The Dangerous Art of the Documentary

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 she had to make this film (36:00). Produced by: Jacob Miller Executive Producer: Tiller Russell Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

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 subject (20:00), the patchwork editorial process (27:30), and the hardest parts about making a film (31:00). Produced by: Jacob Miller Executive Producer: Tiller Russell Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

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 cross-section of humanity in Ukraine (19:00), interweaving the arc of Patti’s story (29:30), the resilient nature of the Ukrainian people (40:00), and what Abel’s working on next (48:00). Produced by: Jacob Miller Executive Producer: Tiller Russell Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

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 while watching this movie (36:00). The film is available to purchase now on Digital/VOD. Produced by: Jacob Miller Executive Producer: Tiller Russell Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

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 propaganda (13:00), crafting the score with his composer (20:00), editing the rhythm of battlefield scenes like a musical album (29:00), and how he remains centered while making these films (37:00). Produced by: Jacob Miller Executive Producer: Tiller Russell Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

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 Miller Executive Producer: Tiller Russell Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions