Pure Nonfiction: Inside Documentary Film

The lawsuit “Summer Zervos v. Donald Trump” is among the high profile cases handled by attorney Gloria Allred. The Netflix film “Seeing Allred,” directed by Sophie Sartain and Roberta Grossman, explores the history of the 76-year-old lawyer, known for her work with women, LGBT and other minority clients. On February 6, Allred sat for a […] The post PN 66: Attorney Gloria Allred on “Seeing Allred” appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.

Sam Pollard reflects on collaborating with Spike Lee, Henry Hampton and St. Claire Bourne; and on directing his latest film “Sammy Davis Jr: I Gotta Be Me.” Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviewed Pollard at TIFF Doc Conference in September 2017. You can watch an extended version of this interview at TIFF Originals on YouTube. […] The post PN 65: Sam Pollard on Sammy Davis Jr, Spike Lee & St. Clair Bourne appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.

Directors Yance Ford (“Strong Island”), Bryan Fogel (“Icarus”) and Jeff Orlowski (“Chasing Coral”) each put themselves on camera in different ways. The three filmmakers sat down with Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers at the DOC NYC festival last November to discuss how they chose their first person approach. In “Strong Island,” Ford investigates the 1992 […] The post PN 64: First Person Documentary with Yance Ford, Bryan Fogel & Jeff Orlowski appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.

The Sundance Film Festival is always a great place for documentary discoveries. This year features new films about Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Fred Rogers, Imagine Dragons, Kronos Quartet and more. Pure Nonfiction founders Thom Powers and Raphaela Neihausen have gotten an early look at several Sundance premieres and have 11 recommendations. Even if you won’t be […] The post PN 63: Tabitha Jackson + 2018 Sundance Preview appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.

From “Wormwood” to “Jane” to “Kedi,” documentary directors are making bold stylistic choices. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers led a discussion titled “Finding the Style For the Story” at the DOC NYC festival in November 2017. The guests are filmmakers Ceyda Torun (“Kedi”), Brett Morgen (“Jane”) and Errol Morris (“Wormwood”). They discuss how they achieve […] The post PN 62: Errol Morris, Brett Morgen & Ceyda Torun on Documentary Style appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.

The Oscar Documentary Feature Short List of 15 films includes the underdog entry “Unrest” by first time director Jennifer Brea. Her film explores the disease commonly known as “chronic fatigue syndrome” – a name many patients resent as misleading. The official name is Myalgic Encephalomyelitis or M.E. Jennifer contracted the disease in her late 20s […] The post PN 61: Jennifer Brea on “Unrest” appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.

John Lennon, Tina Turner, Hunter Thomspon and Annie Leibovitz are among the many figures covered in the new 2-part HBO documentary “Rolling Stone: Stories from the Edge.” Filmmakers Alex Gibney and Blair Foster talk to Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers about telling the magazine’s 50-year history. The conversation also touches upon “Sticky Fingers,” the recent […] The post PN 60: Alex Gibney & Blair Foster on “Rolling Stone” appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.

Winner of the Gotham Awards for Best Documentary, “Strong Island” investigates the 1992 killing of filmmaker Yance Ford’s brother William in Long Island. With a black victim and a white shooter, race was a key factor in the case. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers talks to Yance about how the Ford family felt betrayed by […] The post PN 59: Yance Ford on “Strong Island” appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.

Jane Goodall is the subject of the new documentary “Jane” that draws upon rediscovered footage from the 1960s capturing her early work with chimpanzees. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers talks to “Jane” director Brett Morgen at TIFF Doc Conference about the challenges of making the film and working with composer Philip Glass. Brett Morgen’s films […] The post PN 58: Brett Morgen on Jane Goodall appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.

Eric Clapton, Susan Sarandon, Dan Rather are among over 300 special guests coming to the 8th annual DOC NYC festival, running from November 9-16. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers is the festival’s artistic director. On his episode, he interviews his colleagues Raphaela Neihausen and Basil Tsiokos to guide listeners through the bounty of films and […] The post PN 57: DOC NYC Preview appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.

