Fog of Truth: A Podcast About Documentary Film

This week we talk Oscars with a brief discussion of the documentary feature nominees and a more intensive review of each nominated short as well as kvetching generally about the complicated relationship between documentary films and Oscar. Also, we interview Robert Bahar, co-director of The Silence of Others.

Youth culture (and specifically docs dealing with subjects “on wheels”) is the topic this week as we look at UNITED SKATES about roller skating in African American communities across the U.S. and MINDING THE GAP about three skateboarding friends growing up in the rust belt.

Chris and Summre interview four filmmakers from snowy Park City in this special Sundance & Slamdance on location episode.

We discuss the four films we will be covering in Park City this year with filmmaker interviews and get hyped for our upcoming travels to the Sundance and Slamdance Film Festivals.

Well, it’s that time of year where everyone loves to assemble top ten lists of all sorts. In this Bonus Episode, we each discuss our top ten documentaries of this year and the general trends we are seeing in 2018 doc films.

In a special Halloween themed episode, things get spooky as we talk about the myriad of horror documentaries available online, review 78/52: Hitchcock’s Shower Scene and Chris interviews Kimberly Reed of Dark Money.

This week we discuss our own personal work and creative ventures and look at two doc portraits of activists doing what they love for careers in the arts: MR. FISH: CARTOONING FROM THE DEEP END and MR. SOUL!

What better time to focus on docs about strong dissenting women effecting positive change in the world? Feels like now is good, so in this episode we review MATANGI/MAYA/M.I.A. and Chris interviews the director of ¡Las Sandanistas!

Recreations, hybridity and truth are the topics this week as we discuss what classifies a documentary while fictionalization in documentaries become more commonplace. Through this lens we review 306 HOLLYWOOD and interview Irene Lusztig of YOURS IN SISTERHOOD.

What are the ethical standards of a filmmaker portraying subcultures to which they do not belong? How does it shift if they are a member? How does the relationship between the filmmaker, subject and intended audience play out? This week we discuss all of this and sprinkle in alien stuff too, for fun, with a review of Calling All Earthlings and an interview with Laura Wexler, one of the writers behind the VR movie Dinner Party.

Following up from Toronto International Film Festival, we discuss the new Michael Moore film, Fahrenheit 11/9 and interview Thom Powers, the Documentary Programmer from TIFF.

In this bonus episode we take a look at the content The Guardian has been producing and chat with Charlie Phillips about being the Head of Documentaries there and overseeing the commission and production of almost 25 short films a year.

We sat down with director Steve James at AFI DOCS 2018 to discuss his body of work as a whole, his most recent series, AMERICA TO ME, and working in various modes of documentary storytelling.

Looking back at history under a contemporary lens can be a powerful tool to provide context and take action in difficult political times. This week we look at holocaust documentaries as we review THE LAST LAUGH and Bart interviews Ruth Zylberman of 209 RUE SAINT-MAUR, PARIS 10EME.

This week we cover documentary films that at first appear to be about a bunch of wildly different ideas but then manage to tie it all together under a coherent and satisfying theme. THE KING is reviewed followed by an interview between Bart and the director of CUBA AND THE CAMERAMAN.