Top Docs: Award-Winning Documentary Filmmakers

”Boys State” with Amanda McBaine & Jesse Moss

Mike and Ken talk to Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss about their Emmy Award-nominated Boys State.  They discuss Robert, Ben, Steven, and René, the four boys at the heart of the film, as they navigate their way, at a formative stage of life, through the Texas Boys State program.  It's a film that shows winning, losing, and the lessons learned during a weeklong immersion in the cutthroat world of Boys State politics.  
 
In this intimate and illuminating conversation, Amanda and Jesse reflect on their own filmmaking journey and the unpredictability and power of documentary storytelling. Be sure to stay tuned to the end to learn which of their films made the biggest impression on 17-year-old Texas boys! 
 
You can follow us @topdocspod
 
Other Films by Amanda & Jesse:
Speedo:  A Demolition Derby Love Story
The Overnighters
The Bandit
 
Hidden Gems:
Acasa, My Home
Seventeen
 
Also discussed:
Performative masculinity
The Maysle Brothers (here interviewed by David Letterman)
 

”The Social Dilemma” with Jeff Orlowski

In his chilling Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma, Sundance award-winning filmmaker Jeff Orlowski (Chasing Ice and Chasing Coral) sounds the alarm about the insidious effects of social media and its potentially devastating consequences for society. Using a range of documentary and fiction techniques, Jeff argues that  tech’s attention extraction model is the “Frankenstein’s Monster” of our time.
How did Jeff crack the code of telling this story in a compelling way that would make visible social media companies’ use of A.I. to prey upon all of us? And what was it like to direct actor  Vincent Kartheiser (Mad Men) playing three versions of himself? Things get personal when Mike confronts his own “dilemma” as someone who has used “growth hacking” in his work, and we ask Jeff, “What apps are still on your phone?”
Jeff’s activist site supporting the move:  thesocialdilemma.com
You can follow us @topdocspod
Other Films by Jeff:
Chasing Ice
Chasing Coral
 
Hidden Gem: Baraka
 
Also Mentioned in the Pod:
Center for Humane Technology
The Big Short
Vincent Kartheiser and Mad Men
Citizen Kane
Sundance Film Festival
Yesterbox
Frankenstein
Sophocles' Antigone
Growth Hacking
Mirror Neurons
A/B Testing
Hippocratic Oath
Section 230
Woz and Jobs
 

”Q: Into the Storm” with Cullen Hoback

Filmmaker Cullen Hoback (Q: Into the Storm) leads Mike and Ken on a fascinating — and frightening —  trip down the QAnon rabbit hole as he attempts to unmask the identity of the conspiracy movement’s mysterious and mischievous leader, Q. 
Focusing on 8chan, the internet site that Q calls home, Cullen locks in on founder Fredrick Brennan and former partners turned archrivals, Jim and Ron Watkins. Cullen’s mission goes from lark (or LARP, as the case may be) to full blown nightmare when Q’s followers descend on the Capitol and join in the Jan. 6th insurrection. 
How did Cullen go from bootstrapping this series himself to pitching to Adam McKay (The Big Short) and landing the project at HBO? What’s it like to find neutral ground between your film’s main subjects who will stop at nothing to tear each other down? What do you do when one of your subjects calls in a panic from thousands of miles away and puts his life in your hands? Join us for all that and more, including an answer to the question, “What does the song White Rabbit have to do with all this, anyway?"
You can follow Cullen on twitter @cullenhoback
You can follow us @topdocspod
Other Films by Cullen: 
Terms and Conditions May Apply
What Lies Upstream
Monster Camp
 
Hidden Gem:  Strad Style
 
Also Mentioned:
King of Kong
American Movie
Q: Into the Storm
The Big Short
The Jinx
Robert Durst
LARPing
Edge Lord
Qanon Anonymous Podcast
Streisand effect
Dig!
Tiger King

”Tulsa Burning” with Marco Williams

Continuing their series on Emmy-nominated films, Mike and Ken delve into their first historical documentary for Top Docs in this deep dive conversation with Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Marco Williams (Banished, Two Towns of Jasper), one of the directors of the History Channel’s Emmy-nominated Tulsa Burning: The 1921 Race Massacre. (Co-directed with Stanley Nelson)
Tulsa Burning traces the under told story of the Greenwood District of Tulsa, Oklahoma, the thriving African-American community known as “Black Wall Street”, from its founding in the early 1900s through its near destruction during the tragic 1921 massacre by local whites that killed hundreds of African-Americans.
How did Marco Williams do justice to this horrific and yet all-too common story of white vengeance against Black people? How did he grapple with the crucial question of who gets to tell this story? 
And, making the film during the height of George Floyd’s murder and local protests over police killings of Black Tulsans, what were the specific storytelling challenges of converging the past and the present? Join us for a candid conversation with Marco, who, after a remarkable 40-year filmmaking career, continues to approach his work with the ethos, “I’m still learning how to make films.”
You can find Marco @hiptruth
You can follow us on twitter @topdocspod
 
Other films by Marco Williams:
Banished
Two Towns of Jasper
Murders that Matter
 
Also discussed in the Pod:
Black Swan Records
Stanley Nelson’s Attica
Observational documentary as one of the 6 types of documentaries
Russell Westbrook’s Enterprises
Black Codes and Jim Crow Laws
Red Summer
The police killing of Terrence Crutcher
Greenwood Rising
Events of the Tulsa Disaster
Recommended:  This New York Times 3D Model of what was lost in the 1921 massacre

”Dick Johnson is Dead” with Kirsten (KJ) Johnson

Ken and Mike welcome Kirsten (KJ) Johnson, who recently won Best Director for her groundbreaking film, "Dick Johnson is Dead." This film is like no other film you’ll find in your Netflix queue. KJ’s boundary-pushing documentary uses the art of cinema to keep the ravages of time and the onset of dementia from taking her beloved father Dick away from her. The solution? Keep killing her father over-and-over again on camera, all with Dick’s active participation and encouragement. 
Once you survive the film, you’ll definitely want to join Mike and Ken for this refreshingly candid conversation with KJ who constantly questions everything (including our questions!) and proves herself to be every bit as provocative, playful and engaging as the film itself. Covering everything from Seventh-day Adventism and the best way to stage your father’s funeral while he’s still alive to Vertov’s Man with a Movie Camera and, of course, chocolate cake, this week’s podcast is one you’ll be dying to listen to. And look out for that falling air conditioner! 
You can follow us on twitter @topdocspod
Other films directed by Kirsten Johnson:
Cameraperson
Deadline
 
People who worked on the film:
Judy Karp
Michael Hilow
Nels Bangerter
Peter Horner
Nadia Hallgren
John Foster
Simon Mendes
Marilyn Ness
 
Hidden Gem:  Marjoe
 
Also mentioned in the pod:
Ousmane Sembène 
Djibril Diop Mambéty
Wellington Bowler
Young Frankenstein
Monty Python’s Flying Circus
Charles Addams
Lacan on social death 
Derrida (the documentary)
Quantum Entanglement
The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill
 

”The Bee Gees” with Mark Monroe

“Disco sucks!” Be honest. Did you ever utter that phrase in a weak moment brought on by hard rock/punk music-induced peer pressure? Legendary filmmaker Frank Marshall, who has produced some of Hollywood’s biggest films, makes his documentary directing debut with “The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart,” a thoroughly satisfying corrective that finally gives just due to one of rock music’s greatest bands. Archival gems and transcendent performance footage are seamlessly interwoven with a deeply personal interview with Barry Gibb and refreshing insights from contemporary musicians and massive Bee Gees fans including Justin Timberlake, Noel Gallagher, and Chris Martin.
“Bee Gees” writer and producer Mark Monroe joins us on Top Docs to share many insights from the making of the film and to break down how he, as the writer on the film (and on many top docs, including Oscar® winners, “The Cove” and “Icarus”), helped develop the story’s creative arc. What’s Mark’s process for applying classic three-act structure to the documentary form in order to land a film’s emotional highs and lows? What went down on the recording of the “Saturday Night Fever” soundtrack and what really was behind the infamous “disco sucks” movement of the late ‘70s, anyway? Mark also shares his own story about how, at one point, peer pressure turned him away from the Bee Gees. How can you mend a broken heart? Dust off your old Bee Gees LPs (or 8-track or cassette player…) and tune in to this week’s Top Docs episode to find out. And that’s no jive talkin’!
Follow us on twitter @topdocspod
Hidden Gem:  No End in Sight

”Rebel Hearts” with Pedro Kos

“The Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.” Yes, nuns. A lot of nuns. A lot of LA nuns to be precise. Rebellious, brilliant, creative, socially committed, take-no-cr*p-from-anybody nuns. These are the Sisters who form the heart-and-soul of Pedro Kos’ joyful new documentary “Rebel Hearts,” a portrait of a trailblazing group of nuns in Los Angeles who took up the banner of the social and political activism of the 1960s and bravely stood up to the hierarchy of the Catholic Church. (Now screening on the Discovery + platform.) It’s a story of political power, a mostly forgotten civil rights struggle and a riveting human drama all rolled up in one.
Mike, a product of Catholic schools himself, gets things rolling with a conversation with his sister Kara, who shares her experience with Catholic education and has some fascinating insights into how the nuns she knew helped shape who she is today.  Mike and Ken then delve into director Pedro Kos’ background to learn how his upbringing in Brazil was influenced by the Catholic Church. From there, it’s a deep dive into the story of the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and into the long, winding creative journey of the filmmakers. From animation to motion graphics to an exceptional musical score (and original songs by Sharon Van Etten and Rufus Wainwright), they used every tool in the toolkit to bring this important story to cinematic life.
If a film about a group of nuns doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, we challenge your preconceptions of what a compelling documentary subject can be. Have faith. After seeing this highly inspirational film and hearing all that Pedro has to say, you will thank us… and maybe a higher power, too… for the extraordinary gift that is “Rebel Hearts.”
Follow us on twitter @topdocspod
Hidden Gem:  Land of Gold
 

