x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

The Dangerous Art of the Documentary

Double Elvis Productions, Tiller Russell

Filmmaker Tiller Russell (Waco: American Apocalypse, Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer, Operation Odessa, The Last Narc, The Seven Five) exchanges the camera for a microphone, sitting down with other documentary filmmakers for riveting, in-depth conversations about their most successful, iconic or recent films.

tv & film film interviews

All Episodes

48:30

Andrew Jarecki & Charlotte Kaufman (The Alabama...

The Dangerous Art of the Documentary ·

2025/12/12

Directors Andrew Jarecki and Charlotte Kaufman take viewers deep inside one of the nation’s deadliest prison systems in their latest film “The Alabama Solution”, where incarcerated men defy the odds stacked against them to expose an explosive and shocking cover-up. They share with Tiller how this story inspired them (2:30), their co-directing method (6:45), the intention behind the cinematography (16:00), gaining access to an underground civil rights movement within the Alabama prison system

en

47:06

Geeta Gandbhir (The Perfect Neighbor | Netflix)

The Dangerous Art of the Documentary ·

2025/12/03

Director Geeta Gandbhir’s new film "The Perfect Neighbor" is largely made up of police bodycam footage, tracking the events of a seemingly minor neighborhood dispute in Florida escalating into deadly violence. Geeta shares with Tiller how she got her first film job on Spike Lee’s “Malcom X” (2:00), discovering the trove of archival evidence (7:00), how the system failed the entire neighborhood and how the entire tragedy was preventable (19:00), and the thought and craft behind the original

en

44:22

Chai Vasarhelyi & Lynsey Addario (Love+War | National...

The Dangerous Art of the Documentary ·

2025/11/21

Pulitzer Prize-winning Lynsey Addario has risked her life to capture the stark realities of war — from the Middle East and Afghanistan to Ukraine. From National Geographic Documentary Films and Academy Award-winning filmmakers Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, “Love+War” chronicles Addario’s ascent in the male-dominated world of conflict photography. In their conversation, Tiller learns why this is Chai’s most personal film (3:00), how Lynsey decided to become the subject of a film (9:00), the

en

40:04

Gabe Polsky (The Man Who Saves the World? | In Theaters)

The Dangerous Art of the Documentary ·

2025/11/06

Director Gabe Polsky’s new documentary “The Man Who Saves the World?” tells the story of Patrick McCollum, a spiritual leader living in Moraga, California. The twist is this: certain Indigenous leaders in the Amazon believed Patrick is the answer to an ancient prophecy––the one who will unite and save the world. Gabe talks to Tiller about how he decided to dive all the way into this topic (3:45), his reliance on instinct while shooting (13:00), the complicated relationship he formed with the lead

en

43:10

Rebecca Miller (Mr. Scorsese | Apple TV+)

The Dangerous Art of the Documentary ·

2025/10/19

Director Rebecca Miller’s latest five-hour docuseries profiles America’s greatest living director, Martin Scorsese. She talks to Tiller about how she framed her pitch to Scorsese (6:00), the selection of soundtrack (15:00), the importance of his key collaborators (24:00), how she took a cubist approach to Scorsese’s portrait (30:00), and what she learned about the art of directing (38:30). Produced by: Jacob Miller Executive Producer: Tiller Russell Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey &

en

50:45

Abel Ferrara (Turn in the Wound)

The Dangerous Art of the Documentary ·

2025/10/04

Legendary director Abel Ferrara’s latest film, “Turn in the Wound”, explores human conflict and the search for peace and balance through the music and words of Patti Smith in reflective conversation with the experiences of people at war in Ukraine. This is one interview Tiller has been looking forward to all his professional life. Abel shares with Tiller the secret to retaining his unflinching creative vision (1:30), making the decision to travel to war-torn Ukraine (8:00), how the film captures the

en

36:25

Bill Banowsky & Paul O'Bryan (A Savage Art: The Life...

