Pure Nonfiction: Inside Documentary Film

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If you love documentary films, hear from the top storytellers on Pure Nonfiction. Past guests include Werner Herzog, Ava DuVernay, Errol Morris, Raoul Peck, Laura Poitras, Alex Gibney and more. Host Thom Powers leads conversations that are frank, funny and revealing. He has deep experience as a fest…

TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival)


    • Dec 5, 2022 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 36m AVG DURATION
    • 324 EPISODES

    4.4 from 210 ratings Listeners of Pure Nonfiction: Inside Documentary Film that love the show mention: thanks thom, love documentaries, documentary films, powers, thom's, nonfiction, non fiction, filmmakers, docs, filmmaking, story behind, greats, erudite, elevate, insider, intimate, lovers, medium, pure, riveting.



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    Latest episodes from Pure Nonfiction: Inside Documentary Film

    151: Rebeca Huntt on "Beba"

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 5, 2022 32:16


    Rebeca Huntt tells her own coming of age story in her debut documentary "Beba," now streaming on Hulu. She uses the medium of film to explore the personal, political and poetic. The New Yorker critic Richard Brody describes the film as "an intimate story with a grand scope." It's been nominated for the Cinema Eye Honors in three categories including Best Director and was named by Indiewire as one of the Top 25 Films of 2022.On Instagram: @bebafilm @rebecahuntt @purenonfiction @thompowers1

    150: “La Madrina” of the South Bronx

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 14, 2022 28:39


    La Madrina: The [Savage] Life of Lorine Padilla profiles the South Bronx “godmother” who transitioned from life in the Savage Skulls street gang to become a beloved community activist. Filmmaker Raquel Cepeda tells a nuanced portrait of Lorine, drawing upon previously unseen footage captured in the 1970s and ‘80s for documentaries such as "80 Blocks from Tiffany's" and "Flyin' Cut Sleeves” that focused on Bronx gangs. Raquel wrote about her own New York upbringing in her memoir Bird of Paradise: How I Became Latina. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews Lorine and Raquel along with the film's executive producer Henry Calfant, a pioneering chronicler of the Bronx hip hop scene who produced “Style Wars” and directed “Flyin' Cut Sleeves."After a two year hiatus, Pure Nonfiction has resumed its live screening series at New York's IFC Center. The spring season takes place on Tuesday nights through the end of May. This conversation was recorded before a live audience for the season's opening night on April 5, 2022. If you're in New York City, join us in person!

    150: “La Madrina” of the South Bronx

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 14, 2022 28:39


    La Madrina: The [Savage] Life of Lorine Padilla profiles the South Bronx “godmother” who transitioned from life in the Savage Skulls street gang to become a beloved community activist. Filmmaker Raquel Cepeda tells a nuanced portrait of Lorine, drawing upon previously unseen footage captured in the 1970s and ‘80s for documentaries such as "80 Blocks from Tiffany's" and "Flyin' Cut Sleeves” that focused on Bronx gangs. Raquel wrote about her own New York upbringing in her memoir Bird of Paradise: How I Became Latina. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews Lorine and Raquel along with the film's executive producer Henry Calfant, a pioneering chronicler of the Bronx hip hop scene who produced “Style Wars” and directed “Flyin' Cut Sleeves."After a two year hiatus, Pure Nonfiction has resumed its live screening series at New York's IFC Center. The spring season takes place on Tuesday nights through the end of May. This conversation was recorded before a live audience for the season's opening night on April 5, 2022. If you're in New York City, join us in person!

    149: W. Kamau Bell on "We Need to Talk About Cosby"

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 24, 2022 28:58


    W. Kamau Bell has a wide-ranging career in stand-up comedy, TV hosting, podcasting, and more. Now he directs the four-part Showtime series "We Need to Talk About Cosby". It explores the once beloved entertainer who's been accused by over 60 women of rape, sexual assault, and harrassment. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers talks to Kamau about how he navigated the intense emotions around Cosby's legacy.Hear Kamau discussing different aspects of the series on Larry Willmore: Black on the Air and Fresh Air. For more on his work, visit wkamaubell.com.

