Pure Nonfiction: Inside Documentary Film

Latest Episodes:

154: Oscar-nominated Shaunak Sen on "All That Breathes" Feb 07, 2023

Show notes

"All That Breathes" won top prizes at Sundance and Cannes for its portrayal of two brothers in New Delhi who dedicated themselves to rescuing birds from the hazards of the polluted city. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers talks to director Shaunak Sen about how he scrapped his first year of filming to start over. Shaunak discusses the contributions of cinematographer Benjamin Bernhard ("Aquarela") and editor Charlotte Munch Bengtsen ("The Truffle Hunters") in the creation of one of the year's most visually striking films.

"All That Breathes" is now playing on HBO Max.

On Instagram: @purenonfiction @shaunak_sen

153: Joyce Chopra on "Lady Director" Jan 31, 2023

Show notes

Joyce Chopra broke the glass ceiling for women in film by directing classic works such as the ground-breaking personal documentary "Joyce at 34" and the fiction film "Smooth Talk" that won the Sundance Grand Jury Prize in 1986. Those films and others are now streaming in a collection of her work on the Criterion Channel. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews Joyce about her new memoir “Lady Director” where she reflects candidly on the highs and lows of her career, including her documentary education at Drew Associates and her clashes with producers Sydney Pollack and Harvey Weinstein that almost caused her to give up filmmaking.
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152: Violet Du Feng on "Hidden Letters" Jan 10, 2023

Show notes

During China's feudal era, women kept in seclusion developed a secret language called nüshu. Hidden Letters profiles two millennial women in China who are among the very few people keeping the language alive. The film was named to the Oscars' Short List of 15 documentary features that will be narrowed to five nominees later this month.

Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews director Violet Du Feng about changes for women in China, the effects of capitalism in the country and her goals to reach both Chinese and western audiences.

The conversation includes references to Lisa See's novel "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan"; and the film's producers Mette Cheng Munthe Kaas and Jean Tsien (who was previously interviewed on episode 130).

On Instagram: @hiddenlettersfilm @purenonfiction

151: Rebeca Huntt on "Beba" Dec 05, 2022

Show notes

Rebeca Huntt tells her own coming of age story in her debut documentary "Beba," now streaming on Hulu. She uses the medium of film to explore the personal, political and poetic. The New Yorker critic Richard Brody describes the film as "an intimate story with a grand scope." It's been nominated for the Cinema Eye Honors in three categories including Best Director and was named by Indiewire as one of the Top 25 Films of 2022.

On Instagram: @bebafilm @rebecahuntt @purenonfiction @thompowers1

150: “La Madrina” of the South Bronx Apr 14, 2022

Show notes

La Madrina: The [Savage] Life of Lorine Padilla profiles the South Bronx “godmother” who transitioned from life in the Savage Skulls street gang to become a beloved community activist. Filmmaker Raquel Cepeda tells a nuanced portrait of Lorine, drawing upon previously unseen footage captured in the 1970s and ‘80s for documentaries such as "80 Blocks from Tiffany’s" and "Flyin’ Cut Sleeves” that focused on Bronx gangs. Raquel wrote about her own New York upbringing in her memoir Bird of Paradise: How I Became Latina. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews Lorine and Raquel along with the film’s executive producer Henry Calfant, a pioneering chronicler of the Bronx hip hop scene who produced “Style Wars” and directed “Flyin’ Cut Sleeves."

After a two year hiatus, Pure Nonfiction has resumed its live screening series at New York’s IFC Center. The spring season takes place on Tuesday nights through the end of May. This conversation was recorded before a live audience for the season’s opening night on April 5, 2022. If you’re in New York City, join us in person!

149: W. Kamau Bell on "We Need to Talk About Cosby" Feb 24, 2022

Show notes

W. Kamau Bell has a wide-ranging career in stand-up comedy, TV hosting, podcasting, and more. Now he directs the four-part Showtime series "We Need to Talk About Cosby". It explores the once beloved entertainer who's been accused by over 60 women of rape, sexual assault, and harrassment. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers talks to Kamau about how he navigated the intense emotions around Cosby's legacy.

Hear Kamau discussing different aspects of the series on Larry Willmore: Black on the Air and Fresh Air. For more on his work, visit wkamaubell.com.

148: Abigail Disney & Kathleen Hughes on Disney’s Dark Side Feb 17, 2022

Show notes

Abigail Disney made headlines three years ago when she launched a critique on the labor practices of Walt Disney Company that was co-founded by her grandfather Roy O. Disney. Now she pushes that argument further in the documentary The American Dream and Other Fairy Tales that she directed with Kathleen Hughes. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviewed Disney and Hughes as the film was making its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. The film won strong reviews in Variety and The Hollywood Reporter and is still seeking distribution.

This conversation references Disney’s previous credits as a producer on Pray the Devil Back to Hell; and as a director with Hughes on The Armor of Light. It also touches upon the experiences of Abigail’s father Roy E. Disney covered in the book DisneyWar. Hear more of Abigail’s critique against the Walt Disney Company in her interview on KCRW’s The Business; and her own podcast All Ears with Abigail Disney.

147: Stanley Nelson on "Attica" and a Retrospective Jan 29, 2022

Show notes

Stanley Nelson's latest film "Attica" was picked for the Oscar Documentary Short List. It's playing on Showtime and available free for a limited time on YouTube. In February, the Criterion Channel will present a retrospective titled "Black History Rising: Documentaries by Stanley Nelson." The collection covers five films: "The Black Press: Soldiers Without Swords" about African-American-owned newspapers; "Freedom Summer" on the 1964 Mississippi voter registration drive; and a deeply personal film about his family, "A Place of Our Own." Stanley looks back on his career in a wide-ranging interview with Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers.

146: Alex Pritz on “The Territory” at Sundance Jan 27, 2022

Show notes

The burning of the Amazon rainforest is a global tragedy. Filmmaker Alex Pritz collaborates with members of the Uru-eu-wau-wau indigenous community to document what's happening on the ground in The Territory. Premiering at Sundance, the film has been hailed as "riveting" (Variety), "gorgeously and sometimes ingeniously conceived" (Indiewire). Alex describes the making of the film with host Thom Powers.

145: Joe Hunting on “We Met in Virtual Reality” at Sundance Jan 25, 2022

Show notes

We Met in Virtual Reality, premiering in the Sundance World Documentary Competition, profiles several users on the platform VRChat during the pandemic. Director Joe Hunting uses a camera built for VR so he can film people's avatars in their imagined worlds. The film is more about relationships than technology. Joe's previous short films set in VR can be viewed on his website joeahunting.com. Guest host Samah Ali (who studied VR for her master's degree) interviews Joe about what he learned making his first feature.

Pure Nonfiction's coverage during the Sundance Film Festival is sponsored by National Geographic Documentary Films.

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