Top Docs: Award-Winning Documentary Filmmakers

  Filmmaker Ryan White (“Good Night Oppy”, “The Keepers”) had no desire to make a documentary about ‘90s superstar Pamela Anderson. Not when the idea was first brought to him, anyway. But then, Pamela’s son urged him to at least meet his mother on Zoom. And that was all it took. Ryan quickly realized that the media image of Pamela as a two-dimensional blonde bombshell and attention-driven celebrity was not at all an accurate picture of the complex, intelligent, and funny person he would get to know while filming what became Ryan’s highly engaging new documentary “Pamela, a love story”.   Making a return visit to Top Docs, Ryan describes how vastly different his experience was making “Pamela” from his last film “Good Night Oppy”. What was it like for Ryan to have Pamela turn over her entire personal archive of diaries and videotapes and empower him to decide how to use them? How did Pamela’s spontaneous nature create the kind of atmosphere on set where anything could happen? And how did Ryan navigate the difficult waters of the Pamela and Tommy Lee sex tapes, which he knew had to be addressed, but which would likely bring up painful memories for Pamela? “Pamela” is a totally refreshing portrait that explores the many sides of love. Thank goodness for that Zoom call.   “Pamela, a love story” is currently streaming on Netflix.   Hidden Gems: “Between the Rains” “Q”   Follow: @white815 on Instagram and @ryanwhiteIV on twitter @pamelaanderson on Instagram and twitter @topdocspod on Instagram and twitter   The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix.

6 young adults on a boat ride home after a clambake.  It sounds everyday, even idyllic, but when the inebriated young scion of a local legal dynasty crashes the boat into a bridge, one of the young people loses her life.  And “The Murder Murders: A Southern Scandal” traces how the ramifications ultimately lead to a double murder, as well as revealed a longstanding pattern of widespread theft and previous suspicious deaths.   Director Julia Willoughby Nason and Executive Producer Michael Gasparro (both of Fyre Fraud) joined Mike to talk about how their 3 part series on Netflix draws upon the conventions of “true crime” while also exploring a series of interlocking, intergenerational friendships as well as the broader social hierarchy of a rural county.  How did they navigate the intricate web of rumor to find out the truth about the once seemingly all-powerful Murdaugh family?   The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix.   Hidden Gems: Silver Blake Life Smartless: On the Road   Follow @topdocspod on Instagram and twitter

Meet The McNamara’s, the first family of big wave surfing. Garrett McNamara is one of the world’s premier big wave surfers; wife Nicole is a top big wave spotter; Nicole’s brother CJ rides the big waves, too. Now, son Barrel is (perhaps) on the path following in dad’s footsteps. If season 1 of HBO’s enthralling docuseries “!00 Foot Wave” was all about the pursuit of that illusive triple digit milestone, season 2 digs deeper into the rich and complex personalities who make up the elite big wave surfing community.    Joining Ken to discuss season 2 is Executive Producer Joe Lewis  (“Fleabag”, “Transparent”) – making his second appearance on Top Docs  – and Nicole McNamara, one of the series’ featured participants. How did Joe and director Chris Smith (“Tiger King”, “American Movie”) go about choosing new people to feature in season 2? What was it like for Nicole to confront major health issues during a very difficult pregnancy while husband Garrett seemed more focused on the big waves than on her? And how did cinematographer Karl Sandrock become an adjunct member of this unique family?    “100 Foot Wave, Season 2” is currently streaming on Max.   After you enjoy our conversation, be sure to check out the HBO Original 100 Foot Wave Podcast, which features Nicole as host interviewing many of the series’ standout characters (Top Doc’s own Mike and Ken served as Consulting Producers).   Follow: @JoeLewis on Instagram and twitter @mcnamara_s on Instagram @topdocspod on Instagram and twitter   The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix.

