The Dangerous Art of the Documentary

48:09

Dayna Goldfine and Dan Geller (Hallelujah: Leonard...

The Dangerous Art of the Documentary ·

2026/09/30

Co-Directors Dan Geller and Dayna Goldfine reach into the vault to reflect back on their film “Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song”, a beautiful film that tracks how the song "Hallelujah" went from being rejected by Cohen's record label to becoming a beloved global anthem. Dan and Dayna discuss the challenges of constructing the biography of an artist’s soul (3:30), earning Leonard’s trust shortly before his death (14:30), why they insisted on making the film independently (25:00), their

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38:48

Orlando von Einsiedel (Cycle of Love)

The Dangerous Art of the Documentary ·

2026/09/11

Friend of the show and Oscar winning director Orlando von Einsiedel returns to the podcast to discuss his latest masterpiece, “Cycle of Love”, an inspiring, epic true-life adventure about self-belief, destiny, the courage to risk everything for love, and the power of human connection. In his conversation with Tiller, Orlando reflects on undertaking this massive story (4:00), filming around the world (11:00), the universality of love in storytelling (24:15), directing his characters’ “performances”

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39:33

Maite Alberdi (A Child of My Own)

The Dangerous Art of the Documentary ·

2026/08/28

Director Maite Alberdi latest genre-bending film “A Child of My Own” blends narrative and nonfiction filmmaking to tell the wild true story of a woman who pretended to be pregnant and kidnapped a newborn baby from a hospital. Maite talks with Tiller about her creative inspirations (2:30), striking the complex tone of drama and outlandish humor (10:00), why she breaks the fourth wall in the film (17:30), her personal journey to empathize with the film’s main character (27:00), and the moment she knew

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43:10

Sara Dosa & Andri Magnason (Time and Water)

The Dangerous Art of the Documentary ·

2026/08/12

Director Sara Dosa’s latest film “Time and Water” follows Icelandic writer and poet Andri Magnason as he reflects on melting glaciers and his family's history. It premiered at Sundance to critical acclaim. Sara and Andri join Tiller on the show to discuss when Andri first captured Sara’s imagination (5:30), how glaciers hold memories (11:30), the role of myth in the climate crisis (25:00), their collaborative writing process (33:00), and what frightened Andri most while making this film

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40:45

Joshua Seftel (All The Empty Rooms)

The Dangerous Art of the Documentary ·

2026/07/14

Director Joshua Seftel’s Oscar-winning short documentary “All The Empty Rooms” follows veteran CBS News correspondent Steve Hartman and photographer Lou Bopp as they embark on a seven-year-long project to document the empty bedrooms of children killed in school shootings. Joshua shares with Tiller the origin of the film (2:00), respecting the spaces while still filming (14:00), how little objects express who we are (23:00), the process of removal (28:30), and the gratification of winning an Oscar

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42:26

Isabel Castro (Selena y Los Dinos)

The Dangerous Art of the Documentary ·

2026/06/29

Director Isabel Castro’s latest Netflix documentary “Selena y Los Dinos”, featuring never-before-seen footage and intimate interviews, celebrates the life and legacy of iconic Mexican American singer Selena Quintanilla and her family band. Selena talks to Tiller about falling in love with the genre of music documentaries (2:00), how she relates to Selena’s story (8:00), Selena’s legacy (19:00), how she approaches journalistic integrity as a documentarian (28:00), and what she’s learned about fact vs

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45:35

Felipe Bustos Sierra (Everybody to Kenmure Street)

The Dangerous Art of the Documentary ·

2026/06/12

Director’s Felipe Bustos Sierra’s latest film, “Everybody to Kenmure Street”, which chronicles the resistance to an immigration raid in Glasgow in 2021, is a brilliant and personal evocation of his own identity as the son of an exiled journalist by the Chilean dictatorship. In his discussion with Tiller, Felipe shares how injustice is a common language (4:00), when he knew that he had to make this film (10:30), how the camera is a weapon of resistance (22:00), incorporating Emma Thompson into the

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35:42

Lindsay Utz & Michelle Walshe (Prime Minister)

