Top Docs: Award-Winning Documentary Filmmakers

There’s nothing “sly” about Sylvester Stallone. His iconic screen characters, most notably, Rocky Balboa (“Rocky” and four others) and John Rambo (“Rambo: First Blood” + four others), are about as direct as they come — and, seemingly, so, too, is their creator. But, Emmy award-winning director Thom Zimny (“Bruce Springsteen: Wings for Wheels: The Making of ‘Born to Run’”) reveals that, even as Stallone was becoming famous for making some of the most successful films of all time, as a filmmaker, he has somehow never managed to receive the in-depth treatment that he deserves.   Thom joined Ken on the pod to discuss his insightful new documentary “Sly”, a revealing look into Stallone’s legacy and creative process. Delving into Stallone’s remarkable career, Thom discusses the recurring themes of Stallone’s work, his painful relationship with his father, and the deeply personal impact that his films have had on audiences.   “Sly” releases on Netflix on November 3.   Hidden Gem: The YouTube Effect   Follow: @tzimnyc on Instagram and @ThomZimny on X @topdocspod on Instagram and X   The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix.

Errol Morris discusses his documentary 'The Pigeon Tunnel' which delves into the life and career of John Le Carré. They explore the influence of Le Carré's childhood on his spy novels and the elusive meaning behind his work. The podcast also explores the unique shooting techniques used in the documentary and the contrast in moral compasses between Le Carré and a British spy.

R.J. Cutler, director of 'The War Room' and 'Billie Eilish: The World's a Little Blurry', discusses his new documentary series 'Big Vape' which explores the tragic story of Juul. Cutler explores how Juul's addictive nature parallels that of social media. The podcast also delves into the influence of Stanford's design school on Silicon Valley, the history of vaporizers in the tobacco industry, lifestyle marketing tactics used by Juul, the complexities of decision-making in the face of money versus doing good, and reflections on documentary filmmaking.

Inspired by the adventures stories of his youth as well as a “radical” interpretation of Jesus’ “Great Commision” , 26-year-old American John Chau set off to the distant North Sentinel Island to tell the people there–supposedly completely isolated and putatively unfriendly to visitors–of his Savior.     Directors Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss (Boys State) join Mike to discuss not only what drove John, but who enabled him like “Pastor Bobby” and the evangelizing group All Nations.  And they also explore those who either cautioned him in the moment, like John’s own father, who warned him away from colonial and imperialist thinking. As well as those who, through hard-won insight gained through experience, can provide a critical perspective now, like historian Adam Goodheart and missionary and linguist Dan Everett.    In the end, McBain’s and Moss’s film suggests, in imagining our encounter with the “untouched” other, we are telling a story about ourselves, and a lost world that never existed but that we persist in pursuing.   "The Mission" is now showing in New York in Los Angeles. It will be opening more widely in the US and Canada over the month of October.   Follow: @topdocspod on Instagram and twitter   The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix

From the opening moments when David Beckham strolls through a country field wearing a beekeeper’s outfit, you know you’ll be witnessing another side to one of the world’s most famous people.  In “Beckham”, a 4-part series on Netflix, director Fisher Stevens (producer of  “The Cove” and “Tiger King”, and an actor on stage and screen for 40 years, most recently playing Hugo Baker on “Succession”) reveals the life and career of a man whom he says has a unique disposition:  Craving love, but determinedly individualistic.     Fisher speaks with Mike about some of Beckham’s most important relationships: his father; his manager, Sir Alex Ferguson; and his wife, Victoria, aka Posh Spice.  They discuss what control means for David, from his father’s early invocations of its importance, to Beckham’s midnight ramblings through his London home scrubbing surfaces and trimming the wicks of candles.  And they share stories of what it means to be an American fan of soccer… er, um… football.   Hidden Gems: Burden of Dreams   Follow: @fisherstevens and on Instagram and @fisherstevensbk on twitter @topdocspod on Instagram and twitter   The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix

Ken Jacobson, Executive Director of the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival, discusses highlights of this year's lineup including Gala Films, Sundance standouts, a World Premier, and Oscar-qualifying shorts. They also delve into personal stories of missing daughters, a community dependent on whale hunting, and the history of racist ideas in America.