Judy Blume is alive and well.  While no longer writing books, at 85 she still bikes around the lively streets of Key West, stopping in to tend the book shop she bought a few years ago.  And she serves as the vivacious, charismatic center of “Judy Blume Forever”.   Directors Davina Pardo and Leah Wolchok sat down with Mike Merrill to discuss how their film centers Blume both within a coterie of authors she influenced as well as within the shifting cultural landscape of the key years that she was writing–the 1970s–that are still resonating in our world today.     Judy Blume forever is now streaming on Amazon Prime.   Hidden Gems: Missing Allen Smoke Sauna Sisterhood   Follow: @davinapardo on twitter @judyblume on twitter and @judyblume4real on instagram @topdocspod on Instagram and twitter   The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix.

Nothing could be more sterile – or more frightening – than a cold, spare interrogation room. Victims and suspects alike are brought into these spaces where they are questioned by police and videotaped for later use as evidence. But what happens when the victim, even without realizing it, becomes the suspect – and the suspect becomes the lead witness? This is the disturbing truth uncovered in Nancy Schwartzman’s (“Roll Red Roll”) probing new documentary “Victim/Suspect”.   Nancy and producer/main subject Rae de Leon, the investigative reporter who broke the story for “Reveal”, join Ken to discuss the tragic circumstances and byzantine reporter’s journey at the heart of this Orwellian nightmare. What incentives drive some police officers to doubt the stories of sexual assault victims and instead use the interrogation process to gather “evidence” against them for filing a false police report? How did a documentary filmmaker and an investigative reporter join forces and navigate the best way to work together? And in what ways are the stories of the women featured in the film and Rae’s reporting being used to change police department practices across the country? The interrogation room will be better off for it.   “Victim/Suspect” is currently streaming on Netflix.   Follow: @fancynancynyc on Instagram and twitter @raeoflion on Instagram and twitter @topdocspod on Instagram and twitter   The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix.

The quest for a lifelong mentor can be as tough a mountain to climb as, you know, a really big mountain. If you are Oscar®-winning filmmaker and world-class climber Jimmy Chin, not only do mountains and mentors play a huge role in your life, but, in the case of Jimmy and his Oscar-winning creative/life partner Chai Vasarhelyi, they are also at the center of their fascinating and deeply personal new documentary “Wild Life”.   Jimmy and Chai make a return visit to Top Docs (“The Rescue”) to share stories about the making of “Wild Life”, which focuses on a tight knit group of trailblazing mountain climbers and entrepreneurs, including the indomitable Kris Tompkins. When Kris’ husband, the larger-than-life Doug Tompkins (co-founder of North Face and Espirit) dies suddenly in a kayaking accident, Kris (former CEO of Patagonia) overcomes her grief to carry the torch of the couples’ unprecedented efforts to turn the largest private land donation in history into the creation of massive national parks in Chile and Argentina. Join us for this heartfelt conversation in which Chai and Jimmy describe what it took for Kris to make these conservation dreams a reality, as well as the filmmakers’ own formidable challenges in doing justice to their friends’ extraordinary lives.   “Wild Life” is currently streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.   Follow: @jimmychin and @chaivasarhelyi on Instagram and @jimkchin on twitter @topdocspod on Instagram and twitter   The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix.

Miami Beach in the early ‘60s was a magnet for dreamers, the idle rich, and the young-and-restless. It was also an irresistible draw for a young, handsome California surfer named Jack “Murf the Surf” Murphy who quickly took Miami Beach by storm… and then just took it. Joining a high-flying crew of brash jewel thieves, Murphy and his accomplices made off with thousands in stolen gems. The crooks later pulled off a daring heist of the Star of India and other priceless jewels from the American Museum of Natural History, which made Murphy a national celebrity (and a convicted criminal). But when Murphy was later tied to a double murder of two young women, the media’s portrayal of Murf as a fun-loving bad boy no longer seemed to fit the real picture.   Bringing his own lens to the story, highly-acclaimed filmmaker R.J. Cutler (“Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry”) crafts a thoroughly engrossing – and extremely thoughtful – four-part series about Murf the Surf that avoids many of the common tropes of the true crime genre. Returning to Top Docs for his second visit, R.J. explores the cautionary approach he took to the media savvy Murphy, why he thought it was important to re-center the narrative to honor Murphy’s victims and his strong belief in letting the audience come to their own conclusions about Murphy’s prison conversion to born-again Christianity.   “Murf the Surf” is available for streaming on MGM+.   Follow: @rjcutler928 on Instagram and @rjcutler on twitter @topdocspod on Instagram and twitter   Hidden Gem: Crisis   The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix.

