Top Docs: Award-Winning Documentary Filmmakers

One of them is a pathbreaking filmmaker whose oddball, bracingly original work re-defined the underground cinema of the 1960s and ‘70s. The other is one of the most acclaimed and beloved actors of the last 35 years. But, to each other, they are simply “Sr.” and “Jr.” — Robert Downey, Sr. (“Putney Swope”, “Greaser’s Palace”) and Robert Downey, Jr. (“Chaplin”, “Iron Man”), that is. At first glance, filmmaker Chris Smith’s (“100 Foot Wave”, American Movie”) beguiling new Netflix documentary “Sr.” is a thoroughly engaging up-close-and-personal look at this immensely talented father-son duo. But, when Sr. is diagnosed with a life-threatening degenerative disorder midway through production, the film takes on deeper and more universal meanings. What unfolds is a truly moving account of a son’s desire to better understand and connect with his somewhat enigmatic father before it’s too late.   Joining Ken on “Top Docs”, Chris describes the film’s evolution from a portrait of an artist to a much more personal family drama once Sr. was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. What was it like to arrive at Jr.’s house on the first day of shooting and be told, to your surprise, “Nothing is off limits.”? How did Sr.’s genius manifest itself in the rather unusual request he made of Jr. for a full-throated performance of a German folk song in order to engineer the perfect “left turn” for the movie? And, what email did Chris receive at the 11th hour that led to the film’s new and final ending? In making the film, one of Sr.’s guiding principles that Chris took to heart was to “learn to trust anything and anything can happen”. After watching “Sr.” and listening to our conversation with Chris, we trust that you’ll feel pretty much the same way.   “Sr.” debuts on Netflix on December 2nd.    Hidden Gem: “Vernon, Florida”   Follow on Twitter: @RobertDowneyJr @topdocspod   The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix.

With its mouth-watering comfort food and welcoming atmosphere, Rachel’s of Bad Axe is the kind of family-run restaurant you’d be lucky to find in your neighborhood or passing through any small town. But, in this case, Rachel’s, started by the Siev family 25 years ago and still going strong, stands for something much bigger. As filmmaker David Siev shows in his remarkably candid and deeply emotional first feature “Bad Axe”, the very essence of the modern American dream, in all its complexity and contradiction, is represented in his parents’ struggles to make it in the rural community of Bad Axe, Michigan.   David joined Ken to talk about how, at the onset of the pandemic, he returned to Bad Axe to join his family and instinctively started filming everything. Not intending at first to make a documentary, over time, David found an irresistible and urgent story emerging: that of a “model minority” family beginning to find its voice in Trump’s America. What was the “light bulb moment” that led David down the path of making a documentary? In what ways did his father’s lingering childhood trauma of living through and escaping the Killing Fields of Cambodia create a cascading effect on the family? And how is it that a place, which, at times, can be outright vicious to the hard-working Sievs, also inspires the kind of love letter that David sees at the heart of his film? Alternating chilling scenes of intolerance with poignant moments of a family’s unshakeable faith in each other, “Bad Axe” is a story as American as apple pie, baked with love by this extraordinary Cambodian Mexican American family.   Hidden Gem: “Sam Now”   Follow on Twitter: @DavidSiev @badaxefilm @topdocspod   “Bad Axe” is currently available for streaming on Prime Video and other streaming services.   The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix.