The Dangerous Art of the Documentary ·

2025/09/15

Director Bill Banowsky and producer Paul O’Bryan’s latest film “A Savage Art: The Life & Cartoons of Pat Oliphant” chronicles the incredible life and career of political cartoonist Patrick Oliphant, which also provides a concise history of political cartoons, political polarization and corporate media control. In their discussion, Bill and Paul reflect on becoming friends with Pat Oliphant (2:00), finding conflict and humanity in a film subject they respect (12:00), the genius of Pat’s ability to

en

37:48

Amy Berg (It's Never Over, Jeff Buckley)

The Dangerous Art of the Documentary ·

2025/09/01

Director Amy Berg returns to the podcast to discuss her latest film, “It’s Never over, Jeff Buckley”, a portrait of the gifted musician who died tragically in 1997, having only released one album. Amy shares with Tiller how Jeff Buckley appealed to both masculine and feminine audiences (2:00), the impulsive nature of artists adding to their mythology (12:00), finding the right financiers and producing partners (18:00), designing the animation style (26:00), and ultimately what she hopes people feel

en

44:49

Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady (Folktales)

The Dangerous Art of the Documentary ·

2025/08/16

Oscar-nominated filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady's life-affirming documentary “Folktales” tells the timely and heartwarming story of teenagers who choose to spend an unconventional "gap year" learning to dog sled and survive the Arctic wilderness, in hopes of finding connection and meaning in the modern world. In their discussion with Tiller, they share how this film came to fruition (4:00), putting together a Norwegian crew (14:50), the number one rule they learned about living in the wild

en

41:50

Mstyslav Chernov (2000 Meters to Adriivka | PBS)

The Dangerous Art of the Documentary ·

2025/08/01

Oscar-winning director Mstyslav Chernov’s follow-up to “20 Days in Mariupol” is another masterful portrait of the war in Ukraine, titled “2000 Meters to Andriivka.” This film captures a Ukrainian platoon's mission: traverse a heavily fortified mile of forest to liberate a strategic village from Russian forces. Mstyslav shares with Tiller his experience capturing the harrowing search for humanity through the lens in a war zone (2:00), removing his bias as a Ukrainian so the film doesn’t feel like

en

51:20

William Kentridge (Self-Portrait as a Coffee-Pot | MUBI)

The Dangerous Art of the Documentary ·

2025/07/18

William Kentridge's extraordinary nine-part series “Self-Portrait As A Coffee-Pot” is a vast, self-exploration into the creative labyrinthine mind of a prolific visual artist. In his discussion with Tiller, William ponders over the winding road of his creative process (3:30), how he interviewed himself for the film (9:30), uncovering the unconscious artistry within himself (21:00), the invaluable contribution of a talented editor (32:00), how he brought the film into museums (39:30) and creating art

en

35:52

David Gelb (Chef's Table | Netflix)

The Dangerous Art of the Documentary ·

2025/07/04

Filmmaker David Gelb’s series “Chef’s Table”, which profiles some of the most renowned chefs in the world, has been a major hit on Netflix for a decade now, spanning 7 seasons and 5 spinoffs. David reflects on how his vantage point has changed over 10 years of creating “Chef’s Table” (2:00), the development process with Netflix (8:45), how they select their chefs (15:30), the unenvious pressures in a chef’s life (26:00) and if David feels imprisoned by his own success (31:00). Produced by: Jacob

en

43:49

Thom Zimny (Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen & and the E...

The Dangerous Art of the Documentary ·

2025/06/21

Director Thom Zimny returns to the show to discuss his latest collaboration with Bruce Springsteen, “Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.” Thom discusses with Tiller his 20-year-long creative process with Bruce (1:45), how the film mirrors the emotional ride of a Springsteen concert (12:00), humanizing the fan base (21:30), evoking the emotion behind the lyrics (27:00), starting the film with no notion of where it’s going (34:00), and “the silent conversation” of the edit (39:00)

en

31:58

Questlove (Ladies & Gentlemen...50 Years of SNL Music)

The Dangerous Art of the Documentary ·

2025/06/06

Oscar-winning documentarian, The Roots drummer, and music icon Questlove joins the show to talk about his latest documentary, “Ladies & Gentlemen…50 Years of SNL Music.” The film takes audiences on a journey through the unparalleled musical legacy of Saturday Night Live, diving into the stories, surprises, and seismic impact of SNL’s musical guests. Questlove shares with Tiller how he first pitched the idea to Lorne Michaels (5:00), his struggles with imposter syndrome as an artist (11:00), the

en

32:02

Liz Garbus (Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer...

