Pure Nonfiction: Inside Documentary Film
Latest Episodes
138: Nanfu Wang on “In the Same Breath”
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.
137: Sonia Kennebeck on “Enemies of the State”
“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.
136: Fran Lebowitz on “Pretend It’s a City”
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.
135: In Praise of Lewis Erskine @editorsavant
Documentary editor Lewis Erskine died last week at age 64. He was cherished by colleagues as a storyteller and a teacher.
134: Astra Taylor on “You Are Not a Loan"
Astra Taylor's new documentary You Are Not a Loan (free on The Intercept) brings together students and professors to discuss changing the cost of education.
133: Remembering Leon Gast & “When We Were Kings”
“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
Thom Powers interviews four members of the “Eyes on the Prize II” team - a documentary that played a key role for in the research new Hollywood film “Judas and the Black Messiah” is based on the lives of Panther leader Fred Hampton and the person who be
131: Alex Vitale on Rethinking True Crime
True crime documentaries are booming. But what do they tell us about criminal justice and what do they leave out?
130: Jean Tsien Goes Outside Her Comfort Zone
Jean Tsien has worked as a documentary editor for over 30 years with directors such as Orlando Bagwell, Barbara Kopple, and Roger Ross Williams.
129: Breaking Rules with Victor Kossakovsky, Kirsten Johnson & Garrett Bradley
“Don’t film if you can live without filming.” Those are the words of Victor Kossakovsky from his 10 Rules of documentary making. They are the starting point for a wide-ranging conversation with Victor along with Kirsten Johnson and Garrett Bradley, modera