Top Docs: Award-Winning Documentary Filmmakers

“Climbing the mountain” is a fitting description of the uphill struggle that all documentary filmmakers face when taking on any new project. Acclaimed filmmaker Lucy Walker (“Bring Your Own Brigade”, “The Crash Reel”) takes that metaphor to new heights with “Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa,” her ambitious, multilayered new documentary portrait of world class mountain climber Lhakpa Sherpa.   Joining Ken on the pod for a return visit, Lucy talks about her deep admiration for Lhakpa, who, growing up in the Himalayas of Nepal, always felt a strong spiritual connection to Mount Everest. But, as a woman climber and a Sherpa, Lhakpa had to fight to overcome rampant discrimination and a series of seemingly insurmountable obstacles to achieve her dreams. “Mountain Queen” masterfully documents Lhakpa’s attempt to summit Everest for a world record-breaking 10th time and reveals that her ultimate quest may be to inspire her daughters to climb their own mountains.   “Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa” streams on Netflix beginning on July 31st. You can find our 2022 convo with Lucy about “Bring Your Own Brigade” here.   Follow: @lucywalkerfilm on Instagram and twitter/X @topdocspod on Instagram and twitter/X   Hidden Gem: “Maya and the Wave”   The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix.

When the U.S. military pulled out of Afghanistan in 2021, effectively ending America’s longest war, that seemed like the end of the story for most journalists. But for director Ibrahim Nash’at, the story that he wanted to tell was just beginning. In his haunting new documentary “Hollywoodgate”, Nash’at does what virtually no other journalist or filmmaker has dared to do: tag along with the victorious Taliban military as it goes about reasserting itself over every aspect of Afghan society. Ibrahim and producer Shane Boris (“Navalny”, “Fire of Love”) join Ken on the podcast to discuss the immense challenges and ever present dangers that Ibrahim faced during production. What drew Ibrahim to this story initially and what convinced Shane to join him as one of the producers? How did Ibrahim come to focus on two main figures in the film, and how did they complete “two sides of the story”? And how did seeing the word “Hollywoodgate” written on the entrance to an abandoned U.S. base in Kabul provide a moment of clarity for Ibrahim — and, ultimately, lead to the making of this extraordinary and unforgettable film?   Follow: @ibrahimnsht and @shane.boris on Instagram @topdocspod on Instagram and twitter/X   Hidden Gems: Ibrahim Nash’at: “Return to Homs” Shane Boris: “Talking Heads”, “Cameraperson”    

In the 1960s and 1970s, the Memphis sound was everywhere: Sam and Dave, Otis Redding, Carla Thomas, Isaac Hayes — the list goes on. Not only did the Memphis sound (a.k.a. Memphis soul) bring an amazing range of musical talent to the world, it also shined a light on the unsung city of Memphis, Tennessee and on a remarkable record company called Stax Records. In her expansive HBO docuseries “STAX: Soulsville, U.S.A.”, director Jamila Wignot (“Ailey”) goes inside the recording studio and widens her lens to look at the deep cultural impact that the musicians and executives of Stax had on American culture.   Joining Ken on the pod, Jamila discusses what drew her into this epic, constantly surprising story of a small record label that grew to be one of the centers of the music world — only to see the entire enterprise come to a tragic end. How did Stax records become a magnet for Black musicians and producers and a beacon for experimentation and improvisation in popular music? In what ways did Stax, with its interracial musical acts, break down racial barriers, while, at the same time, fall short in confronting the issue of race in the South? And what made the 1972 Wattstax concert in Los Angeles, with over 100,000 mostly Black fans, the “most badass thing” you can imagine? This docuseries is stacked with one fascinating, enlightening story after another.   “STAX: Soulsville, U.S.A.” is streaming on max.    Follow: @jamilaw on Instagram @topdocspod on Instagram and twitter/X   Hidden Gem: “Pumping Iron”   The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix.

  In the early 1990s, a serial killer stalked his victims not by slipping into houses under cover of darkness or by abducting victims from isolated highway rest stops, but rather by haunting crowded, lively gay bars in Manhattan–he even interacted with others in these bars, sometimes the very friends of his victims.     What makes “Last Call: When a Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York” so compelling is the way director Anthony Caronna and executive producer Howard Gertler bring to bear a chronicling of gay life in the city at that time–with both its joys and its terrors during an era of widespread crime against queer New Yorkers–to explain how the killer managed to get away with his crimes for so long.  And on the way they pay both great respect to the full, complicated lives of those who were lost, as well as those they left behind.   You can watch “Last Call: When a Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York” on Max.   Follow: @hgertler on Instagram and  @auntyanthony on Instagram and @AnthonyCaronna on twitter/X @topdocspod on Instagram and twitter/X   Hidden Gems: Licensed to Kill Split Screen

Sir David Attenborough’s still got it. As he proves in Netflix’s extraordinary nature series “Our Planet II”, the 98-year-old legendary British biologist, natural historian, narrator, and writer remains one of the documentary world’s great talents.   Joining Mike and Ken on the pod, “Our Planet II" Series Producer Huw Cordey discusses the ins-and-outs of collaborating with narrator Sir David and the tremendous challenges of this mind-blowing nature series. Picking up where Our Planet left off, the sequel explores how and why a vast array of species embark on their annual migratory journeys. Along the way, Huw describes how all the key creative elements, from the extraordinary cinematography to the finely-honed scripts, come together to make stars of these remarkable creatures, great and small. They are the real legends of this story.   “Our Planet II” is streaming on Netflix.    Follow: @huwcordey on Instagram @topdocspod on Instagram and twitter/X   Hidden Gem: “Big Oil v the World”

In 2015, a young California couple, Aaron Quinn and Denise Huskins, was awakened by a home invasion, drugged, and blindfolded; Denise was kidnapped. But that isn’t the only disturbing horror at the heart of the harrowing Netflix docuseries “American Nightmare”. Sensitively and imaginatively directed by Felicity Morris and Bernadette Higgins (“The Tinder Swindler”), this true crime drama focuses as much on the local police department’s disturbing disregard for the couple, and for the facts of the case, as it does on the original crimes.   Joining Ken on the pod, Felicity and Bernadette describe how their approach to “The Tinder Swindler” and “American Nightmare” avoids the tropes and traps of the standard true crime formula, resulting in documentaries that feature the victims as the primary storytellers. From their choice of lighting and interview staging, to how the series is structured, every element of the production supports the directors’ vision and gives power back to Aaron and Denise — one more step in the couple’s journey to awaken from their American nightmare.   “American Nightmare” is streaming on Netflix.    Follow: @felicityhmorris on Instagram and  @fliss_morris on twitter/X  @bernadetteberniehiggins on Instagram @topdocspod on Instagram and twitter/X   Hidden Gem: “Pamela, a love story”   The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix. 

Yance Ford’s voice is key to his new documentary on Netflix, so here’s how he describes “Power”:  “Driven to contain threats to social order, American policing has exploded in scope and scale over hundreds of years. Now it can be described by one word: ‘Power’”.   Yance’s narrative is deeply rooted in a historical analysis of the roots of American policing–Indian removal, slave patrol, the anti-Labor municipal police of the 18th and 19th centuries; in his analysis, all driven by the protection of property.  But his focus ultimately resolves on the deeply personal effects that policing has on individuals and communities.    “Power” can now be streamed on Netflix.    Follow: @yford on twitter/X @topdocspod on Instagram and twitter/X   The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix.  