Winner of the Cannes Golden Eye Documentary Award, “Faces Places” is a wondrous collaboration between the 89-year-old Agnès Varda and the 34-year-old street artist known as JR. In the film, they visit small towns in France, creating mural projects that celebrate workers on farms, docks and factory grounds. We also witness the deepening of their […] The post PN 56: Agnès Varda & JR on “Faces Places” appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.

“Ex Libris – The New York Public Library” is that latest film from documentary master Frederick Wiseman. This year also marks the 50th anniversary of his first film “Titicut Follies” set at the Bridgewater State Hospital for the criminally insane. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers talks to Wiseman about both those films and others in […] The post PN 55: Frederick Wiseman – From “Titicut Follies” to “Ex Libris” appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.

Agnes Varda, Drake, and Cary Grant all get name-checked as Thom Powers and Dorota Lech continue their discussion of documentaries at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). They preview film clips being made public for the first time. The films discussed in order of mention are: Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood (d. […] The post PN 54: TIFF 2017 Documentary Preview Part 2 of 2 appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.

The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) takes place September 7-17, 2017. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers is the festival’s documentary programmer. On this episode, he’s joined by his colleague Dorota Lech to discuss the line-up and preview film clips being made public for the first time. The films discussed in this episode in order of […] The post PN 53: TIFF 2017 Documentary Preview Part 1 of 2 appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.

While Detroit is in the headlines for the 50th anniversary of its darkest days, we focus on one of its brightest new storytellers, playwright Dominique Morisseau. Pure Nonfiction host (and Detroit native) Thom Powers talks to Morisseau about her breakthrough play “Detroit ’67,” her new work “Pipeline” at Lincoln Center, writing for Showtime’s “Shameless” and […] The post PN 52: Playwright Dominique Morisseau on “Detroit ’67,” “Pipeline,” “Shameless” & more appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.

Portrait photographer Elsa Dorfman has worked for several decades on Polaroid’s rare 20″ x 24” format camera. She had a loyal clientele in Cambridge, Massachusetts, but was hardly known outside. Now she is the subject of Errol Morris’ new film “The B-Side: Elsa Dorfman’s Portrait Photography.” Morris and his wife Julia are longtime friends of […] The post PN 51: Errol Morris & Elsa Dorfman on “The B-Side” appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.

Otis Redding, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and The Who are among the classic acts captured by D.A. Pennebaker in “Monterey Pop.” Now for the 50th anniversary of the concert, the film is being released in a new 4k restoration by The Criterion Collection and Janus Films. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviewed Pennebaker along with […] The post PN 50: D.A. Pennebaker on “Monterey Pop” at 50 appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.

New York’s Chinatown is the backdrop for Steve James’ latest documentary “Abacus: Small Enough to Jail.” He follows a David vs Goliath legal tale about the Chinese-American family behind a small bank defending themselves against an aggressive prosecution. In Part 1 of this episode, Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers talks to James about his breakthrough […] The post PN 49: Steve James From “Hoop Dreams” to “Abacus” appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.

Meryl Streep, Audra McDonald and Glenn Close are among many esteemed performers who read stories on the audio version of Sheila Nevins’ new quasi-memoir “You Don’t Look Your Age…And Other Fairy Tales.” Nevins has served for 35 years overseeing HBO Documentary Films. Now she reveals tales from her own life covering childhood, seduction, heartbreak, feminism, […] The post PN 48: HBO’s Sheila Nevins on Seductions, Heartbreaks & Her New Book appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.

“Swimming to Cambodia,” the 1987 film directed by Jonathan Demme, had a rippling influence. It laid the path for a kind of first person storytelling that today is widespread from “This American Life” to “The Moth.” The film is deceptively simple: monologuist Spalding Gray sits behind a desk and tells a stream of consciousness story […] The post PN 47: Jonathan Demme & Renée Shafransky on Spalding Gray appeared first on Pure Nonfiction.