring the 2016 US election, Russia Today offered a steady stream of English-language reports that disseminated to American audiences via YouTube and Facebook. Filmmaker Maxim Pozdorovkin digs into those reports and other Russian media coverage to offer an immersive look at propaganda in “Our New President.” The film was originally crafted as a short for […] The post 85: Maxim Pozdorovkin on Trump, Putin & Pussy Riot appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
84: Matt Tyrnauer on “Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood”
July 26, 2018 07:00 - 44 minutes - 61.7 MBGore Vidal played a key role behind the scenes in helping Scotty Bowers tell his secret history of Hollywood. Starting in the 1940s, Scotty operated an infamous gas station in Hollywood where he would arrange sexual trysts for celebrities who needed to keep their gay, lesbian or bisexual lives hidden. With Vidal’s help, Scotty published […] The post 84: Matt Tyrnauer on “Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood” appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.