    149: W. Kamau Bell on "We Need to Talk About Cosby"

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 24, 2022 28:58


    W. Kamau Bell has a wide-ranging career in stand-up comedy, TV hosting, podcasting, and more. Now he directs the four-part Showtime series "We Need to Talk About Cosby". It explores the once beloved entertainer who's been accused by over 60 women of rape, sexual assault, and harrassment. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers talks to Kamau about how he navigated the intense emotions around Cosby's legacy.Hear Kamau discussing different aspects of the series on Larry Willmore: Black on the Air and Fresh Air. For more on his work, visit wkamaubell.com.

    148: Abigail Disney & Kathleen Hughes on Disney's Dark Side

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 17, 2022 25:35


    Abigail Disney made headlines three years ago when she launched a critique on the labor practices of Walt Disney Company that was co-founded by her grandfather Roy O. Disney. Now she pushes that argument further in the documentary The American Dream and Other Fairy Tales that she directed with Kathleen Hughes. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviewed Disney and Hughes as the film was making its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. The film won strong reviews in Variety and The Hollywood Reporter and is still seeking distribution.This conversation references Disney's previous credits as a producer on Pray the Devil Back to Hell; and as a director with Hughes on The Armor of Light. It also touches upon the experiences of Abigail's father Roy E. Disney covered in the book DisneyWar. Hear more of Abigail's critique against the Walt Disney Company in her interview on KCRW's The Business; and her own podcast All Ears with Abigail Disney.

    148: Abigail Disney & Kathleen Hughes on Disney's Dark Side

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 17, 2022 25:35


    Abigail Disney made headlines three years ago when she launched a critique on the labor practices of Walt Disney Company that was co-founded by her grandfather Roy O. Disney. Now she pushes that argument further in the documentary The American Dream and Other Fairy Tales that she directed with Kathleen Hughes. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviewed Disney and Hughes as the film was making its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. The film won strong reviews in Variety and The Hollywood Reporter and is still seeking distribution.This conversation references Disney's previous credits as a producer on Pray the Devil Back to Hell; and as a director with Hughes on The Armor of Light. It also touches upon the experiences of Abigail's father Roy E. Disney covered in the book DisneyWar. Hear more of Abigail's critique against the Walt Disney Company in her interview on KCRW's The Business; and her own podcast All Ears with Abigail Disney.

    147: Stanley Nelson on "Attica" and a Retrospective

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 29, 2022 32:37


    Stanley Nelson's latest film "Attica" was picked for the Oscar Documentary Short List. It's playing on Showtime and available free for a limited time on YouTube. In February, the Criterion Channel will present a retrospective titled "Black History Rising: Documentaries by Stanley Nelson." The collection covers five films: "The Black Press: Soldiers Without Swords" about African-American-owned newspapers; "Freedom Summer" on the 1964 Mississippi voter registration drive; and a deeply personal film about his family, "A Place of Our Own." Stanley looks back on his career in a wide-ranging interview with Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers.

    147: Stanley Nelson on "Attica" and a Retrospective

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 29, 2022 32:37


    Stanley Nelson's latest film "Attica" was picked for the Oscar Documentary Short List. It's playing on Showtime and available free for a limited time on YouTube. In February, the Criterion Channel will present a retrospective titled "Black History Rising: Documentaries by Stanley Nelson." The collection covers five films: "The Black Press: Soldiers Without Swords" about African-American-owned newspapers; "Freedom Summer" on the 1964 Mississippi voter registration drive; and a deeply personal film about his family, "A Place of Our Own." Stanley looks back on his career in a wide-ranging interview with Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers.

    146: Alex Pritz on “The Territory” at Sundance

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 27, 2022 32:00


    The burning of the Amazon rainforest is a global tragedy. Filmmaker Alex Pritz collaborates with members of the Uru-eu-wau-wau indigenous community to document what's happening on the ground in The Territory. Premiering at Sundance, the film has been hailed as "riveting" (Variety), "gorgeously and sometimes ingeniously conceived" (Indiewire). Alex describes the making of the film with host Thom Powers.

    146: Alex Pritz on “The Territory” at Sundance

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 27, 2022 32:00


    The burning of the Amazon rainforest is a global tragedy. Filmmaker Alex Pritz collaborates with members of the Uru-eu-wau-wau indigenous community to document what's happening on the ground in The Territory. Premiering at Sundance, the film has been hailed as "riveting" (Variety), "gorgeously and sometimes ingeniously conceived" (Indiewire). Alex describes the making of the film with host Thom Powers.