There’s nothing invisible about the beauty, strength and savvy of pathbreaking model and fashion industry icon Bethann Hardison, whose story is at the heart of the eye-opening and captivating new documentary “Invisible Beauty”. Hardison, who directs the film with Frédéric Tcheng (“Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel”, “Dior and I”, “Halston”), became a top model at a time when black was deemed not so beautiful by the fashion industry. She then went on to a highly successful career as the owner of a modeling agency and consultant to leading fashion brands. But what sets Bethann apart is her commitment to making change in the fashion industry, to force it to confront its own shortcomings when it comes to inclusiveness and diversity.   Bethann and Frédéric joined Ken on the pod to discuss Bethann’s remarkable journey, both on the runway and off, and how the two of them formed such a fruitful and mutually supportive creative partnership.   “Invisible Beauty” opens theatrically in New York City on September 15 and in LA and other cities on September 22.   Hidden Gems: Frédéric Tcheng: “Un Film Dramatique”, “The Secret Life of Plants” Bethann Hardison: “Fire of Love”, “Amy”   Follow: @bethannhardison and @invisiblebeautyfilm on Instagram and @frederictcheng on twitter @topdocspod on Instagram and twitter   The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix.

The Toronto International Film Festival (September 7 – 17, 2023) is one of the world’s top showcases for documentary film. No doubt, numerous films from this year’s lineup will be among the most acclaimed and talked about of the Fall awards season and beyond. DOC NYC co-founder Thom Powers, who has been TIFF’s Documentary Programmer since 2006, joins Top Docs to discuss this year’s selections, trends and standouts. The 2023 lineup includes new films from such renowned filmmakers as Frederick Wiseman, Raoul Peck and Lucy Walker, as well as works by some remarkably talented new voices on the documentary scene. Our Sundance roundup is one of our most popular pods, so we’re thrilled to be able to take you on an insider’s tour of the TIFF doc lineup with the perfect guide leading the way.   Follow: @thompwers1 on Instagram and @thompwers on twitter @topdocspod on Instagram and twitter   The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix.

Closing out our Emmy coverage, today we feature Ken Burns (“Brooklyn Bridge”, “The Civil War”, “Jazz”) and Lynn Novick (“Frank Lloyd Wright”, “Baseball”, “Hemingway”) discussing their thrice-Emmy nominated “The U.S. and the Holocaust”.  As Ken tells us, this PBS series addresses the “Holocaust, one of the low points of humanity and what Americans knew and what they didn't know, what they did, and more importantly, what they didn't do.”   Ken and Lynn first explain why they start with the story of Anne Frank and her family, and how it reveals how we often don’t fully understand the American context of such stories.  They speak with Mike about the deep anti-immigrationist and antisemitic feelings of America between the world wars.  They explain in particular how Eugenics was used to buttress the laws severely limiting immigration, especially from Southern Europe and Eastern Europe–the latter being where most of the world’s Jews then lived.  They go on to explain how American Eugenics, along with the ideology of Manifest Destiny and even Jim Crow laws influenced the Nazis and gave them a template for their atrocities.  And they discuss some of what Ken calls “the points of light” in this most horrific time:  Some of the Americans–singularly or in organizations–who stepped up to help Jews escape.   Throughout, as the series shows the depths of the Nazi horrors and the failure of the U.S.--with the notable exception of winning the war–to muster a meaningful response, it demonstrates the importance of maintaining what writer Daniel Mendelsohn calls “the particularity” of the stories of those who died and those who survived.   Hidden Gems:  The Better Angels   Follow: @KenBurns on twitter and @kenlburns on Instagram @LynnNovick on twitter and Instagram @topdocspod on Instagram and twitter   The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix.

The legacy of slavery and the contributions of Black American are intrinsic to nearly every aspect of what makes America America.  It’s a simple enough thesis, but the makers of the documentary series of  "The 1619 Project"–based on the original essays published in The New York Times–bring it to life with stories from history, of course, but also those of contemporary people whose lives and experiences illustrate this deep truth.   Executive Producer and showrunner Shoshana Guy sat down with Mike to discuss how her team managed to fashion a work of great craft while sticking to their core argument throughout 6 episodes, each of which explores a key aspect of current American life.  Why is Nikole Hannah-Jones such a great guide, and what’s up with that notebook?  What is the deeper cause of elevated child and maternal mortality of Black women, no matter their income?  How did a failed attempt to get into Studio 54 inspire Niles Rodgers to compose the ultimate party song–but one actually deeply imbued with the spirit of social activism?  Throughout, we witness that from pain comes not just survival but a complicated pride of country and even joy.   "The 1619 Project" has been nominated for 3 Emmys, including Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series and is available on Hulu.   Hidden Gem: The Death of My Two Fathers   Follow: @shoshan_guy on twitter and @shoshanaguy on Instagram @topdocspod on Instagram and twitter   The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix.