About this episode
Benjamin Duchek interviews filmmaker Natalia Koniarz about her award-winning documentary SILVER and her unique approach to storytelling.
Watch This Episode On YouTube One time, it might be a coincidence. But time after time, if you're going to areas that make other people afraid, like underground fight clubs in Asia or the Chilean Andes or like in her latest film, SILVER (2026), a mine in Bolivia, that's your hallmark as a filmmaker. You can say that about my guest, brilliant director Natalia Koniarz, whose film SILVER won the Documentary Feature Grand Jury Prize at this year's Slamdance film festival. No explanations, no interviews, just gorgeous cinema about a Bolivia mine that needs to be seen on a big screen. Will it? How can we do that? We discuss that on this episode, as well as being absolute brave as hell. When I'm sleeping in my warm bed, I thank God for filmmakers like Natalia. In this episode, Natalia and I discuss: what do all the awards tell her about SILVER? And what does it feel like? what should people know about the film before watching; how she got such immersive footage of the mines that few films have achieved; did anyone tell her she needs to offer more explanations in the film?; how she knew she wanted to get involved in filmmaking; her next film will be about underground fighting in Asia…
People in this episode
Host: Benjamin Duchek
Guest: Natalia Koniarz
Topics covered
- filmmaking
- documentary
- independent cinema
- immersive storytelling
- film distribution
- cultural exploration
Keywords
- SILVER
- Natalia Koniarz
- Slamdance
- documentary feature
- Bolivia
- indie filmmaking
- immersive footage
- underground fight clubs
- film distribution
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: SILVER
Places: Bolivia, Asia, Chilean Andes, Paris, Poland
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