    145: Joe Hunting on “We Met in Virtual Reality” at Sundance

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 25, 2022 28:06


    We Met in Virtual Reality, premiering in the Sundance World Documentary Competition, profiles several users on the platform VRChat during the pandemic. Director Joe Hunting uses a camera built for VR so he can film people's avatars in their imagined worlds. The film is more about relationships than technology. Joe's previous short films set in VR can be viewed on his website joeahunting.com. Guest host Samah Ali (who studied VR for her master's degree) interviews Joe about what he learned making his first feature.Pure Nonfiction's coverage during the Sundance Film Festival is sponsored by National Geographic Documentary Films.

    145: Joe Hunting on “We Met in Virtual Reality” at Sundance

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 25, 2022 28:06


    We Met in Virtual Reality, premiering in the Sundance World Documentary Competition, profiles several users on the platform VRChat during the pandemic. Director Joe Hunting uses a camera built for VR so he can film people's avatars in their imagined worlds. The film is more about relationships than technology. Joe's previous short films set in VR can be viewed on his website joeahunting.com. Guest host Samah Ali (who studied VR for her master's degree) interviews Joe about what he learned making his first feature.Pure Nonfiction's coverage during the Sundance Film Festival is sponsored by National Geographic Documentary Films.

    144: Ramin Bahrani on “2nd Chance” at Sundance

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 23, 2022 27:28


    Filmmaker Ramin Bahrani is best known for his fiction films such as "99 Homes" and "The White Tiger" that was Oscar-nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay. Now he directs his first feature documentary "2nd Chance," a complex profile of Richard Davis who invented a lightweight bullet proof vest. Davis called his company 2nd Chance and his products helped save hundreds of lives. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews Bahrani about the moral complexities of Davis' legacy that are explored in the film.Pure Nonfiction's coverage during the Sundance Film Festival is sponsored by National Geographic Documentary Films.

    144: Ramin Bahrani on “2nd Chance” at Sundance

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 23, 2022 27:28


    Filmmaker Ramin Bahrani is best known for his fiction films such as "99 Homes" and "The White Tiger" that was Oscar-nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay. Now he directs his first feature documentary "2nd Chance," a complex profile of Richard Davis who invented a lightweight bullet proof vest. Davis called his company 2nd Chance and his products helped save hundreds of lives. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews Bahrani about the moral complexities of Davis' legacy that are explored in the film.Pure Nonfiction's coverage during the Sundance Film Festival is sponsored by National Geographic Documentary Films.

    143: Isabel Castro on “Mija” at Sundance

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 21, 2022 30:29


    “Mija,” premiering in the Sundance NEXT section, profiles Doris Muñoz, a young talent manager in the music business as she works with Latinx superstar Cuco and the newcomer Jacks Haupt. Filmmaker Isabel Castro immerses us in Doris' world, drawing upon eclectic influences. Isabel's early idea of the film was “Almost Famous, but make it Chicano.” Then she had to adapt as the story takes unpredictable twists and turns. Our Pure Nonfiction interview is led by guest host Samah Ali, founder of Sisterhood Media and a festival programmer at DOC NYC and Hot Docs. Pure Nonfiction's coverage during the Sundance Film Festival is sponsored by National Geographic Documentary Films.

    143: Isabel Castro on “Mija” at Sundance

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 21, 2022 30:29


    “Mija,” premiering in the Sundance NEXT section, profiles Doris Muñoz, a young talent manager in the music business as she works with Latinx superstar Cuco and the newcomer Jacks Haupt. Filmmaker Isabel Castro immerses us in Doris' world, drawing upon eclectic influences. Isabel's early idea of the film was “Almost Famous, but make it Chicano.” Then she had to adapt as the story takes unpredictable twists and turns. Our Pure Nonfiction interview is led by guest host Samah Ali, founder of Sisterhood Media and a festival programmer at DOC NYC and Hot Docs. Pure Nonfiction's coverage during the Sundance Film Festival is sponsored by National Geographic Documentary Films.

