Pure Nonfiction: Inside Documentary Film

Recorded live in New York City, Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews the filmmakers behind four Emmy contenders:Michelle Khare of "Challenge Accepted" (YouTube)Lance Oppenheim of "Ren Faire" (Max)Liz Garbus of "Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer" (Netflix)"The Fall of Diddy" (ID) team of Mary Robertson, Emma Schwartz, Yoruba Richen Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1

Live from New York City, Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews the directors behind several projects contending for Emmy nominations:Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson on "Ladies and Gentlemen...50 Years of SNL Music" from Peacock; and "Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)" from HuluReginald Hudlin on "Number One on the Call Sheet" from Apple TV+David Tedeschi on "Beatles ‘64" from Disney+Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1

Kenya's Sam Soko is a prominent figure in the rising wave of African documentary. He won international attention for his films Softie and Free Money at Sundance, TIFF and elsewhere. In this interview recorded at CPH:DOX, he explains there's a new crisis for African documentary. Cutbacks at USAID have hurt filmmakers who relied on NGOs for work. Whether or not you've seen Sam's films, this conversation evokes a critical moment for global storytelling. Titles mentioned in his conversation include: Softie, Free Money, Matabeleland, and The Battle for Laikipia.Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.On Instagram: @purenonfiction@thompowers1

"Blue Road: The Edna O'Brien Story" profiles the Irish novelist who broke taboos both in her writing and her personal life. Her early novels were denounced by the Catholic Church and banned by the Irish Censor Board. This stunning film puts her legacy into a new perspective. "Blue Road" premiered at TIFF and is now playing in theaters in Ireland and the UK, but hasn't yet found U.S. distribution. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews director Sinead O'Shea whose previous films include "Pray for Our Sinners" and "A Mother Brings Her Son to be Shot." Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1

“Secret Mall Apartment” tells the story of a group of artists who found a hidden space a Rhode Island mega mall that they occupied for four years while evading security. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews Jeremy Workman about how he convinced the artists to tell their story after they had turned down other documentary makers for over 15 years. He also discusses his day job editing movie trailers; and what he learned from his father, the filmmaker Chuck Workman.Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1

Frederick Wiseman: An American Institution is the title of a career retrospective currently running at New York's Film at Lincoln Center through March 5. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews Wiseman at age 95 about how he maintained his independence for over five decades. They discuss a range of topics including what's happening with his 2005 documentary "The Garden" that was never released.Hear our previous interview with Wiseman on episode 55. You can also find his films on Kanopy.Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1

Four interviews about films on the Oscars Shortlist for Documentary Feature: consulting editor David Teague and animator Renata Galindo on FRIDA; co-director Angela Patton on DAUGHTERS; producer Rafael Marmor on WILL & HARPER; director Shiori Ito on BLACK BOX DIARIES. Recorded live in New York City on January 5, 2025 at Documentary Spotlight, co-presented by Pure Nonfiction and The Ankler, and moderated by Thom Powers.Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1

Three interviews about films on the Oscars Shortlist for Documentary Feature: Stephen Maing and Brett Story on UNION; Laurie Anderson and Gary Hustwit on ENO; Slava Leontyev, Paula Dupre' Pesman, and Joe Berlinger on PORCELAIN WAR. Recorded live in New York City on January 5, 2025 at Documentary Spotlight, co-presented by Pure Nonfiction and The Ankler, and moderated by Thom Powers.Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1

"Queendom" profiles the non-binary Russian performance artist Jenna Marvin. We watch her challenge Russia's repressive laws against the LGBTQ+ community and protest the country's war on Ukraine, putting herself at great risk. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews director Agniia Galdanova and producer Igor Myakotin about what motivated them on this project despite the inherent dangers. "Queendom" is on the Oscars Shortlist for Documentary Feature and available on video on demand.Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1

After Afghanistan experienced a change of power in 2021, Egyptian filmmaker Ibrahim Nash'at embedded himself in the country and documented how the Taliban took control of over $7 billion worth of U.S. military equipment. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews Ibrahim about the making of "Hollywoodgate," how he coped with risk, the role of his mentors Talal Derki and Jess Search, and why he embraced therapy in the process."Hollywoodgate" is on the Oscars Shortlist for documentary feature. Watch it on Jolt Film.Hear Talal Derki discuss "Of Fathers and Sons" on episode 96.Hear more about Jess Search on episodes 168 and 200.Subscribe to our Substack newsletter Doc Voices.On Instagram: @purenonfiction @thompowers1