All you need to know about Ryan White’s (“The Keepers”, “The Case Against 8”) enthusiasm for taking on the project that would eventually become his awe-inspiring new documentary “Good Night Oppy” is that the Cabbage Patch doll he had as a kid was the astronaut version (currently selling on Etsy for up to $200). Couple this opportunity to revisit his childhood passion for space with the fact that the company behind the project is Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment — makers of Ryan’s favorite movie of all-time, “E.T.” — and what you’ve got is the perfect creative marriage of filmmaker and subject. Ryan joined Mike and Ken to explore the constellation of joyful moments and creative challenges that propelled “Good Night Oppy” on its journey from launch to successful landing. After the experience of spending 90 minutes inside a photoreal environment of Mars, what scene turned everything on its head and became Ryan’s favorite of the movie? What’s the inherent tension that exists between NASA scientists and engineers, and how did they manage to gel so well on this mission? How does the film bring to life the story of an adorable robot while remaining, at its core, a film about people and their attempt to do something for the betterment of humankind? And, as Oppy reaches the end of his miraculous mission, why did a song of Billie Holiday’s take on a starring role? Join us for an out-of-this-world conversation with Ryan White. Cabbage Patch doll not included.   Hidden Gem: “Bad Axe”   Follow on Twitter: @ryanwhiteIV @topdocspod   “Good Night Oppy” premieres on Amazon Prime Video on Nov. 23.

“At first, I was terrified”. These are not words you expect to hear very often from Laura Poitras, one of the world’s most fearless and acclaimed documentary filmmakers. Afterall, this is the filmmaker who took on the U.S. intelligence community with her Academy Award-winning film “Citizenfour” about NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden. But shortly into our “Top Docs” interview about her trenchant and luminous new documentary “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed”, Laura began to use words like “nervous”, “intimidating”, and “terrified”. Rather than experiencing a potentially dangerous physical situation or government surveillance operation, Laura, instead, found herself confronting something even more formidable, the groundbreaking visual artist Nan Goldin. Not wanting to come up short in her portrait of someone that Laura describes as a legend, hero and inspiration, Laura was driven to create a documentary that would do justice to Nan, her artwork and her activism. Laura joined Ken on “Top Docs” to talk about how she and Nan came together to collaborate on the film and form a strong creative partnership. Given Nan’s frequent use of live slideshows to present her most well-known work, how did Laura and Nan figure out the best way to feature Nan’s art in the film? Why and how did Nan and the activist group that she founded in response to the opioid crisis train their sights on the Sackler family, whose company created OxyContin? And in what ways do big themes like destigmatization, resistance and legacy feature prominently in the film? Join us for this lively conversation… and don’t be afraid.   Hidden Gems: “Crossroads” “Perfect Film”   Follow on Twitter: @topdocspod   “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” will be released by NEON in theaters on November 23 in New York City and December 2 in Los Angeles and San Francisco. A national release will follow. The film will premiere on HBO and HBO Max at a date to be announced   The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix.

When filmmakers Tamana Ayazi (making her feature doc debut) and Marcel Mettelsiefen (“Watani: My Homeland”) set out in early 2020 to shoot a film about the new generation of young, well-educated Afghans, they knew they wanted to find a strong woman to tell this story. Instead, they encountered a force of nature: Zarifa Ghafari, the 26-year-old mayor of Maidan Shahr, who was not only one of Afghanistan’s first female mayors, but also its youngest. Tamana and Marcel’s thought-provoking, insightful and impassioned new Netflix documentary “In Her Hands” is Zarifa’s story, but it also opens its lens to track a much broader and more tragic narrative. Over the course of 19 months of filming, the filmmakers witnessed the end of one dream for Afghanistan and the rise of its polar opposite. Tamana and Marcel joined Ken on “Top Docs” to discuss Zarifa, her courageous struggles on behalf of the people of Maidan Shahr and the eventual triumph of the Taliban. How did this team of two directors — one from Afghanistan, the other from Germany — combine forces and eventually get to the point where they could practically read each other’s minds? Why did the search for a strong secondary character solve one dilemma but lead to yet another? And, as a female director filming with the Taliban, what were the special challenges and quandaries that Tamana faced? A story with many twists and turns, “In Her Hands” shows that, in any given situation in Afghanistan, the answers may be just beyond one’s grasp.   Hidden Gems: Tamana: Facing the Dragon Marcel: The Distant Barking of Dogs   Follow on Twitter: @TamanaAyazi @topdocspod   “In Her Hands” premieres globally on Netflix on November 16.   The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix.

Elvis Mitchell, longtime host of KCRW’s “The Treatment”, and producer of “The Black List”, joins Mike to discuss his new documentary “Is that Black Enough for You?”  The film recounts an explosion of Black Film which occurred mainly in the period of 1968-1978, placing it within the context of both the prior failure of Hollywood to provide real representation of Black characters, as well as a strand of chiefly independent African American-produced film that Elvis traces back to as early as the 1910s and 1920s.   Elvis tells Mike how the movies affected his grandmother’s (literal) dreams, as well as how they drove the (figurative) dreams and fantasy life of his stellar cast.  Elvis explains to Mike his nuanced view of the legacies of such luminaries as Alfred Hitchcock, Laurence Olivier, and Orson Welles.  What role did Mohammed Ali play for Black filmmakers?  And how did Diane Sands embody the promise of this era?  Mike and Elvis also discuss his process–narration first, clips second–and why he passed on the declamatory “They call me Mr. Tibbs” moments in favor of clips which demonstrate the interiority and development of characters. And, of course, Elvis and Mike had to talk about the music:  Isaac Hayes; Earth, Wind & Fire; Curtis Mayfield… and Alessandro Alessandroni!? “Is the Black Enough for You” streams on Netflix starting Friday, November 11th.   Hidden Gem: Portrait of Jason   Follow on Twitter: @ElvisMitchell @topdocspod   The presenting sponsor of “Top Docs” is Netflix.

From its lyrical opening shot of rats scurrying across an empty, moonlit lot somewhere in New Delhi, Shaunak Sen’s (“Cities of Sleep”) thoroughly original new documentary “All that Breathes” makes it clear that generous helpings of the cinematically sublime will be served up along with gritty doses of reality. The film follows Nadeem and Saud, two brothers who run a makeshift bird clinic and tend to the ubiquitous black kites of Delhi, which are falling out of the sky at alarming rates. Equal parts character study, environmental/ecological think piece and spiritual contemplation, “All That Breathes” exists in that rare space between the mythological and the all too real. Shaunak joined Ken on “Top Docs” to discuss the film’s rich visual approach, thought-provoking themes and complex relationships. Sitting in his car stuck in a traffic jam, what inspired Shaunak to go home and immediately begin to research the topic that would lead him to the brothers’ basement clinic? In the midst of the climate change crisis, why did Shaunak find Nadeem and Saud, with their “head down” approach, to be such philosophically interesting figures? And with India’s anti-Muslim fervor creeping ever closer to the brothers’ sanctuary, how did Shaunak figure out the best way to reveal what was happening in the world outside without losing focus on the brothers and their birds? Join us for this engaging conversation with the director of one of the year’s most acclaimed films. Please note: we apologize for some audio issues experienced during the recording of Shaunak’s interview and ask you to please bear with us. “All That Breathes” is currently in limited theatrical release and will be on HBO and available for streaming on HBO Max at a date to be announced.   Hidden Gem: ¡Vivan las antípodas!    Follow on twitter: @allthatbreathes @topdocspod   The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix.

When your dad — who is also your best friend and your family’s source of inspiration — announces that he has made the decision to die, the immediate reaction is shock and revulsion. But, after careful consideration and discussion, it became clear to the Timoner family that paterfamilias Eli, who had been battling very severe illness and a rapidly deteriorating quality of life, was ready to take this final step in his life’s journey. In “Last Flight Home”, her shattering, deeply moving and, ultimately, spiritually restorative new documentary, acclaimed filmmaker Ondi Timoner (“DIG!”, “We Live in Public”) embraces her most challenging and personal project by documenting her father’s last 15 days of life. Ondi joined Ken on “Top Docs” to discuss what it was like to experience this devastating loss while, at the same time, “quarterbacking” her father’s care and orchestrating the shooting and editing of this extraordinary portrait of an exceptional man. How did Ondi go from iPhone recordings of her dad to making a full-blown feature doc — and how did she ensure that everyone in her family, especially her dad, was supportive of it? How does California’s End of Life Option law work, and how has it changed since the film was made? What does Ondi mean when she describes this as “the greatest experience of my life”, and what does she hope the film will accomplish? Join us for this intimate conversation. You’ll begin to understand why Eli’s “last flight home” is one more leg on a journey that goes on and on. “Last Flight Home” is currently in limited theatrical release and will be released by MTV Documentary Films at a date to be announced.   Hidden Gem: Keep On Keepin’ On   Follow on twitter: @InterloperFilms @topdocspod   The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix.

Can we all agree that the date of August 20, 2015 should be enshrined as one of the most important in the history of documentary? In case you’ve forgotten, that’s the date that “Documentary Now!” burst on the scene with the airing of its first episode: “Sandy Passage”, an unforgettable debut starring Fred Armisen and Bill Hader parodying the Maysles’ classic documentary “Grey Gardens”. Somehow, this crew of on and off-camera SNL talent (the show’s co-creators are Armisen, Hader, Seth Meyers, and Rhys Thomas) managed to pull off the not-so-small miracle of parodying the high priests and priestesses of documentary in half-hour masterpieces and, just as miraculously, found a network to actually air the program (IFC, for the record). Fast forward seven years and “Documentary Now!” has just premiered its first episodes of season 4 (actually, season 53 in the bizarre-o world of “Doc Now!”). Seth, Rhys and Alex Buono (who directs with Rhys and is also the show’s cinematographer) took time away from whatever else they were doing to join Mike and Ken on Top Docs and talk about the collective creative genius (our words, as they are far too modest) behind this unique show. Stay tuned for answers to such questions as: “Why did it take until season 4 (er, 53) to parody the highly imitable Werner Herzog and Les Blank’s portrait of him, “Burden of Dreams”? How did the team find itself on a remote Welsh mountainside trying to build a sitcom set as howling winds threatened to blow the whole thing to smithereens? And what do you say to Cate Blanchett when she asks, “Is it OK if I wear giant Coke bottle glasses?” Join us as we peal back the layers on the show that dances on the line between the sublime and the ridiculous while never straying from its love of documentary. To paraphrase the show’s host, the immortal Helen Mirren, “I give you ‘Documentary Now!’” Documentary Now! season 4 episodes discussed in this podcast include: “Soldier of Illusion” (written by John Mulaney) (parts 1 and 2), “Two Hairdressers in Bagglyport” (written by Seth Meyers), and “How They Threw Rocks” (written by Seth Meyers) Documentary Now! can be seen on IFC and streaming on AMC+.   Follow on twitter: @DocumentaryNow @sethmeyers @AlexBuono @RhysThom2 @topdocspod   The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix.

It’s not really about the ship. The first thing you have to understand about Margaret Brown’s (“The Great Invisible”, “The Order of Myths”) brilliant new Netflix documentary “Descendant” about the Clotilda, the last known ship to arrive with enslaved Africans in the U.S., is that it’s not primarily about the search for and discovery of this historic vessel. What carries her complex and lyrical film along in its looping journey across time and place are the stories of the descendants themselves. Lorna Woods, Joycelyn Davis and Emmett Lewis are just a few of the remarkable “treasure keepers” of Africatown, now part of Mobile, Alabama, who, for generations, have shared and protected the stories of their ancestors. But, when, as Margaret documents, the ship is discovered, who is to say where the narrative will go from here? Margaret joined Mike and Ken to discuss how she picked up where she left off from her 2008 film “The Order of Myths”, also set in her hometown of Mobile, to embark on this unique creative journey. How did the work of writer, anthropologist and filmmaker Zora Neale Hurston’s inspire Margaret and become, through Hurston’s book “Barracoon”, a key narrative device in the film? Why did Margaret turn off the camera in the midst of shooting one of the most powerful moments in the entire film? And why is the issue of zoning, as unsexy as it is, so crucial to understanding the past, present and future of Africatown? As Margaret puts it, “Where I ended the film is not the end of their story…. The story continues”.   Hidden Gem: Last Flight Home   Follow on twitter: @margaretbrown @topdocspod   The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix.