Best michaellouismerrill Podcasts (2025)

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Emmy Winner Matt Wolf: "Pee-wee as Himself" 19:10

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31m ago19:10

19:10

In honor of Matt Wolf's big wins at the Emmys this year--not only for "Pee-wee as Himself" as Best Documentary Feature, but for his own win as director of that documentary as well as picture editing for Damian Rodriguez--we are re-releasing our interview with him at Sundance earlier this year. As Director Matt Wolf shows in his insightful and fun 2…

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2025 Emmys Rundown with Scott Feinberg 33:35

7d ago33:35

33:35

It’s Primetime. Yes, the Primetime Emmys are here, and we’ve got you covered. Culminating our “Top Docs” podcasts featuring the leading contenders for in the documentary categories, we talk to The Hollywood Reporter’s Executive Editor of Awards Scott Feinberg who breaks down the 2025 Emmy nominees in all the major documentary categories, including …

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2025 TIFF Doc Lineup Rundown with Thom Powers 36:09

18d ago36:09

36:09

Welcome to the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival (September 4 – 14), home of the big anniversary! This year’s edition of one of the world’s great film festivals marks TIFF’s landmark 50th anniversary. In addition, renowned curator and all-around documentary powerhouse Thom Powers (host of the Pure Nonfiction podcast) celebrates 20 years as t…

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Classic: "Sugarcane" with Julian Brave Noisecat & Emily Kassie 25:41

12d ago25:41

25:41

Today we are repeating one of our favorite conversations. Mike spoke with the filmmakers of "Sugarcane" at Sundance 2024. They would go on to win the Grand Jury award for Directing at that festival, and then would be nominated for the 97th Academy Awards last year. If you enjoy this conversation, you may want to check out our "Anatomy of a scene fr…

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"Social Studies" with Lauren Greenfield 46:40

21d ago46:40

46:40

Acclaimed photographer and filmmaker Lauren Greenfield (“The Queen of Versailles”) is drawn time and again to overlapping and powerful themes like addiction, wealth, consumerism and celebrity culture. Now, with her first doc series “Social Studies” — a fascinating 5-part exploration of the tight grip that social media has over Generation Z — Lauren…

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"Sly Lives!" with Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson & Joseph Patel 37:32

22d ago37:32

37:32

Did Sly blow it? As part of continuing Emmys coverage, we are joined by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson and Joseph Patel, the director and producer of “Sly Lives! (aka the Burden of Black Genius)” (as well as the same for the 2022 Oscar Winner “Summer of Soul”) to discuss the life and career of Sly Stone, whose interracial and multigendered band drew up…

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"Super/Man" with Peter Ettedgui & Ian Bonhôte 40:22

24d ago40:22

40:22

Continuing our coverage of the 2025 Emmy Awards, Mike is joined by Peter Ettedgui and Ian Bonhôte, directors of "Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story" and nominees for Outstanding Directing For A Documentary/Nonfiction Program (the film received three other Emmy nominations as well ). In sketching their portrait of Christopher Reeve, who embodied…

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"100 Foot Wave, Season 3" with Joe Lewis 34:41

26d ago34:41

34:41

In order to catch a really great wave, 100 foot or otherwise, you need to be extremely patient, waiting for that next great “set” (group of waves) that’s going to put you in position for the ride of the day — or ride of your life. It’s also true for those making films about surfing, including director Chris Smith (“American Movie”) and the massivel…

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"Patrice: The Movie" with Ted Passon 42:41

29d ago42:41

42:41

There’s no place quite like “P-Town,” the remarkable world of wonder created by Patrice Jetter, the star of Peabody award-winning director Ted Passon’s (“Philly D.A.”) enchanting and heavy hitting documentary “Patrice: The Movie.” Over the last 20 years, Patrice’s scale model town has become a source of endless fantasy and fun, but also an escape f…

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"I Am: Celine Dion" with Irene Taylor 48:05

1M ago48:05

48:05

I Am: Celine Dion In a world dominated by constant pitching and fundraising, once in a long while, filmmakers get “The Call.” “The Call” is when a producer calls and asks if you are interested in a project, fully funded and with the main participant ready to go. Such was the case for Academy Award®-nominated director Irene Taylor (“Moonlight Sonata…