The Dangerous Art of the Documentary ·

2025/05/22

Academy Award nominee Liz Garbus joins Tiller to discuss her latest masterful contribution to the realm of true crime, “Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer”, a tense examination of the ongoing the hunt for the Long Island serial killer through the perspective of his victims, their loved ones and the police. Liz discusses with Tiller how the documentary film industry has changed over the last 25 years (2:00), the moral quandary in telling true crime stories (6:00), whether she chose this story

en

52:38

Errol Morris (Chaos: The Manson Murders | Netflix)

The Dangerous Art of the Documentary ·

2025/05/09

Welcome to Season 4 of The Dangerous Art of the Documentary! Oscar-winning director Errol Morris seeks to understand why Charles Manson’s followers killed 7 people in 1969 through his latest work “Chaos: The Manson Murders”, a chilling exploration of a conspiracy of mind control, CIA experiments, and murder. Tiller starts the discussion by sharing how Errol inspired him to become a filmmaker (1:30) before Errol unpacks the difference between a conspiracy and a conspiracy theory (6:00), how he

en

40:04

Kevin Macdonald (One to One: John & Yoko)

The Dangerous Art of the Documentary ·

2025/04/10

Acclaimed filmmaker Kevin Macdonald’s latest film “One to One: John & Yoko” provides a fresh lens into the lesser-known side of John Lennon’s life after The Beatles by incorporating never-before-seen footage of John and Yoko’s concert performance at Madison Square Garden and of their lives in New York's Greenwich Village. Kevin shares with Tiller how he came to direct both narrative and documentary films (3:00), weaving together the disparate strands of John and Yoko’s story (7:30), what he

en

50:21

Lauren Stowell and Gabe Honig (Celtics City | HBO)

The Dangerous Art of the Documentary ·

2025/03/27

HBO’s latest 9-part series “Celtics City” chronicles the remarkable saga of the Boston Celtics, the NBA’s winningest and most storied franchise. Director Lauren Stowell and showrunner Gabe Honig join Tiller to discuss the first steps they took to starting such a monumental project (2:00), the weekly rhythm and delegation of responsibilities (16:00), collaborating through pressurized moments (28:00), the thought behind integrating pre-existing interviews (35:00), and what they hope people take away

en

51:20

Raoul Peck (Ernest Cole: Lost and Found)

The Dangerous Art of the Documentary ·

2025/03/14

Oscar-nominated filmmaker Raoul Peck’s latest film, “Ernest Cole: Lost and Found”, chronicles the profound life and work of Ernest Cole, one of the first Black freelance photographers in South Africa, whose work revealed to the world the realities of Black life during apartheid, and later, its echoes in New York City and the American South. Raoul shares with Tiller how he sees the difference between convincing an audience versus telling a story (2:30) how he uses his personal background as a medium

en

32:01

Julian Brave NoiseCat & Emily Kassie (Sugarcane)

The Dangerous Art of the Documentary ·

2025/02/28

A stunning tribute to the resilience of Native people and their way of life, SUGARCANE, the debut feature documentary from Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie, is an epic cinematic portrait of a community during a moment of international reckoning. Nominated for an Academy Award in 2025, it bravely illustrates an investigation into abuse and missing children at an Indian residential school that sparks a reckoning on the nearby Sugarcane Reserve. Julian and Emily share with Tiller how they came

en

86 results

Similar Podcasts

BEHIND THE VELVET ROPE

David Yontef

Nerd Culture - A Gamekings Podcast

Blammo Media

UPodcast

UPodcast

The Writers Hangout

Sandy Adomaitis

The Sarah Fraser Show

Sarah Fraser