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
PN 33: Inside Sundance with Josh Braun
January 18, 2017 08:00 - 51 minutes - 70.8 MBThe Sundance Film Festival remains a hot spot for launching documentary films. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers got an early look at several films premiering at the festival. In Part One of the podcast, he previews prominent trends from the U.S. Documentary Competition represented by the films “Trophy”, “The Force” and “Strong Island”; and notable […] The post PN 33: Inside Sundance with Josh Braun appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
PN 32: Laura Poitras & Henrik Moltke on Project X
January 12, 2017 08:00 - 30 minutes - 41.9 MBWhat mystery lies behind the windowless building in Manhattan at 33 Thomas Street? In the short documentary “Project X,” Oscar-winning filmmaker Laura Poitras (“Citizenfour”) teams with journalist Henrik Moltke to explore the building’s secrets. The film employs the voices of actors Rami Malek and Michelle Williams reading from NSA documents in the Snowden archives. Now […] The post PN 32: Laura Poitras & Henrik Moltke on Project X appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
PN 31: Race, History, Trump & Documentary
December 02, 2016 15:50 - 47 minutes - 64.9 MBBryan Stevenson, Raoul Peck & Ezra Edelman took part in a panel titled “American Histories,” moderated by Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers. It took place at the DOC NYC festival just three days after Donald Trump was elected President. The discussion covers three films – “I Am Not Your Negro,” directed by Peck; “OJ: Made […] The post PN 31: Race, History, Trump & Documentary appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
PN 30: Madam President: Sheila Nevins on HBO Documentary Films
November 09, 2016 08:00 - 45 minutes - 82.7 MBSheila Nevins is a lover and a fighter. When she joined HBO in its early years, the label “documentary” evoked something educational. She turned it into something entertaining with her passion and tenacity. In this wide ranging interview with host Thom Powers, Nevins discusses her early days working with the Maysles brothers, her forays into […] The post PN 30: Madam President: Sheila Nevins on HBO Documentary Films appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
PN 29: Werner Herzog on “Into the Inferno”
November 03, 2016 07:00 - 30 minutes - 42.5 MBVolcanoes are the focus of Werner Herzog’s new film “Into the Inferno,” now playing on Netflix. He teams with volcanologist Dr. Clive Oppenheimer (author of “Eruptions that Shook the World”) to visit volcanoes in the South Pacific, Indonesia, Iceland, North Korea and beyond. They first met at the top of Antarctica’s volcano Mt Erebus during […] The post PN 29: Werner Herzog on “Into the Inferno” appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
PN 28: Gianfranco Rosi on “Fire at Sea”
October 27, 2016 07:00 - 33 minutes - 45.6 MBWinner of the Berlin Film Festival’s top jury prize in 2016, “Fire at Sea” takes place on the Italian island of Lampedusa. Located near the African coast, Lampedusa is a prime destination for refugees traveling by boat. Filmmaker Gianfranco Rosi spent months filming with residents of the island and on board an Italian Navy ship […] The post PN 28: Gianfranco Rosi on “Fire at Sea” appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
PN 27: Morgan Spurlock & Jeremy Chilnick on “Rats”
October 20, 2016 07:00 - 38 minutes - 52.7 MBAfter “Super Size Me,” director Morgan Spurlock teamed with producer Jeremy Chilnick to form the production company Warrior Poets. Their latest film is “Rats,” based on the book by Robert Sullivan, conceived as a nonfiction horror movie. The film uses New York exterminator Ed Sheehan as a fountain of knowledge about vermin as it examines […] The post PN 27: Morgan Spurlock & Jeremy Chilnick on “Rats” appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
PN 26: Ava DuVernay on 13th
October 13, 2016 09:07 - 36 minutes - 50.5 MBSelma director Ava DuVernay has a new documentary on Netflix called 13th. The title comes from the Constitution’s 13th amendment that abolished slavery with the loophole clause “except as a punishment for a crime.” The film explores American history to follow the path from the 13th amendment to our current criminal justice system and its […] The post PN 26: Ava DuVernay on 13th appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
PN 25: Directing “Amanda Knox”
October 06, 2016 07:00 - 40 minutes - 55.7 MBRod Blackhurst and Brian McGinn, the directors of “Amanda Knox,” discuss their five-year effort to bring the story to Netflix. Knox was a Seattle college student studying for a year abroad in Perugia, Italy. In 2007, her British roommate Meredith Kercher was found murdered in their apartment. Local prosecutor Giuliano Mignini accused Knox and her […] The post PN 25: Directing “Amanda Knox” appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