The Dangerous Art of the Documentary ·

2026/05/19

Co-directors Lindsay Utz and Michelle Walshe’s documentary “Prime Minister”, which premiered at Sundance to critical acclaim, chronicles Jacinda Ardern’s unexpected journey as New Zealand’s 40th Prime Minister, offering an unfiltered window into her personal journey of family, motherhood, democracy and hardship. They share with Tiller where this film began (5:30), their most incredible archival discoveries (14:00), the future of the “follow doc” (20:30), and striking the dramatic tonal shifts of

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48:39

Filip Hammar (The Last Journey)

The Dangerous Art of the Documentary ·

2026/04/16

In the charming, heartfelt documentary “The Last Journey”, Swedish TV personality Filip Hammar embarks on a cross-country road trip with his ailing father with the goal of rekindling his zest for life. In his discussion with Tiller, Filip shares how the film has made his 80-year-old father the most beloved man in Sweden (2:30), the similarity between himself and Johnny Knoxville (17:00), how humor accents sadness (26:30), taking inspiration from Errol Morris and Werner Herzog (34:00), and his

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46:23

David Terry Fine (Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam |...

The Dangerous Art of the Documentary ·

2026/03/27

David Terry Fine’s Netflix documentary “Dirty Pop” tells the story of Lou Pearlman, the architect of the modern boy band era and the extraordinary web of lies, deceit, exploitation and greed that propped up his music empire. In his discussion with Tiller, David reflects on his journey from the edit chair to the director’s chair (2:00), the importance of pushing against creative gatekeepers (11:30), posthumously bringing the lead character to life (24:00), the ethics of utilizing A.I. tools in

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58:01

Gianfranco Rosi (Pompei: Below the Clouds)

The Dangerous Art of the Documentary ·

2026/03/13

Italian master Gianfranco Rosi makes some of the most ravishing big-screen nonfiction films you will find. His latest, “Pompei: Below the Clouds”, a black-and-white masterpiece shot with a fixed camera, explores the complex lives of the people living in a region that seems to always be teetering on the edge of a haunting archival status. In his conversation with Tiller, they discuss the love they hold for their shared mentor Chuck Bowden (3:30), how Naples is a reflection of a suspended time

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36:52

Julia Loktev (My Undesirable Friends: Part I - Last...

The Dangerous Art of the Documentary ·

2026/03/02

Soviet-born filmmaker Julia Loktev came to Moscow in 2021 to make a film about independent journalists being declared “foreign agents” by Putin’s regime. Her film “My Undesirable Friends” ended up becoming a rare glimpse into the lives of brave female journalists speaking truth to power in the face of Putin’s war against Ukraine. In her discussion with Tiller, Julia shares how loneliness inspires her to tell real stories (3:30), her secrets to filming verité (8:00), the advantages that filming on

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39:28

David Borenstein (Mr. Nobody Against Putin)

The Dangerous Art of the Documentary ·

2026/02/13

Director David Borenstein’s latest documentary “Mr. Nobody Against Putin” is nominated for Best Documentary Feature in the 2026 Academy Awards. It follows a Russian teacher as he secretly documents his school becoming a war recruitment center during the Ukraine invasion. In his conversation with Tiller, David discussed the myth of the auteur director (3:00), adjusting his initial vision for the film (9:00), constructing the film with the teacher’s voice-over (17:00), the drama of the opening scene

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41:51

Isaac Gale (Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted)

The Dangerous Art of the Documentary ·

2026/02/02

Director Isaac Gale’s film “Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted” follows cult musician Swamp Dogg, alongside housemates Moogstar and Guitar Shorty, as they turn their home into an artistic playground. Isaac talks to Tiller about the singularity of Swamp Dogg as a film subject (2:25), finding the visual vibe of the film (16:30), subverting expectations for the audience (28:00), and the journey of getting into theaters (35:00). Produced by: Jacob Miller Executive Producer: Tiller Russell Music by:

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45:33

Tony Zierra (Filmworker)

The Dangerous Art of the Documentary ·

2026/01/16

Director Tony Zierra’s 2017 film “Filmworker” tells the story of Leon Vitali, who surrendered his promising acting career to become Stanley Kubrick’s devoted acolyte. In his discussion with Tiller, Tony talks about his surprising first impression of Leon (3:00), why Leon could not adapt to the culture of Hollywood (12:00), developing trust with his film subject (19:30), the tragedy of Leon’s life after Kubrick died (31:00), and how the film redeemed him in front of the world (37:00). The

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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 &

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