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"It's Never Over, Jeff Buckley" with Amy Berg 31:02

1M ago31:02

31:02

Acclaimed director Amy Berg (“West of Memphis,” “Janis: Little Girl Blue”) set her sights on making a documentary about the beloved singer/songwriter Jeff Buckley some 15 years ago. Now, with her finely crafted new documentary, “It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley,” Amy delivers a fresh take on Buckley’s remarkable music and a thoughtful look at his life…

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"Heightened Scrutiny" with Sam Feder & Amy Scholder 43:02

2M ago43:02

43:02

With intense scrutiny of the trans community comes threats to the personal safety, healthcare and civil rights of trans people. Just ask Sam Feder (“Disclosure”), director of the timely new documentary “Heightened Scrutiny” that follows ACLU attorney Chase Strangio on his journey all the way to the Supreme Court to fight for the rights of transgend…

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"Nobu" with Matt Tyrnauer 43:08

2M ago43:08

43:08

It all starts with the fish. In director Matt Tyrnauer’s (“Carville, Winning is Everything, Stupid”) delectable and insightful new documentary “Nobu,” we are reminded of this fact when Nobu himself, the man behind the restaurant empire that shares his name, reels in a fish, skins, slices and serves it right on the boat to friends and family. It is …

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"Prime Minister" with Michelle Walshe & Lindsay Utz 40:39

3M ago40:39

40:39

During Jacinda Ardern’s historic run as Prime Minister of New Zealand from 2017 - 2023, she became a worldwide phenomenon and icon of the Left. From the pandemic to a horrific mass shooting in NZ, Jacinda faced a series of major crises, as well as a media crush that followed her everywhere. But during those tumultuous times, one thing remained unkn…

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"Sally" with Cristina Costantini 36:06

3M ago36:06

36:06

In elementary school, Emmy Award-winning director Cristina Costantini (“Science Fair”) was a science nerd who idolized astronaut Sally Ride, the first American woman in space. Cristina even painted a mural of Sally on one of her elementary school’s walls. Fast forward to today and National Geographic Documentary Films has just released Cristina’s t…

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"Simone Biles Rising" with Katie Walsh 45:57

3M ago45:57

45:57

It makes sense that Simone Biles, winner of 11 Olympic medals, and considered by many to be the greatest gymnast of all time, would stick to a consistent pre-competition ritual to prepare for battle. But, as filmmaker Katie Walsh shows in one of the more intimate scenes in her exceptional four-part Netflix docuseries, “Simone Biles Rising,” the big…

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Anatomy of a Scene from "Will & Harper" with Josh Greenbaum 46:30

3M ago46:30

46:30

Director Josh Greenbaum returns to “Top Docs” to discuss the poignant and culminating closing sequence in his deeply moving documentary “Will & Harper.” In the film, close friends Will Farrell and Harper Steele embark on a road trip across America to get everything out in the open about Harper’s recent transition and to support her new life as a tr…

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Anatomy of a Scene from "Martha" with R.J. Cutler 37:26

4M ago37:26

37:26

R.J. Cutler returns to the pod to dig in deeper to his Netflix documentary on Martha Stewart, “Martha”. R.J. and Mike turn their eyes to a few minutes early on (starting about minute 15 if you want to watch along), when a young Martha Stewart pursues motherhood, Wall Street, and ultimately Turkey Hill to become “Martha”. R.J. explains how every ele…

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“Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band" with Thom Zimny 52:35

4M ago52:35

52:35

Thom Zimny (“Springsteen on Broadway”, “Springsteen: Letter to You”) can tell you a lot about Bruce Springsteen. Through the course of Thom’s many documentaries featuring Bruce and the E Street Band, including his latest film, “Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band,” Thom has delved deeply into the music, personalities, and rollicking…

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"Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer" with Liz Garbus 27:19

4M ago27:19

27:19

As explained by director Liz Garbus ( Bobby Fisher Against the World), ”Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer is, “A documentary series that follows the case of young women who went missing from New York City and Long Island. Ultimately, it's a story about what victims are valued and how when justice fails, people have to step up and demand it…

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"CHAOS: The Manson Murders" with Errol Morris 42:23

4M ago42:23

42:23

More than 50 years after the conviction of Charles Manson and members of the Manson Family for the shocking Tate-LaBianca murders, acclaimed filmmaker Errol Morris takes aim at the case. Inspired by author Tom O’Neill, whose book (“CHAOS: Charles Manson, the CIA, and the Secret History of the Sixties”) attempts to debunk the thesis of famed prosecu…

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"Pee-wee as Himself" with Matt Wolf 19:17

4M ago19:17

19:17

As Director Matt Wolf shows in his insightful and fun 2-part HBO series “Pee-wee as Himself”, in Pee-wee, Paul Rubens found a persona that allowed him to both reveal and yet hide some core truths about who he was. Fascinated with television and show business since he was a boy, Rubens combined elements of his childhood’s pop culture with the art wo…

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"American Murder: Gabby Petito" with Julia Willoughby Nason and Michael Gasparro 33:11

4M ago33:11

33:11

On the pod today, Julia Willoughby Nason and Michael Gasparro return to discuss their latest for Netflix, American Murder: Gabby Petito. Mike previously had Julia and Michael on to talk about Murdaugh Murders, and like that effort, this series both fulfills the expectations of the true crime genre, while finding deeper themes to explore. While in M…

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"Deaf President Now!" with Nyle DiMarco & Davis Guggenheim 36:08

4M ago36:08

36:08

In March 1988, when the Board Chair of Gallaudet University, the world’s only Deaf university, announced Gallaudet’s new president, she had no idea what was about to happen. As chronicled in Nyle DiMarco and Davis Guggenheim’s riveting new documentary, “Deaf President Now!”, the students revolted against the decision to hire yet another hearing per…

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"Yacht Rock: A DOCKumentary" with Garret Price 26:59

4M ago26:59

26:59

Our guest today is Garret Price, who Mike speaks to about his HBO Series “Yacht Rock: A DOCKumentary.” In addition to editing dozens of narrative and documentary series and films, Garret directed “Love, Antosha”. This is his second directorial effort for “Music Box”, the previous being, “Woodstock 99: Peace Love and Rage.” In “Yacht Rock”, Garret n…

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"Wise Guy: David Chase and the Sopranos" with Alex Gibney 22:29

5M ago22:29

22:29

As we continue Season 5, Mike speaks with Alex Gibney (Agents of Chaos, Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief, Taxi to the Dark Side) about his documentary series for HBO Max, “Wise Guy: David Chase and the Sopranos”. If you are familiar with Gibney’s work, you will know that his documentaries often have a political topic or a political…

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"Chef's Table: Legends" with David Gelb & Adam Bricker 42:23

5M ago42:23

42:23

We're kicking off our 5th Season and the beloved Netflix doc series “Chef’s Table” is celebrating its 10th anniversary with the new release of “Chef’s Table: Legends,” a special four-part series spotlighting the achievements and life lessons of four extraordinary pioneers of the kitchen who have changed the food world and culture writ large. Joinin…

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Classic: "Beckham" with Fisher Stevens 37:37

5M ago37:37

37:37

While we gear up for Season 5, we hope you enjoy this re-release from July of 2023. Since we spoke with Fisher, "Beckham" went on to win several Emmys including Best Documentary or Nonfiction Series and Outstanding Directing of a Documentary/Nonfiction Program for Fisher. From the opening moments when David Beckham strolls through a country field w…

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Classic: "20 Days in Mariupol” with Mstyslav Chernov (from July 2023) 42:07

5M ago42:07

42:07

As we gear up for Season 5, please enjoy one of our favorite shows. Since we released this pod first in July of 2023, "20 Days in Mariupol" won the 2024 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. The letter “Z” seems innocent enough – until you see a Russian tank painted with that mark slowly turn its turret in your direction. For AP journalist Ms…

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Our Most Popular Pods, Season 4 32:46

5M ago32:46

32:46

To finish out Season 4, we're revisiting some telling moments from 4 of our most popular shows of the season: Rob Reiner: "Albert Brooks: Defending My Life" Lucy Walker: "Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa" Sam Lipman-Stern & Adam Bhala Lough: "Telemarketers" Ibrahim Nash'at & Shane Boris: "Hollywoodgate" The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Do…