”Allen v. Farrow” with Amy Ziering & Kirby Dick

Continuing our Series on Emmy-nominated films.  From “Derrida” to “Outrage” and culminating in the hugely impactful “The Invisible War” and “The Hunting Ground,”  Amy Ziering and Kirby Dick have proven themselves to be the dynamic duo of documentary. Shining a light on sexual abuse and the subsequent conspiracy of silence and coverups inside some of America’s most powerful institutions, Kirby and Amy have left no stone unturned in their pursuit of justice and reform. In “Allen v. Farrow,” their multipart documentary for HBO Max (and their first foray into docuseries), Amy and Kirby re-examine the events and evidence surrounding Woody Allen’s alleged sexual abuse in 1992 of his adopted daughter Dylan and build a formidable case against Allen. The strength and poignancy of the series comes from the rigor of their investigation and from the film’s main storyteller, Dylan Farrow, whose voice has been silenced for far too long.
Mike and Ken, once — and now former — Woody Allen fans explore with Amy and Kirby the long journey of Allen v. Farrow, which began with interviews with survivors of incest and eventually led to the Connecticut country house of Mia Farrow and the traumatic events that took place there in August 1992. We delve into Amy and Kirby’s exhaustive research strategies and deconstruct how the pair approach the interviews that form the core of their emotional powerful filmmaking. We also learn about the surprising interviews that took place with critics following the film’s release. In addition to fascinating behind-the-scenes stories, this week’s podcast is also a window into a great creative relationship chock full of insights for anyone who has collaborated closely with a partner on a creative project. You won’t want to miss it!
Follow us on twitter @topdocspod
 
Hidden Gems:
The Emperor’s Naked Army Marches On
Heart of a Dog
Sans Soeil
Koyaanisqatsi
Sick: The Life and Death of Bob Flanagan, Supermasochist
 

”Attica” with Stanley Nelson

With two dozen feature documentaries to his credit, filmmaker Stanley Nelson has, over the course of an astonishing four-decade career, created an unparalleled chronicle of the Black experience in America. Whether documenting the early Civil Rights Movement in “Freedom Riders” and “Freedom Summer” or the fight for self-determination in “The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution,” Stanley can always be counted on to provide a wide lens, a fresh perspective, and a deep understanding of the people and forces shaping some of the U.S.’ most defining moments. In his latest film, the riveting and haunting “Attica” (see it in theaters and on Showtime November 6th), Stanley and co-director Traci A. Curry, re-visit the story of the largest prison rebellion in the history of the U.S.
Join Ken in his wide ranging and deep dive conversation with Stanley. We learn how the creative team left no stone unturned to unearth every conceivable photograph, film clip and testimonial that might shed light on the unprecedented events of Attica. Ken asks Stanley about the challenges of bringing to life the culminating events of the prison rebellion’s fifth and final day. And Stanley weighs in on whether the rebellion’s tragic ending could have turned out any differently. Always thoughtful, and occasionally surprising, Stanley proves to be every bit as engaging and creatively inspired as each of those 24 films.
Follow Stanley on twitter @StanleyNelson1
Follow us on twitter @topdocspod
Hidden Gem:  Through the Night

”Storm Lake” with Beth Levison

Ask Google what Storm Lake, Iowa is famous for and you’ll learn that it’s the fourth largest glacier lake in the state and is considered the region’s best for walleye fishing. But this seemingly ordinary town of 11,000 in northwest Iowa is also the home of the Pulitzer Prize-winning biweekly The Storm Lake Times, edited by the incomparable Art Cullen. In Jerry Risius and Beth Levison’s beguiling documentary “Storm Lake,” we meet Art and the rest of the Cullen clan, who, together, are fighting the good fight for the continued survival of small, independent journalism in this country.
Beth joins Mike and Ken for a delightful conversation about her thoroughly enjoyable ride of a film. We ask about topics big and small, including the future of journalism, what it’s like when the presidential primary circus comes to town, how Andrew Bird came to lend his musical chops to the film, and even what really goes on above the Better Day Cafe (hint: son Tom Cullen lived there). The podcast is free, even if the paper costs a dollar (but well worth it). You won’t want to miss our conversation or the documentary, which premieres on PBS’ Independent Lens on November 15th.
 
Follow Beth on twitter @Beth_Levison
Follow us on twitter @topdocspod
 
Hidden Gems:
Advocate
Lydia Lunch: The War is Never Over
Charm Circle
Also mentioned:  Art Cullen’s Book, Storm Lake.