Top Docs: Award-Winning Documentary Filmmakers

The chosen 15. On December 21st, the announcement came down: the Oscar Shortlist of 15 documentaries selected by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Documentary Branch to compete for the coveted award of Best Documentary Feature in the upcoming 95th Oscars. IndieWire Editor-at-Large Anne Thompson joins “Top Docs” to break down this year’s Oscar Shortlist and dissect the vote by the diverse, and somewhat unpredictable, documentary branch. What were the surprise misses? Which films are a sure bet to make the final 5? And why is this year’s race for the Oscar far more competitive and, therefore, much harder to predict than last year’s, which saw Questlove’s Summer of Soul take home the gold. Spice up your holidays by tuning in and get your scorecards ready!   IndieWire Editor-at-Large Anne Thompson has been a contributor to the New York Times, Washington Post, The Observer, and Wired. She has served as film columnist at Variety, and deputy editor of Variety.com, where her daily blog, Thompson on Hollywood, launched in March 2007.    Key awards mentioned in this episode: IDA (International Documentary Association) Awards – Nominees and Winners PGA (Producers Guild of America) Awards – Documentary Nominees Critics Choice Documentary Awards – Winners   “Top Docs” Interviews with directors of these Oscar Shortlisted films: All that Breathes All the Beauty and the Bloodshed Bad Axe Descendant Fire of Love Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song   The Janes Last Flight Home Moonage Daydream Navalny Retrograde The Territory   Follow: @topdocspod on Instagram and twitter @akstanwyck on Instagram and twitter   The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix.

When it comes to making documentaries with impact, filmmakers Chris Temple and Zach Ingrasci ("Living on One Dollar", "Salam Neighbor"), co-founders of the non-profit film studio Optimist, have walked the walk. Chris and Zach have created more than 15 films and series that have raised over $91 million dollars for the films’ causes. Their films and the impact work supporting them have changed lives and inspired thousands. Chris joins Ken for a special "Top Docs" episode to discuss the ins-and-outs of "impact filmmaking".   What do we mean when we talk about impact in relation to documentary filmmaking? What are some strategies for launching a successful impact campaign? What are Chris' top picks for pathbreaking, unforgettable impact films? Don't miss this insightful conversation. It will definitely impact how you see documentaries from here on.   For more information, go to: Optimist Doc Club   Films mentioned in this episode: Living on One Dollar Salam Neighbor Five Years North Aftershock The Territory Last Flight Home The Cove Blackfish The Social Dilemma Paris is Burning Miss Representation For Sama The Reason I Jump   Other resources: Exposure Labs impactguide.org   Follow: @topdocspod on Instagram and twitter @christemple on Instagram and @Christemple8 on twitter @optimist on Instagram and @OptimistFilms on twitter   The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix.

The story seems simple enough:  An elderly man returns to his homeland to build a house for his family.  And this man, Julian, seems a congenial, inviting presence:  Always offering food, drink, and conversation.  But in Iliana’s Sosa’s new documentary about her beloved grandfather, “What We Leave Behind,” there’s always a sense of mystery lurking.     Sosa builds this tone through her beautiful cinematography which captures not only everyday Mexican life, but also the deeper time of a place which contains the ruins of “The House of 100 Doors”--built for a demanding Spanish bride–as well as a rock named “El Castillo” where witches live.  The result is a very personal film which also pulls us into the history of a family both Mexican and American, as well as the broader cultural and even economic relationship between the two nations. The film ultimately poses the question to all of us:  What will be our legacy?   What We Leave Behind is now playing on Netflix.   Hidden Gem:  A Married Couple   Follow: @whatweleavebehindfilm on instagram @la_ili_sosa on instagram and @boderchild on twitter @topdocspod on twitter and instagram   The Presenting Sponsor of “Top Docs” is Netflix.

“The pivot”. It is one of the most talked about topics among documentary filmmakers. And for good reason. An unpredictable and ever-changing world can render the best laid plans obsolete and wreak havoc for filmmakers. In the course of making his urgent new documentary “Retrograde”, Matthew Heineman (“City of Ghosts”, “Cartel Land”) found himself facing a doozy of a pivot. After years of persistence, he and his team had finally gotten permission to embed with a group of U.S. Army Green Berets stationed in Afghanistan, only to encounter, with the U.S. pullout of all of its troops, a story without any characters. But when the U.S. Special Forces left, Matthew pivoted to the even more dramatic story of an Afghan general trying desperately to lead his troops and defend his crumbling nation against the fast-encroaching Taliban.   Joining Ken on “Top Docs”, Matthew discusses how he navigated this major shift and also sheds light on his distinctive approach to documentary storytelling. Why does Matthew intentionally exclude context from his films, believing that this creates a much more visceral and emotional impact? How did Matthew and the film’s other cinematographers manage to capture moments of great intensity without, in certain situations, understanding what was being said? And, up against a stroke of extraordinary bad luck, how did Matthew reconceive the film’s final scene in such a way to make the film’s ending even more powerful than he could have imagined. Thank goodness for the pivot.   “Retrograde”, released by National Geographic Documentary Films, is available now for streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.   Follow: @topdocspod on Instagram and twitter @mheineman on Instagram and @MattHeineman on twitter   Hidden Gem: Murderball   The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix.

Director Reid Davenport joins Mike to discuss his new documentary, “I Didn’t See You There.”  As the title intimates, this is a film about seeing and being seen.  Reid confronts not only the legacy of P.T. Barnum–which he traces all the way to photographer Diane Arbus–but what he sees as the possibility of his own participation in the “freak show”, one which he notes doesn’t necessarily require a tent!  He even questions the motivations of what he calls the “Neoliberal” documentary audience: what compels them to watch, to even pat themselves on the back?   Reid and Mike talk about both the pleasures as well as the challenges of navigating Oakland’s urban landscape in a wheelchair.  Reid explains how his new camera allowed him to shoot his own film, as well as facilitated showing the world from what will be to many a wholly new perspective.  And he describes a variety of purgatories that he experiences:  with his family, but not mobile; mobile, but without them.    “I Didn’t See You There” will be showing on PBS’s POV starting January 9th.   Follow: @topdocspod on instagram and twitter  @reidjdavenport on instagram and @ReidDavenport on twitter @idntseeyoutherefilm on instagram and @IDidntSeeUFilm on twitter   Hidden Gem:  Goodbye CP   The Presenting Sponsor of “Top Docs” is Netflix.

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.