Today's guest is director Daniel Goldhaber, who blends high-tension genre films with piercing social commentary. His 2018 debut feature, Cam, a provocative, psychological thriller about a camgirl's stolen identity marked him as a director unafraid to dig deep into the darker recesses of contemporary culture. Cam captivated audiences with an unexpectedly feminist perspective using a technique Goldhaber calls "sensory ethnography," while putting forth a vision of how horror can reflect the anxieties of our digital age.

But if Cam was Goldhaber's statement of intent, his 2022 feature How to Blow Up A Pipeline solidified his place as a filmmaker with something to say. Boldly political yet tightly constructed, Pipeline is further proof that Goldhaber is mastering the art of genre with a conscience, a rarity in the landscape of popular cinema often content with spectacle over substance.

Daniel's films and Daniel's life explore the tension between capitalism and activism, between creativity and the imperative of commerce. In this conversation, you'll hear the best parts about his film education at Harvard, how he crashed a party at Cannes to get his movie financed, and how a weekend raving in Berlin changed the course of his life forever. He gives us hot takes on how the film industry is unexpectedly changing, and on the ethical rationale of controversial climate activism.

Call him a raconteur, a provocateur, but just don't call him an auteur - either way I have a feeling that Daniel's career as a filmmaker is just getting started. So whether you're listening to this conversation in 2024 or doing retrospective research in 2034, please enjoy my conversation with Daniel Goldhaber.

Show Links:

Cam (Film)

How to Blow up a Pipeline

Daniel Goldhaber’s Instagram

Issa Mazzei

Anora

Auteur Theory

Sean Baker

Tangerine film 

Alex Hughes - Spacemaker Productions

Golden Gate Nightclub - Berlin

Longmont Potion Castle

Omniprong

Ham on Rye - Tyler Taormina 

📸@swhnorton 

🐦@swhnorton

🖥️www.atlargeshow.com

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