PN 24: Kirsten Johnson on “Cameraperson”
September 29, 2016 07:00 - 49 minutes - 68.6 MBLaura Poitras and Michael Moore are only two of many filmmakers who have turned to the skills of cinematographer Kirsten Johnson. Now Johnson has directed her own film “Cameraperson.” It’s a kind of memoir of her past 25 years shooting documentaries. “It’s unlike anything you’ve seen before,” wrote A.O. Scott in his New York Times […] The post PN 24: Kirsten Johnson on “Cameraperson” appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
PN 23: Demme on Talking Heads, Neil Young & Justin Timberlake
September 23, 2016 06:11 - 26 minutes - 36.8 MBJonathan Demme is receiving a retrospective this fall at the Stranger Than Fiction screening series at New York’s IFC Center. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers leads this conversation with Demme about his concert films with Talking Heads, Neil Young and Justin Timberlake. Demme shares behind the scenes details of “Stop Making Sense,” “Neil Young: Heart […] The post PN 23: Demme on Talking Heads, Neil Young & Justin Timberlake appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
PN 22: Nanette Burstein Investigates John McAfee
September 22, 2016 07:00 - 30 minutes - 41.6 MB“Gringo: The Dangerous Life of John McAfee” explores the murky history of the anti-virus software pioneer who moved to the jungle of Belize and lived out a modern Heart of Darkness. After his neighbor Greg Faull was found murdered in 2012, Belize police sought McAfee for questioning. He fled the country and returned to prominence […] The post PN 22: Nanette Burstein Investigates John McAfee appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
PN 21: Raoul Peck on James Baldwin
September 15, 2016 19:48 - 27 minutes - 37.8 MB“I Am Not Your Negro,” directed by Raoul Peck and based on the writings of James Baldwin, made the list of Rolling Stone’s “25 Movies We Can’t Wait to See” at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). This past week, the audience reception at the world premiere met those expectations. The film was acquired for […] The post PN 21: Raoul Peck on James Baldwin appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
PN 20: Women Directors at #TIFF16
September 09, 2016 04:01 - 33 minutes - 46.5 MB“Girl Unbound” and “Karl Marx City” are among the documentaries directed by women making their world premieres at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Pure Nonfiction host and TIFF documentary programmer Thom Powers talks to both directors. In “Girl Unbound,” filmmaker Erin Heidenreich makes her feature-length debut profiling the Pakistani squash player Maria Toorpakai Wazir […] The post PN 20: Women Directors at #TIFF16 appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
PN 19: New Docs on True Crime
September 08, 2016 07:00 - 34 minutes - 47.8 MB“The Skyjacker’s Tale” and “Abacus: Small Enough to Jail” are two new docs on crime and justice making their world premieres at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Pure Nonfiction host and TIFF documentary programmer Thom Powers talks to both directors. In “The Skyjacker’s Tale,” filmmaker Jamie Kastner profiles Ishmael Muslim Ali (aka Ishmael Labeet) […] The post PN 19: New Docs on True Crime appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
PN 18: Jazz Legends on Screen
September 01, 2016 07:00 - 39 minutes - 54.9 MBTrumpet player Lee Morgan was murdered at age 33. Saxophonist John Coltrane died of cancer at age 40. Now both these jazz greats are the subjects of ambitious new documentaries. Thom Powers interviews the filmmakers Kasper Collin (“I Called Him Morgan”) and John Scheinfeld (“Chasing Trane”) as we begin Season Two of Pure Nonfiction. “I […] The post PN 18: Jazz Legends on Screen appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
Season Two Preview
August 25, 2016 07:00 - 5 minutes - 7.93 MBThe Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is just two weeks away. Pure Nonfiction will have extensive coverage of documentaries premiering at the festival. In this preview of the podcast’s Season Two, host Thom Powers samples upcoming conversations with filmmakers John Scheinfeld (Chasing Trane), Steve James (Abacus: Small Enough to Jail), and Petra Epperlein (Karl Marx […] The post Season Two Preview appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
PN 17: Barbara Kopple – From Harlan County to Sharon Jones
