The Dangerous Art of the Documentary

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
Society & Culture
26
Lisa Cortés & Diego Hurtado de Mendoza (The Spa...
Lisa Cortés & Diego Hurtado de Mendoza, co-directors of Nat Geo and Disney's "The Space Race"
39 min
27
Brett Morgen (Moonage Daydream | Max)
Brett Morgen, director of "Moonage Daydream" and "The Kid Stays in the Picture"
55 min
28
Seth Porges (Class Action Park | Max)
Seth Porges, director of Class Action Park
41 min
29
Steve James (Hoop Dreams, A Compassionate Spy)
Steve James, director of Hoop Dreams and A Compassionate Spy
48 min
30
Kathryn Ferguson (Nothing Compares | Paramount+)
Kathryn Ferguson, Director of "Nothing Compares)
42 min
31
Rhys Thomas & Alex Buono (Documentary Now! | Ne...
Co-Directors of Documentary Now! Rhys Thomas and Alex Buono
48 min
32
Alison Ellwood & Anoosh Tertzakian (San Francis...
Alison Ellwood & Anoosh Tertzakian, directors of MGM+'s "San Francisco Sounds"
42 min
33
Kartiki Gonsalves (The Elephant Whisperers | Ne...
Kartiki Gonsalves (The Elephant Whisperers | Netflix)
35 min
34
Chris Passig (Telemarketers | HBO)
Chris Passig (Telemarketers | HBO)
45 min
35
Griffin Dunne (Joan Didion: The Center Will Not...
Griffin Dunne, Oscar-nominated Actor, Writer, Director
38 min
36
Simon Chinn (Searching for Sugar Man, Man on Wire)
Simon Chinn, Oscar-winning Producer
50 min
37
Jeff Tremaine (Jackass)
Jeff Tremaine, Director/Writer/Producer of "Jackass" and "Bad Grandpa"
57 min
38
Julie Cohen (Every Body | In Theaters)
Julie Cohen, director of "Every Body" (now open in theaters)
33 min
39
Lesley Chilcott (Arnold | Netflix)
Lesley Chilcott, director of "Arnold" (now available on Netflix)
49 min
40
Nick Rosen & Peter Mortimer (The Alpinist | Net...
Nick Rosen and Peter Mortimer, directors of "The Alpinist" (now available on Netflix)
42 min
41
Ondi Timoner (Last Flight Home)
Acclaimed director Ondi Timoner’s latest film “Last Flight Home”
43 min
42
R.J. Cutler (Murf the Surf: Jewels, Jesus and M...
R.J. Cutler’s new four-part documentary series
50 min
43
Sebastian Junger (Restrepo)
Sebastian Junger's iconic Oscar-Nominated 2010 war epic RESTREPO chronicles the deployment of a platoon of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan's Korengal Valley, widely considered one of the most dangerous postings in the U.S. military. The movie focuses on a remote 15-man outpost, "Restrepo," named after a platoon medic who was killed in action. Experiential, immersive, and raw, RESTREPO is a 90-minute deployment to a complicated, fraught warzone. Sebastian discusses with Tiller if it is an anti-war movie (1:43), his path to the Korengal Valley (5:30), the challenge of editing down months of footage (11:02), capturing emotional interviews with hardened soldiers (12:10), and incorporating footage of Platoon Medic Restrepo (16:30).
24 min
44
Orlando von Einsiedel (Virunga, From Devil's Br...
Academy award winning director Orlando von Einsiedel sits with Tiller to discuss his film VIRUNGA, a gripping expose of the realities of life in the Congo that follows a team of brave individuals risking their lives to protect the last mountain gorillas in Virunga National Park. Tiller also asks Orlando about his latest short film FROM DEVIL'S BREATH, a dramatic look at the catastrophic wildfires in Portugal in 2017 and a revolutionary scientific discovery creating hope in the face of climate change. During their discussion, Orlando describes his film selection process (2:10), the beginning of VIRUNGA (5:20), uncovering the story of corrupt oil drillers (9:18), recruiting an undercover journalist as a spy (13:49), financing the film (18:10), joining forces with Leonardo DiCaprio (23:00), creating FROM DEVIL'S BREATH (27:40), and intercutting dual narratives to tell one powerful story (33:10).
43 min
45
Waco: American Apocalypse - Episode 4: The Lega...
Waco: American Apocalypse is a deep dive into the Netflix documentary series, exploring topics and interviews that didn’t make the final cut. In Episode Four, Tiller and Lee evaluate how the tragedy at Waco became a rallying cry for the anti-government movement within America as well as a foundation for arguments surrounding gun rights and religious freedom. Tiller also speaks with Bob Ricks, the FBI’s Assistant Special Agent in Charge, about the FBI’s failed response to Waco, rampant conspiracy theories, government distrust, Waco’s connection to the Oklahoma City Bombing a year later, and how it resonates through to the present day.
29 min
46
Waco: American Apocalypse - Episode 3: The Toll...
Waco: American Apocalypse is a deep dive into the Netflix documentary series, exploring topics and interviews that didn’t make the final cut. In Episode Three, Tiller speaks to Lee about the challenge of objectively reporting on Waco and the lasting trauma the story has had on her life, as well as on those included in the documentary series. Featuring excerpts from interviews with KWTX reporter John McLemore, the sole reporter who covered the ATF raid live only to have his life upended by it, and David Thibodeau, perhaps the most well-known Branch Davidian alive today.
32 min
47
Waco: American Apocalypse - Episode 2: The Man ...
Waco: American Apocalypse is a deep dive into the Netflix documentary series, exploring topics and interviews that didn’t make the final cut. In Episode Two, Tiller speaks with Robert Rodriguez, an undercover agent with the ATF who embedded with David Koresh and the Branch Davidians. On the day of the raid, Robert knew the Davidians were tipped off that the ATF was coming, and he tried to call the whole thing off. However, despite his warnings, the ATF went ahead with their plan, resulting in the largest gunfight on US soil in over 100 years, and Robert was pinned as the scapegoat. In a rare interview not included in the documentary series, Robert shares intimate memories with Tiller from his time working undercover before narrating the day of the raid from his perspective in grueling detail.
31 min
48
Waco: American Apocalypse - Episode 1: Who in t...
Waco: American Apocalypse is a deep dive into the Netflix documentary series, exploring topics and interviews that didn’t make the final cut. In Episode One, director Tiller Russell and reporter Lee Hancock paint a complex portrait of cult leader David Koresh – the controversial figure at the center of the story – and discuss how he convinced over 100 people (and perhaps himself) that he was a living prophet. Featuring excerpts from interviews with FBI Agent Bob Ricks, Hostage Rescue Team Sniper Chris Whitcomb, Branch Davidian Kathy Schroeder, and Heather Jones, the last child to make it out of the compound alive.
37 min
49
Violet Columbus & Ben Klein (The Exiles)
Ben Klein and Violet Columbus's debut feature film, "The Exiles", premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival and was awarded the Grand Jury Prize for U.S. Documentary. It follows documentarian Christine Choy as she tracks down three exiled dissidents from the Tiananmen Square massacre in order to find closure on an abandoned film she began shooting in 1989.
36 min
50
Charles Ferguson (Inside Job)
The Academy Award Winner for Best Documentary in 2010, Inside Job, shows that the 2008 global financial Armageddon was no accident; it was predicted and could have been prevented. Director Charles Ferguson, with narration by Matt Damon, created a compelling, wonderfully illuminating film that provides a detailed examination of the rogue industry that led to the collapse and identifies key corrupt financial and political players. 
35 min