Top Docs: Award-Winning Documentary Filmmakers

It’s clear from the opening shot of “Being Eddie,” director Angus Wall’s (Oscar-winning editor of “The Social Network” “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”) enchanting Netflix documentary about comedy superstar Eddie Murphy, that being Eddie is a pretty good gig. The film begins with a thrilling drone shot that starts from inside the Moroccan-style courtyard of Eddie’s spectacular Beverly Hills mansion and ends on a draw-dropping panoramic view of the Southern California coastline in the distance. As the shot crescendos, we hear, in voiceover, the soft spoken voice of Eddie the channel surfer as he succinctly expresses the common man’s  lament: “With all of this stuff on TV, how come there is nothing to watch?!” The juxtaposition of these elements is pure Eddie Murphy, as masterfully constructed by a two-time Oscar winning editor.
 
Angus joins Ken on the pod to talk about what it was like to hang out with Eddie in his living room and re-visit his remarkable career. But this is no self-congratulatory trip down memory lane. Eddie proves to be a soft-spoken sage whose perspective on comedy, movies, power, and life add a surprising element of gravitas to the proceedings. Or at least in the moments when he is not telling a hilarious story about Yul Brynner and an offer to “party” that took years for Eddie to unpack. The film culminates in Eddie’s triumphant return in 2019 to host “Saturday Night Live” — his first time hosting the show in 35 years. At least for one night, we can guarantee that there was something truly special to watch on TV.
 
“Being Eddie” is streaming on Netflix.
 
The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix.
 
Hidden Gems:
“Restrepo”, “Senna”
 
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In February 2023, Flaco, a Eurasian eagle-owl, escaped from the Central Park Zoo through a hole cut in the netting of his enclosure and soon found himself alone on a Manhattan sidewalk. But, as director Penny Lane (“Hail Satan?”, “Our Nixon”) shows in her inquisitive, insightful and irresistible documentary “Wild Inside,” Flaco would not be alone for long. Soon, he became the toast of the town, with his own devoted followers including owlers, tourists, apartment dwellers, TV late night hosts, and the news media.
 
Penny joins Ken on the pod to discuss how this enigmatic, majestic bird with the penetrating pumpkin eyes won New Yorkers’ hearts from one end of Manhattan to the other and touched off a debate about how the wild animals in our midst should be treated and protected. Penny talks about how she, a birder herself, first heard about Flaco from a filmmaker friend who happened upon Flaco on his first night of freedom, and then embarked on her own journey to tell this multi-layered story from different perspectives. Flaco’s point of view on all of this remains unknowable, but Penny succeeds wildly in illuminating how one bird can give us new eyes to see the world anew.  
 
“Wild Inside” is from HBO Documentary Films and has its world premiere in Central Park on July 29th, followed by screenings in select theaters across the U.S. See more details at FlacoDocumentary.com.
 
Hidden Gem:
“Best Worst Movie”
 
The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix.
 
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@pennyjupiter on Instagram and @lennypane on X
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“Beware of your local librarian!” The idea that this could be a concern held by some Americans seemed unthinkable to director Kim A. Snyder (“Death By Numbers”, “Newtown”) back in 2021 when she embarked on the project that would end up being her latest documentary “The Librarians.” But as the latest wave of the culture wars has crested over the last few years, librarians — and books on local public and school library shelves — found themselves in the crosshairs of school board members, Christian Nationalists, and well-funded conservative organizations.
 
Kim joins Ken on the pod to explain the evolving public image of librarians and to connect the dots between conservative political strategy, attempts to remove books from school libraries, and threats of criminal prosecution of librarians who dare to stand up for the rights of their students. Kim discusses the list of 850 books created by a Republican Texas state representative with the intent of identifying and removing the books from school library shelves. Not surprisingly, these titles feature LGBTQ+ characters (over 60% of the books on the list), as well as books about race and Black history, and authors of color. While Texas and Florida may be ground zero for these attacks on literature and librarians, Kim describes how the movement has gone national. Fortunately, for those who value the importance of young people (and adults) having access to these books, a group of librarians known as “The Freedom Fighters” — and other librarians across the country — are now speaking out.
 
“The Librarians” is nominated for the Primetime Emmy for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking. It is available for streaming on the PBS YouTube Channel.
 
Hidden Gem:
“Cutting Through Rocks”
 
The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix.
 
Follow:
@kasnyderfilms on Instagram and X
@topdocspod on Instagram and X