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"The Perfect Neighbor" with Geeta Gandbhir 24:32

6M ago24:32

24:32

“Stand Your Ground” became a part of the cultural lexicon over a dozen years ago when a Florida jury acquitted George Zimmerman of murder in the killing of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin under the Florida self-defense law. Director Geeta Gandbhir takes a probing look at Stand Your Ground laws in her searing new documentary “The Perfect Neighbor,” which…

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"The Dating Game" with Violet Du Feng & Joanna Natasegara 21:29

6M ago21:29

21:29

Forget about the original “The Dating Game,” not to mention “The All-New Dating Game” and “The Celebrity Dating Game.” This is director Violet Du Feng’s “The Dating Game,” which just had its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Of course, this is a documentary not a Chuck Barris game show and, like Violet’s previous film, the sublime …

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"Gen_" with Gianluca Matarrese & Dr. Maurizio Bini 23:23

7M ago23:23

23:23

To unwind, Dr. Maurizio Bini, who runs a clinic in a public hospital in Milan, takes long walks in the mountains and picks mushrooms. But even in these calming moments, work is not far from his mind. In “Gen_”, director Gianluca Matarrese’s thoroughly entrancing new documentary portrait (a world premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival), Dr. …

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"Middletown" with Amanda McBaine & Jesse Moss 23:44

7M ago23:44

23:44

Continuing our coverage live from Sundance, we are once again joined by Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss (Boys State, Girls State, The Mission) to discuss their new film, “Middletown”, which depicts a charismatic high school teacher in Upstate New York who in the 1990s led a “Breakfast Club”-like group of his students to investigate the town dump–whic…

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Academy Awards Breakdown 2025 with Clayton Davis 41:27

7M ago41:27

41:27

Joining us for the 4th year in a row, Variety’s Senior Awards Editor Clayton Davis is back on “Top Docs” to break down this year’s Oscar races for Best Documentary Feature and Best Documentary Short and to offer his predictions for who will walk away victorious on March 2nd. With this year’s feature doc race the closest thing to a real toss-up in y…

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"Incident" with Bill Morrison & Jamie Kalven 27:26

7M ago27:26

27:26

Rounding out our coverage of the 2025 Academy Award nominees, we are joined by producers Bill Morrison (“Decasia”, “The Dockworker's Dream”, Dawson City: Frozen Time) and Jamie Kalven (of the Invisible Institute) to discuss their Oscar-nominated short, “Incident,” which depicts the police shooting of Harith “Snoop” Augustus and it’s immediate after…

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"Instruments of a Beating Heart" with Ema Ryan Yamazaki 23:00

7M ago23:00

23:00

Ema Ryan Yamazaki attended Japanese elementary school, then an international school before heading to New York for her college education. In “Instruments of a Beating Heart”, her Academy Award Nominated short, she reveals some of the differences she found between national pedagogies, and some of the key learnings which have made her who she is. Tol…

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"I Am Ready Warden" with Smriti Mundhra & Maya Gnyp 33:24

7M ago33:24

33:24

In Smriti Mundhra’s (“St. Louis Superman,” “Indian Matchmaking”) recently Oscar-nominated documentary short, “I Am Ready, Warden,” John Henry Ramirez speaks direct to camera and says, “If you all are seeing this, it means the state of Texas has murdered me…” For the audience, it’s a punch to the gut, a spoiler, and an announcement of what’s at stak…

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"Death by Numbers" with Kim A. Snyder and Sam Fuentes 31:49

7M ago31:49

31:49

When documentary filmmaker Kim A. Snyder began her directing career, she didn’t set out to make a string of films about school shootings and their aftermaths. But, from “Newtown” (2016) to “US Kids” (2020), and now with her Oscar-nominated short documentary “Death by Numbers,” Kim has brought critical attention to the issue and built deep relations…

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"2000 Meters to Andriivka" with Mstyslav Chernov 24:34

8M ago24:34

24:34

One of the most haunting moments in director Mstyslav Chernov’s harrowing new documentary “2000 Meters to Andriivka” — a follow up to his Oscar-winning “20 Days in Mariupol” — is a rather prosaic conversation about handmade cigarettes between the filmmaker and a Ukrainian soldier as they huddle in a foxhole while artillery shells explode around the…