July 28, 2016 13:28 - 39 minutes - 53.9 MBTwo-time Oscar winner Barbara Kopple is back with a new film about soul singer Sharon Jones in a year when she battles cancer and prepares for her comeback with The Dap Kings. In this wide-ranging interview with Thom Powers, she talks about her apprenticeship with the Maysles brothers; “Harlan County USA” on striking coal miners; […] The post PN 17: Barbara Kopple – From Harlan County to Sharon Jones appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
PN 16: Alex Gibney on Revealing Secrets
July 21, 2016 07:00 - 47 minutes - 65.5 MBCyber warfare and the Stuxnet virus are the focus of Alex Gibney’s new film “Zero Days.” Once again, Gibney proves himself a master in getting people to talk. In the film, he speaks with high-ranking government officials on camera as well as anonymous sources whose testimony is delivered by a computer avatar. On Pure Nonfiction, […] The post PN 16: Alex Gibney on Revealing Secrets appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
PN 15: Muhammad Ali on Film
July 14, 2016 07:00 - 44 minutes - 61.2 MBBill Siegel, director of “The Trials of Muhammad Ali,” spent over two decades nurturing the idea to make his film about Ali’s religious beliefs and his opposition to the Vietnam War. On Pure Nonfiction episode #15, Siegel talks to Thom Powers about the making of the film, his experiences with Ali’s family and attending the […] The post PN 15: Muhammad Ali on Film appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
PN 14: TV’s King of Comedy
July 07, 2016 07:00 - 40 minutes - 55.4 MB“Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You” explores the life of the television maverick behind hit shows such as “All in the Family,” “Maude,” and “The Jeffersons.” On Pure Nonfiction, filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady discuss how they sought to create a nuanced portrait. They also discuss their early films “The Boys of Baraka” […] The post PN 14: TV’s King of Comedy appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
PN 13: “Life, Animated” director Roger Ross Williams
June 30, 2016 07:00 - 45 minutes - 63.1 MBOscar-winning director Roger Ross Williams talks about his career and his new film “Life, Animated” about an autistic boy who learns to communicate through Disney cartoons. Williams was the first African-American director to win an Oscar in 2010 for his documentary short “Music by Prudence.” His acceptance speech is memorable for being interrupted by his […] The post PN 13: “Life, Animated” director Roger Ross Williams appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
PN 12: Talking “Tickled” with David Farrier & Dylan Reeve
June 23, 2016 07:00 - 28 minutes - 52.3 MBFetish or sport? That’s what New Zealand TV journalist David Farrier wondered when he came across online videos of athletic young men in sports uniforms being tickled. The videos were billed as “Competitive Endurance Tickling.” Farrier reached out to the American video producer Jane O’Brien Media for an interview. They replied with a stream of […] The post PN 12: Talking “Tickled” with David Farrier & Dylan Reeve appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
PN 11: Yo-Yo Ma & Morgan Neville on “The Music of Strangers”
June 16, 2016 07:00 - 44 minutes - 61.5 MBCellist Yo-Yo Ma talks to Pure Nonfiction about “The Music of Strangers” and lessons he’s learned since a mid-life crisis led him to create the Silk Road Ensemble. Host Thom Powers also speaks to director Morgan Neville about making “The Music of Strangers” as well as his Oscar-winner “20 Feet from Stardom.” Plus, Neville shares […] The post PN 11: Yo-Yo Ma & Morgan Neville on “The Music of Strangers” appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
PN 10: Why Revisit O.J. Simpson?
June 09, 2016 07:00 - 34 minutes - 64.1 MBEzra Edelman explores the life of O.J. Simpson against the backdrop of race relations in Los Angeles in the five-part ESPN series “O.J.: Made in America.” On Pure Nonfiction, Edelman talks about re-opening a story that many participants wanted to avoid and how he overcame their reluctance. On Twitter: @ezraedelman @thompowers O.J.: Made in America […] The post PN 10: Why Revisit O.J. Simpson? appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
PN 09: Pennebaker & Hegedus on Clinton, Bowie & Animal Rights
June 02, 2016 07:00 - 35 minutes - 48.2 MBDA Pennebaker & Chris Hegedus have been collaborating for 40 years. In this interview with Thom Powers, they talk about films throughout their career including “Town Bloody Hall” about a 1970s debate over women’s liberation; “The War Room” about Bill Clinton’s Presidential campaign; and their newest HBO documentary “Unlocking the Cage” about animal rights lawyer […] The post PN 09: Pennebaker & Hegedus on Clinton, Bowie & Animal Rights appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
PN 08: Who is Princess Shaw?
May 26, 2016 15:02 - 22 minutes - 30.4 MB“Presenting Princess Shaw” is one of the year’s most crowd-pleasing documentaries at festivals from TIFF to True/False to SXSW. Now it’s releasing in theaters and on VOD. Director Ido Haar follows Samantha Montgomery, aka Princess Shaw, an aspiring singer in New Orleans who posts her songs and diaries on YouTube. Unbeknownst to her, the composer […] The post PN 08: Who is Princess Shaw? appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
PN 07: Weiner Beyond the Headlines
May 19, 2016 07:00 - 26 minutes - 37 MB“Weiner” directors Josh Kriegman & Elyse Steinberg take us behind the scenes of filming their documentary about Anthony Weiner. The film follows the politician as he copes with a sexting scandal during the 2013 New York mayoral campaign. The film won the Documentary Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival and the David Carr […] The post PN 07: Weiner Beyond the Headlines appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
PN 06: Jonathan Demme’s Real Life Characters
May 12, 2016 18:56 - 1 hour - 87.9 MBJonathan Demme has directed a steady stream of documentaries in between his prominent output of fiction films. In this conversation with Thom Powers, Demme talks about “Swimming to Cambodia,” the breakthrough monologue by Spalding Gray; “Cousin Bobby” about the Harlem-based Episcopalian priest Robert Castle; “The Agronomist” about the Haitian radio journalist Jean Dominique; “Jimmy Carter: […] The post PN 06: Jonathan Demme’s Real Life Characters appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
PN 05: Who is Anderson Cooper’s Mother?
May 05, 2016 02:00 - 37 minutes - 69.3 MBLiz Garbus, the two-time Oscar nominated director of “The Farm: Angola, USA” and “What Happened, Miss Simone?,” has a new HBO documentary “Nothing Left Unsaid: Gloria Vanderbilt and Anderson Cooper” about the maverick fashion designer and her journalist son. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews Garbus about her career that moved from observational filmmaking to […] The post PN 05: Who is Anderson Cooper’s Mother? appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
PN 04: Going Deep With Mapplethorpe
April 28, 2016 02:00 - 44 minutes - 81.9 MBFenton Bailey and Randy Barbato, directors of HBO’s “Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures,” discuss their career from when they first met in the 1980s. Yes, this episode contains explicit language as we discuss the controversial photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, known for his provocative images of gay S&M sex. Today, Bailey & Barbato run the Los Angeles-based […] The post PN 04: Going Deep With Mapplethorpe appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
PN 03: “Making a Murderer” – Behind the Scenes
April 21, 2016 03:00 - 48 minutes - 89.3 MB“Making a Murderer” directors Laura Riccardi and Moira Demos discuss the ten-year process of creating their acclaimed Netflix series. This conversation with Thom Powers took place with a live audience at New York’s IFC Center on February 25, 2016. The filmmakers were joined by their editor Mary Manhardt and Wisconsin attorney Stephen Glynn who appears […] The post PN 03: “Making a Murderer” – Behind the Scenes appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
PN 02: Inside the Supreme Court Case on Abortion
April 20, 2016 05:50 - 29 minutes - 54 MBDawn Porter, director of “Trapped” and “Gideon’s Army,” discusses how she switched careers from being a lawyer to a documentary maker; and how she chose her topics. Her first film “Gideon’s Army” looked at public defense lawyers in the south and influenced action by Attorney General Eric Holder. Her latest film “Trapped” won the 2016 […] The post PN 02: Inside the Supreme Court Case on Abortion appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
PN 01: From Maysles To The New Yorker Presents…
April 19, 2016 02:00 - 27 minutes - 63.9 MBKahane Cooperman, the showrunner of “The New Yorker Presents,” discusses her eclectic jobs from working at Maysles Films to becoming co-executive producer of “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” to directing her new documentary “Joe’s Violin” that premiered at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival. “I essentially went on my first job interviews in almost 19 […] The post PN 01: From Maysles To The New Yorker Presents… appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.
PN 00 – Introducing Pure Nonfiction!
April 13, 2016 21:48 - 3 minutes - 8.26 MBDocumentary film makers span all kinds of storytellers: provocateurs, visionaries, investigators and more. Pure Nonfiction brings you candid interviews with leading documentary makers. Hear this preview as host Thom Powers talks to the filmmakers behind Making a Murderer; The New Yorker Presents; Mapplethorpe and more. Be among the first to subscribe! The post PN 00 – Introducing Pure Nonfiction! appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.