    142: Sara Dosa on “Fire of Love” at Sundance

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 19, 2022 28:08


    "Fire of Love" tells the story of volcanologists Katia and Maurice Krafft who spent over two decades filming and studying volcanoes before they died getting too close to one. The documentary makes its world premiere on the opening night of the Sundance Film Festival: January 20, 2022. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews filmmaker Sara Dosa on how she crafted the story of the Kraffts into an essayistic documentary with themes of love and risk, narrated by Miranda July.Pure Nonfiction's coverage during the Sundance Film Festival is sponsored by National Geographic Documentary Films.

    142: Sara Dosa on “Fire of Love” at Sundance

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 19, 2022 28:08


    "Fire of Love" tells the story of volcanologists Katia and Maurice Krafft who spent over two decades filming and studying volcanoes before they died getting too close to one. The documentary makes its world premiere on the opening night of the Sundance Film Festival: January 20, 2022. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews filmmaker Sara Dosa on how she crafted the story of the Kraffts into an essayistic documentary with themes of love and risk, narrated by Miranda July.Pure Nonfiction's coverage during the Sundance Film Festival is sponsored by National Geographic Documentary Films.

    141: Richard Rowley on “American Insurrection”

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 6, 2022 40:57


    The PBS Frontline documentary “American Insurrection” investigates the violent mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews the director Rick Rowley who collaborated on the project with correspondent A.C. Thompson of ProPublica and the Berkley Center for Investigative Journalism. Rowley discusses what he's learned from studying vigilante groups such as the Proud Boys and the Boogaloo Boys and reflects on the historic link between America's foreign wars and the rise of homegrown militias. On Twitter: @frontlinepbs @ProPublica @ucbsoj @thompowers @PureNonfiction

    141: Richard Rowley on “American Insurrection”

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 6, 2022 40:57


    The PBS Frontline documentary “American Insurrection” investigates the violent mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews the director Rick Rowley who collaborated on the project with correspondent A.C. Thompson of ProPublica and the Berkley Center for Investigative Journalism. Rowley discusses what he's learned from studying vigilante groups such as the Proud Boys and the Boogaloo Boys and reflects on the historic link between America's foreign wars and the rise of homegrown militias. On Twitter: @frontlinepbs @ProPublica @ucbsoj @thompowers @PureNonfiction

    140: Ry Russo-Young on her “Nuclear Family”

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 9, 2021 32:15


    In the three-part series Nuclear Family, filmmaker Ry Russo-Young explores her own family history. She was born in 1981 and grew up with two lesbian moms Russo and Robin and an older sister in Manhattan at at time when gay parenting was still rare. Her sperm donor Tom Steel was a gay lawyer in San Francisco who wound up suing Ry's moms for paternity rights. From a young age, Ry was active in trying to tell her family's story and defend her mothers against discrimination in the courts and in the media. Ry appeared in Meema Spadola's PBS documentary Our House (2000) about kids of gay and lesbian parents; and was profiled in the New York Times magazine in 2004. But there were always murky areas to the lawsuit that Ry couldn't fully confront until now.Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers helped to produce "Our House” and finally gets a chance to re-open questions with Ry that remained perplexing for over 20 years.

    140: Ry Russo-Young on her “Nuclear Family”

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 9, 2021 32:15


    In the three-part series Nuclear Family, filmmaker Ry Russo-Young explores her own family history. She was born in 1981 and grew up with two lesbian moms Russo and Robin and an older sister in Manhattan at at time when gay parenting was still rare. Her sperm donor Tom Steel was a gay lawyer in San Francisco who wound up suing Ry's moms for paternity rights. From a young age, Ry was active in trying to tell her family's story and defend her mothers against discrimination in the courts and in the media. Ry appeared in Meema Spadola's PBS documentary Our House (2000) about kids of gay and lesbian parents; and was profiled in the New York Times magazine in 2004. But there were always murky areas to the lawsuit that Ry couldn't fully confront until now.Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers helped to produce "Our House” and finally gets a chance to re-open questions with Ry that remained perplexing for over 20 years.

    139: Sonya Childress & Jesse Wente on Making Change

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2021 33:03


    Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviewed Childress and Wente in September 2020 by teleconference for a panel titled Creating a Better Documentary Industry at the TIFF Industry Conference. This podcast excerpts the heart of the conversation as they confront questions of capitalism, journalistic objectivity and how to create meaningful change.

    139: Sonya Childress & Jesse Wente on Making Change

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2021 33:03


    Sonya Childress and Jesse Wente are among the most eloquent voices calling for change in the North American documentary industry. In June 2020, Childress published A Reckoning: The Documentary Film Industry Must Chart a New Path Forward that brought a critique over questions of authorship, accountability and ownership. She draws upon her experience working with Active Voice, Firelight Media and the Perspective Fund.Wente is an Anishinaabe writer and executive director of the Indigenous Screen Office (ISO). That organization published the On-Screen Protocols and Pathways guide to working with First Nations, Métis and Inuit Communities. He's the author of the new book Unreconciled: Family, Truth and Indigenous Resistance.Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviewed Childress and Wente in September 2020 by teleconference for a panel titled Creating a Better Documentary Industry at the TIFF Industry Conference. This podcast excerpts the heart of the conversation as they confront questions of capitalism, journalistic objectivity and how to create meaningful change.This year's TIFF Industry Conference will take place Sept 9-14 including discussions on Documentary History, Telling Family Stories and more. You can register for a Digital Talks pass to watch anywhere in the world.

    138: Nanfu Wang on “In the Same Breath”

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 26, 2021 32:32


    In the Same Breath is a strikingly original analysis of the early days of the pandemic as it unfolded in China and the United States. Filmmaker Nanfu Wang draws upon multiple sources of footage to study how governments shaped the messaging about coronavirus and how they missed opportunities to limit the virus. Her collaborators include her husband Michael Shade as an editor and Jialing Zhang as one of the producers. Nanfu and Jialing previously appeared on episode #115 to discuss their film One Child Nation about China's extreme efforts to control population growth. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews Nanfu about the logistical and emotional challenges of navigating China's censorship. She discusses the lessons she learned making her first film Hooligan Sparrow, about a Chinese dissident, that was her first experience with government pressure.

    138: Nanfu Wang on “In the Same Breath”

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 26, 2021 32:32


    In the Same Breath is a strikingly original analysis of the early days of the pandemic as it unfolded in China and the United States. Filmmaker Nanfu Wang draws upon multiple sources of footage to study how governments shaped the messaging about coronavirus and how they missed opportunities to limit the virus.

    137: Sonia Kennebeck on “Enemies of the State”

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 11, 2021 57:27


    “Enemies of the State” looks at the strange case of Matt DeHart, a member of the hacktivist group Anonymous who was prosecuted for child pornography. He claimed the charges were a cover up to seize his computers containing government secrets. Director Sonia Kennebeck and producer Ines Hoffman Kanna spent years trying to untangle the knotty mysteries of his case. Their previous film National Bird (2016) won the Ridenhour Documentary Film Prize for its profile of three people who worked on the U.S. military's drone program and became whistle blowers. One of the film's subjects Daniel Hale was recently convicted under the Espionage Act. Sonia discusses his case recently covered in The Washington Post. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews Sonia about both films.Enemies of the State is now available on VOD from IFC Films.Warning: this episode reveals details from “Enemies of the State” that might be considered spoilers if you haven't seen the film.On Twitter: @soniakennebeck @c_odebreaker @thompowers @PureNonfiction

    137: Sonia Kennebeck on “Enemies of the State”

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 11, 2021 57:27


    “Enemies of the State” looks at the strange case of Matt DeHart, a member of the hacktivist group Anonymous who was prosecuted for child pornography. He claimed the charges were a cover up to seize his computers containing government secrets. Director Sonia Kennebeck and producer Ines Hoffman Kanna spent years trying to untangle the knotty mysteries of his case.

    136: Fran Lebowitz on “Pretend It's a City”

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 16, 2021 33:07


    Fran Lebowitz is one of New York's great conversationalists. Martin Scorsese's new Netflix series “Pretend It's a City” lets her talk at length about her five decades of living in New York City. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews Lebowitz about working with Scorsese and her long friendship with Toni Morrison to whom the series is dedicated. Lebowitz also shares her opinions on the New York mayoral election and discusses her mother Ruth.This interview was recorded on May 7, 2020 for DOC NYC Spring Showcase.

    136: Fran Lebowitz on “Pretend It's a City”

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 16, 2021 33:07


    Fran Lebowitz is one of New York's great conversationalists. Martin Scorsese's new Netflix series “Pretend It's a City” lets her talk at length about her five decades of living in New York City. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews Lebowitz about working with Scorsese and her long friendship with Toni Morrison to whom the series is dedicated. Lebowitz also shares her opinions on the New York mayoral election and discusses her mother Ruth.