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"Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat" with Johan Grimonprez 43:44

8M ago43:44

43:44

The 15th UN General Assembly of September 1960 may not seem like the most avant-garde topic for a cinematically adventurous documentary, but don’t tell that to director Johan Grimonprez. His stunningly creative “Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat,” recently named to the Oscar Shortlist for Best Documentary Feature, is a cinematic high point of 2024 and al…

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"The Bibi Files" with Alexis Bloom 26:32

9M ago26:32

26:32

Continuing our Academy Award coverage, today we speak with Alexis Bloom about her documentary, "The Bibi Files," which has been Oscar-shortlisted. "The Bibi Files" features never-before seen police interrogations of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu, his wife Sara, their son Yair and many of their friends, associates, and people who …

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"Will & Harper" with Josh Greenbaum 45:24

9M ago45:24

45:24

Road trips — and road trip movies — are as American as apple pie. And now, currently streaming on Netflix, we have director Josh Greenbaum’s poignant and very funny documentary “Will & Harper,” which tags along on a cross country road trip with close friends Will Ferrell and Harper Steele as the two navigate Harper’s recent transition as a woman. S…

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"Makayla's Voice" with Julio Palacio 27:33

9M ago27:33

27:33

Due to a rare form of autism, 14-year-old Makayla has grown up with plenty to say but lacking the ability to say it — until now. Thanks to a groundbreaking therapy, she has found her voice and is making up for lost time. In Julio Palacio’s deeply moving Oscar-shortlisted documentary short, “Makayla’s Voice: A Letter to the World,” Makayla uses a le…

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"The Only Girl in the Orchestra" with Molly O’Brien 26:57

9M ago26:57

26:57

The first thing you should know about double bassist Orin O’Brien is that she doesn’t think she’s anything special. The second thing you should know — as director Molly O’Brien’s thoroughly endearing Oscar-shortlisted documentary short “The Only Girl in the Orchestra” makes perfectly clear — is that Orin O’Brien is very special, indeed. The first f…

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Sundance 2025 Preview with Basil Tsiokos 44:33

9M ago44:33

44:33

“Hello, 2025!” And as the doc calendar turns to a new year, we turn our attention to the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. The 41st edition runs from January 23 – February 2 in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah (and online from Jan. 30 – Feb 2). To help get us fired up, we welcome back Basil Tsiokos, Sundance Senior Programmer, Nonfiction, for his four…

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"Frida" with Carla Gutiérrez 43:13

9M ago43:13

43:13

Frida Kahlo is everywhere. From pajamas imprinted with her likeness to exhibitions of her work, Frida’s image and art are omnipresent. But what about Frida’s own perspective on life, art, politics and love? Taking inspiration from Frida’s letters, illustrated diary and other writings, filmmaker Carla Gutiérrez’s stunning documentary portrait “Frida…

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Oscar Shortlist 2024 Rundown with Anne Thompson 34:32

9M ago34:32

34:32

Welcome to our Anne-ual Top Docs Holiday Special featuring the one-and-only Anne Thompson, Editor-at-Large at IndieWire! Anne joins Mike and Ken to tackle this year’s Best Feature Documentary Oscar Shortlist, released on December 17th. One day following the release of the list, Anne is already fired up and ready to go. How competitive is this year’…

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Anatomy of a Scene from Sugarcane with Emily Kassie & Julian Brave NoiseCat 39:29

9M ago39:29

39:29

Today’s pod features one of our special “Anatomy of a Scene” episodes. Emily Kassie and Julian Brave NoiseCat join us once again to discuss their feature documentary, “Sugarcane”. Emily & Julian were first on the show when we recorded them live from Sundance. We wanted to have them back on to dig in deep on a scene from the movie that spans contine…

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"No Other Land" with Basel Adra & Yuval Abraham 27:40

10M ago27:40

27:40

For Palestinian villagers in the rural southern West Bank community of Masafer Yatta, life under the Israeli occupation is terrifying. The Israeli military can show up, without warning, waving orders to demolish your house; those resisting can be arrested or even shot. Among the Palestinians who call Masafer Yatta home is filmmaker Basel Adra. Base…

Michaellouismerrill Podcasts