In her feature documentary directorial debut, Sierra Urich follows women of three generations as they search for the meaning of “home”.  Torn between the past in Iran and the present in New England, the women navigate their family’s complicated legacy through art:  Video, painting, and song.  And they maintain and build the relationships between them through freighted words, both direct as well as translated.   Native Vermonters Sierra and Mike sat down to discuss this emotionally powerful film, one packed with stories from the past but playing with narrative form in its own telling.  They spoke of place:  Everything from domestic kitchens to the missing Google Street View of Iran.  And of how Sierra and her editor used hard cuts and other cinematic techniques  to emphasize the connection between and the distance from the world she found herself in and the land she wished to visit.  And yes, they did speak of her father, Gary–quiet, but ever-present.   Joonam is currently playing the festival circuit.   Hidden Gems: I Didn’t See You There Radiograph of a Family   Follow: @joonamfilm on Instagram @topdocs pod on twitter & Instagram   The Presenting Sponsor of Top Docs is Netflix.

Van Jones loves to talk. Or so it would seem to those who have closely followed the progressive CNN commentator’s frequent on-air rebuttals to Donald Trump’s words and deeds in recent years. But Jones is even more keen on the idea of action — specifically, action on the issue of prison reform, his driving passion for decades. Instead of spending the Trump presidency exclusively on the sidelines, Jones chose a different path: going over to “the dark side” to build alliances with Jared Kushner and Republican politicians to help pass long overdue prison reform legislation in the form of The First Step Act.   Joining Ken on Top Docs, director Brandon Kramer and producer Lance Kramer (“City of Trees”), dissect the strategy behind Jones’ approach and discuss the creative process behind the Kramer brothers’ incisive, politically deft and masterfully constructed documentary “The First Step”. How did the Kramers first connect with Van Jones and what led them to track this complex personal and political journey? Why did the filmmakers decide to follow multiple story threads knowing that this would cause their budget — and stress levels — to increase dramatically? And, ultimately, what contributed to Jones’ and his allies’ success? While The First Step Act represents one small victory on the road to true prison reform, it marks a giant leap forward in the careers of two visionary filmmakers.   “The First Step” is available for streaming on Amazon Prime.   Follow: @firststepmovie on Instagram, twitter and Facebook @topdocspod on Instagram and twitter   Hidden Gem: Brandon Kramer: Crisis Lance Kramer: To Be Heard   The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix.

Like a classic sole meunière that pairs a beautiful filet of sole with a dash of butter and lemon, director Laura Gabbert’s films (“City of Gold”) match glorious portraits of food with a brilliant and uniquely qualified storyteller. In the case of her new documentary “Food and Country”, which premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, Laura partners with food icon Ruth Reichl who embarks on an ambitious quest to talk to a variety of stakeholders throughout the U.S. to find out what can be done to fix what is clearly a food system on the brink of collapse. Sitting down with Ken at Sundance to talk about her new film, Laura discusses the challenges of a creative collaboration that, due to the constraints of the pandemic, often took place via Zoom; the forces of change that are reshaping the food industry; and the innovative chefs, restaurateurs, farmers, and ranchers who, against long odds, are re-inventing themselves in order to continue to do what they love and feed the world in the process. Bon appétit!   Follow: @lauragabbertfilms on Instagram and @LauraGabbert1 on twitter @topdocspod on Instagram and twitter   The Presenting Sponsor of “Top Docs” is Netflix.   A big thanks to Portrait for hosting this conversation at Sundance.