Already famous as an actor, Rob Reiner made his directorial debut in 1984 with the landmark mockumentary “This Is Spinal Tap”, which kicked off a new subgenre and inspired countless references to turning the knob “up to 11.” But, it has taken 40 years for the legendary creative hyphenate (director of “Stand by Me”, “When Harry Met Sally”, “A Few Good Men” and many more) to direct his first “real” documentary, “Albert Brooks: Defending My Life”, a loving embrace of his lifelong friend, the comedic genius Albert Brooks. Joining Ken on the pod, Rob shares insights into what makes Albert tick, why it took his friend so long to agree to the film, and how he was inspired by “My Dinner with Andre” to sit down over cheesecake with his former Beverly Hills classmate. With his first documentary, Rob proves to be equally adept as an interviewer as he is chronicler of Albert’s career through a selection of Albert’s’ brilliant stand-up appearances, clips from his movies, and testimonials from a who’s who of comedy heavyweights. The result is a thoroughly charming and, ultimately, inspiring portrait of friendship itself. What took you so long, Rob?   “Albert Brooks: Defending My Life” is available now on Max.   Follow: @robreiner on twitter/X @topdocspod on Instagram and twitter/X   The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix. 

While we gear up for Season 4 of "Top Doc", we're sharing some of our favorite episodes of the past few years.  Today, we re-present a pod from October of 2021.   Ken and Mike welcome Kirsten (KJ) Johnson, who recently won Best Director for her groundbreaking film, "Dick Johnson is Dead." This film is like no other film you’ll find in your Netflix queue. KJ’s boundary-pushing documentary uses the art of cinema to keep the ravages of time and the onset of dementia from taking her beloved father Dick away from her. The solution? Keep killing her father over-and-over again on camera, all with Dick’s active participation and encouragement.  Once you survive the film, you’ll definitely want to join Mike and Ken for this refreshingly candid conversation with KJ who constantly questions everything (including our questions!) and proves herself to be every bit as provocative, playful and engaging as the film itself. Covering everything from Seventh-day Adventism and the best way to stage your father’s funeral while he’s still alive to Vertov’s Man with a Movie Camera and, of course, chocolate cake, this week’s podcast is one you’ll be dying to listen to. And look out for that falling air conditioner!  You can follow us on twitter @topdocspod Other films directed by Kirsten Johnson: Cameraperson Deadline   People who worked on the film: Judy Karp Michael Hilow Nels Bangerter Peter Horner Nadia Hallgren John Foster Simon Mendes Marilyn Ness   Hidden Gem:  Marjoe   Also mentioned in the pod: Ousmane Sembène  Djibril Diop Mambéty Wellington Bowler Young Frankenstein Monty Python’s Flying Circus Charles Addams Lacan on social death  Derrida (the documentary) Quantum Entanglement The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill

While we gear up for Season 4, we are sharing some of our favorite shows from the past few years.  Next up is "Summer of Soul", and our interview with director Amir "Questlove" Thompson.  Since we first aired this show in January of 2022, the film went on to win the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.   Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson joins us to talk about his Oscar-shortlisted “Summer of Soul (…or, When the Revolution Could Not be Televised)”.  In the summer of 1969, a music festival took place in New York that attracted over 300,000 people. Featuring some of the most incredible artists of that — or any — era, it caught the cultural wave of the moment. No, it wasn’t Woodstock. And, until very recently, practically nobody knew it ever took place. Featuring stunning, previously unseen archival performance footage and incorporating an array of enthralling interviews, game-changing debut documentary “Summer of Soul” is a joyful celebration of the Harlem Cultural Festival and a long-delayed corrective to an egregious example of Black erasure. Winner of both the 2021 Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award for Best U.S. Documentary. “Summer of Love” is Oscar shortlisted for Best Documentary Feature.    Fresh off the set of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon where he serves as Musical Director, Questlove joined Mike and Ken for a spellbinding conversation, showcasing his unique skills as a storyteller. How is it that even a musical aficionado of Questlove’s renown was skeptical that such a concert ever happened? What was his initial reaction to seeing this long-forgotten footage? How did he crack the code of doing justice to the towering musical performances happening on stage and conveying the broader social and political movements happening off it? What inspired him to start the film with Stevie Wonder on drums? And, what about David Ruffin’s sartorial choices? Tune in to this episode of Top Docs for answers to these questions and a whole lot more. Questlove in conversation is its own sublime music set. Headphones not included.