    135: In Praise of Lewis Erskine @editorsavant

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 9, 2021 32:10


    Documentary editor Lewis Erskine died last week at age 64. He was cherished by colleagues as a storyteller and a teacher. His Twitter handle was @editorsavant and his credits include Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool, Freedom Riders and Jackie Robinson. In the days after his death, Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers spoke to three of Lewis' colleagues. Filmmaker Stanley Nelson describes first meeting Lewis when they worked for WNET public television and how they collaborated for over two decades starting with The Black Press: Soldiers Without Swords. Sabrina Schmidt Gordon, who was Lewis' assistant editor on The Black Press, celebrates his legacy as a mentor. Shola Lynch describes how she met Lewis working together on Ken Burns' Jazz series, then later turned to him for help on her films Chisholm 72: Unbought and Unbossed and Free Angela and All Political Prisoners.Further links referenced in the conversation:Black Documentary CollectiveThe Creative Power of BIPOC Editors panelBIPOC Editors DatabaseMaster Class with Lewis Erskine and City College (2019)Lewis Erskine at Sundance 2017 “Examine Your Privilege"

    135: In Praise of Lewis Erskine @editorsavant

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 9, 2021 32:10


    Documentary editor Lewis Erskine died last week at age 64. He was cherished by colleagues as a storyteller and a teacher. His Twitter handle was @editorsavant and his credits include Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool, Freedom Riders and Jackie Robinson. In the days after his death, Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers spoke to three of Lewis' colleagues. Filmmaker Stanley Nelson describes first meeting Lewis when they worked for WNET public television and how they collaborated for over two decades starting with The Black Press: Soldiers Without Swords. Sabrina Schmidt Gordon, who was Lewis' assistant editor on The Black Press, celebrates his legacy as a mentor. Shola Lynch describes how she met Lewis working together on Ken Burns' Jazz series, then later turned to him for help on her films Chisholm 72: Unbought and Unbossed and Free Angela and All Political Prisoners.

    134: Astra Taylor on “You Are Not a Loan"

    Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2021 49:33


    “Movements are messy,” says Astra Taylor. She knows this not only from studying activist history, but also from personal experience as a co-founder of the Debt Collective. Their work succeeded in canceling over $2 billion of student debt. Astra's new short documentary You Are Not a Loan (free on The Intercept) brings together students and professors to discuss changing the cost of education. She's also published a new book of essays Remake the World. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers talks to Astra about both new works. She reflects on the legacy of Occupy Wall Street and on her friend David Graeber, author of Debt: The First 5000 Years and Bullshit Jobs: A Theory, who died last year.Links to further references in this discussion:Episode 93: Astra Taylor on “What is Democracy?”Democracy May Not Exist, But We'll Miss It When It's GoneBerkeley in the SixtiesEncounter at Kwacha HouseThe Murder of Fred Hampton

    134: Astra Taylor on “You Are Not a Loan"

    Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2021 49:33


    “Movements are messy,” says Astra Taylor. She knows this not only from studying activist history, but also from personal experience as a co-founder of the Debt Collective. Their work succeeded in canceling over $2 billion of student debt. Astra’s new short documentary You Are Not a Loan (free on The Intercept) brings together students and professors to discuss changing the cost of education. She’s also published a new book of essays Remake the World. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers talks to Astra about both new works. She reflects on the legacy of Occupy Wall Street and on her friend David Graeber, author of Debt: The First 5000 Years and Bullshit Jobs: A Theory, who died last year

    133: Remembering Leon Gast & “When We Were Kings”

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 18, 2021 42:43


    “When We Were Kings” director Leon King died on March 8 at age 84. He took over twenty years to make his Oscar-winning documentary about the boxers Muhammad Ali vs George Foreman, filmed in Zaire in 1974 and completed in 1996.Further links:Watch “When We Were Kings"Watch “Soul Power”Watch “Smash His Camera"New York Times obituary on Leon GastLeon Gast on the making of his first film “Our Latin Thing”Pure Nonfiction episode 15: Muhammad Ali on FilmThe New Yorker on William Greaves' "The Fight"This episode's closing narration refers to the reckoning over documenting BIPOC stories. For more, read Sonya Childress & Natalie Bullock Brown in Documentary and Stanley Nelson in the Los Angeles Times.Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers explores the story of Leon's perseverance in interviews with his wife Geri Spolan-Gast, producer David Sonenberg, editor Jeffrey Kusama-Hinte and filmmaker Barbara Kopple.

    133: Remembering Leon Gast & “When We Were Kings”

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 18, 2021 42:43


    “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

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 4, 2021 34:04


    The new Hollywood film “Judas and the Black Messiah” is based on the lives of Black Panther leader Fred Hampton and the person who betrayed him, FBI informant William O'Neal. The film's director Shaka King has credited documentaries for playing a key role in his research. One of his main influences was “Eyes on the Prize II” (1990) that scored the journalistic feat of interviewing O'Neal after he had gone into a federal witness protection program. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews four members of the “Eyes” team - directors Louis Massiah and Terry Kay Rockefeller along with researchers Noland Walker and co-director Bennett Singer. They describe how they got O'Neal to talk, why questions still linger about his reported suicide, and the legacy of the Black Panthers.Further resources:- Learn more about our guests: Louis Massiah (executive director, Scribe Video Center), Terry Kay Rockefeller, Bennett Singer (co-director, Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin and Cured), Noland Walker (co-programmer, ITVS's Independent Lens)- Watch all 14 episodes of Eyes on the Prize on Kanopy This podcast conversation touches upon episode 9 “Power!” about the Black Panthers and especially focuses on episode 12 “A Nation of Law?” both co-directed by Louis Massiah and Terry Kay Rockefeller. Read the book Voices of Freedom, an oral history based on interviews from "Eyes on the Prize,” edited in part by Bennett Singer.- Watch the raw footage of William O'Neal's interview on Vimeo or read the transcript from the "Eyes on the Prize" archives at Washington University. Browse the full collection.- Watch The Murder of Fred Hampton (1971), directed by Howard Alk and Michael Gray, on Vimeo from the Chicago Film Archives.- Read the TruthOut article by Fred Hampton's attorney Flint Taylor on recent revelations about J. Edgar Hoover's connection to William O'Neal.- Read articles from 1990 about the death of William O'Neal in the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Reader.- Listen to the Pure Nonfiction interview with Jon Else discussing his book True South about the making of "Eyes on the Prize.”- For more on COINTELPRO, watch Sam Pollard's MLK/FBI about surveillance of Martin Luther King Jr; Johanna Hamilton's 1971 about the break-in to a FBI office that revealed the counter intelligence program.- Watch Stanley Nelson's Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution.- In the podcast, Noland Walker mentions the COINTELPRO plan to disrupt the 1972 National Black Political Convention in Gary, Indiana. Watch William Greaves' recently restored film Nationtime covering that event.- For further viewing related to this era, watch Shola Lynch's Free Angela and All Political Prisoners and Sam Green and Bill Siegel's Weather Underground.- For more recent documentaries on FBI surveillance and informants, see Lyric Cabral and David Felix Sutcliffe's (T)ERROR, Assia Boundaoui's The Feeling of Being Watched, Katie Galloway and Kelly Duane de la Vega's Better This World and Jamie Meltzer's Informant.

    132: Telling the Story of Fred Hampton

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 4, 2021 34:04


    The new Hollywood film “Judas and the Black Messiah” is based on the lives of Black Panther leader Fred Hampton and the person who betrayed him, FBI informant William O’Neal. The film’s director Shaka King has credited documentaries for playing a key role in his research. One of his main influences was “Eyes on the Prize II” (1990) that scored the journalistic feat of interviewing O’Neal after he had gone into a federal witness protection program. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews four members of the “Eyes” team - directors Louis Massiah and Terry Kay Rockefeller along with researchers Noland Walker and Bennett Singer. They describe how they got O’Neal to talk, why questions still linger about his reported suicide, and the legacy of the Black Panthers.

    131: Alex Vitale on Rethinking True Crime

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 26, 2021 30:03


    True crime documentaries are booming. But what do they tell us about criminal justice and what do they leave out? Alex Vitale, the author of the book “The End of Policing,” talks to Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers about the state of the genre. Alex gives favorable takes on the Netflix series “Time: The Kalief Browder Story” and Errol Morris' classic “The Thin Blue Line.” But he raises questions about other trends. For more on this topic, listen to the podcast “Running from COPS.”

    131: Alex Vitale on Rethinking True Crime

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 26, 2021 30:03


    True crime documentaries are booming. But what do they tell us about criminal justice and what do they leave out? Alex Vitale, the author of the book “The End of Policing,” talks to Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers about the state of the genre.

    130: Jean Tsien Goes Outside Her Comfort Zone

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 18, 2021 33:48


    Jean Tsien has worked as a documentary editor for over 30 years with directors such as Orlando Bagwell, Barbara Kopple, and Roger Ross Williams. She's been a mentor to emerging filmmakers, not only in the U.S. but also in China and Taiwan where she lived until moving to New York at age 11. Now Jean has moved into producing. Her latest project is "76 Days," set in Wuhan, China during the city's lockdown for Covid-19. DOC NYC recently honored her with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Jean has stories to tell, but normally prefers to stay behind the scenes. Talking on a podcast? That's way outside her comfort zone. She explains why to Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers.

    130: Jean Tsien Goes Outside Her Comfort Zone

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 18, 2021 33:48


    Jean Tsien has worked as a documentary editor for over 30 years with directors such as Orlando Bagwell, Barbara Kopple, and Roger Ross Williams. She’s been a mentor to emerging filmmakers, not only in the U.S. but also in China and Taiwan where she lived until moving to New York at age 11. Now Jean has moved into producing. Her latest project is "76 Days," set in Wuhan, China during the city’s lockdown for Covid-19. DOC NYC recently honored her with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Jean has stories to tell, but normally prefers to stay behind the scenes. Talking on a podcast? That’s way outside her comfort zone. She explains why to Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers.

    129: Breaking Rules with Victor Kossakovsky, Kirsten Johnson & Garrett Bradley

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 11, 2021 52:14


    “Don't film if you can live without filming.” Those are the words of Victor Kossakovsky from his 10 Rules of documentary making. Those rules are the starting point for a wide-ranging conversation with Victor along with Kirsten Johnson and Garrett Bradley, moderated by Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers. All three directors were part of DOC NYC's 2020 Short List for feature documentaries. Kirsten was previously on episode 24 discussing her previous film Cameraperson; her latest film is Dick Johnson is Dead on Netflix. Garrett was previously on episode 125 discussing her new film Time on Amazon Prime. Victor's new film is Gunda, distributed in the U.S. by Neon. In this conversation he also refers to his earlier films Losev and The Belovs.

    129: Breaking Rules with Victor Kossakovsky, Kirsten Johnson & Garrett Bradley

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 11, 2021 52:14


    Filmmaker Bao Nguyen profiles Bruce Lee, searching for the man behind the icon, in the ESPN documentary “Be Water.” Bao’s other films include his history of Saturday Night Live “Live from New York” and a short film about his Vietnamese-American family “Where Are You Really From?” In this interview with Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers, Bao describes his intent to place Lee’s story in the context of being Asian-American. Bao invokes the poet Ocean Vuong in reflecting on the expectations placed on Asian-American storytellers.

    128: Bao Nguyen on Bruce Lee in “Be Water”

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 21, 2021


    Filmmaker Bao Nguyen profiles Bruce Lee, searching for the man behind the icon, in the ESPN documentary “Be Water.” Bao’s other films include his history of Saturday Night Live “Live from New York” and a short film about his Vietnamese-American family “Where Are You Really From?” In this interview with Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers, Bao describes his intent to place Lee’s story in the context of being Asian-American. Bao invokes the poet Ocean Vuong in reflecting on the expectations placed on Asian-American storytellers.

    128: Bao Nguyen on Bruce Lee in “Be Water”

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 21, 2021 32:30


    Filmmaker Bao Nguyen profiles Bruce Lee, searching for the man behind the icon, in the ESPN documentary “Be Water.” Bao's other films include his history of Saturday Night Live “Live from New York” and a short film about his Vietnamese-American family “Where Are You Really From?” In this interview with Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers, Bao describes his intent to place Lee's story in the context of being Asian-American. Bao invokes the poet Ocean Vuong in reflecting on the expectations placed on Asian-American storytellers.

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