Factual America

In 2018, the Californian town of Paradise was destroyed by a wildfire. How did it happen? Could anything have been done to limit or even stop the inferno?

Global warming has made the risk of wildfires greater than ever before, and there are people who believe that we are doing all that we can to stop them. As Trip Jennings tells Matthew Sherwood, however, he was tired of hearing this message. And so, he spent five years researching wildfires. The result is Elemental, a documentary that reveals there is more that we can do, and in some cases, easily, as well. Paradise could have been saved.

Trip’s research has taken him from a flight over a wildfire to special hangers where scientists burn replicas of homes in order to observe the fire’s behaviour. He has explored how America’s indigenous people have responded to fires, and met fire survivors, as well as many experts who share their knowledge in the film.

It would be easy for Elemental to be a pessimistic film, full of anger about what has happened and is happening, but that is not Trip’s way. He tells Matthew that we need to forgive ourselves and evolve our way of thinking. As part of that, he outlines specific ways in which we can make our homes, and our lives, safer. He also stands up for forests. They may be lethal when set alight, but they also have a critical role to play in the life of planet earth and Mankind.

Watch the episode at https://factualamerica.com

“... it's things like boring, non-sexy details that we should think of as doing important climate adaptation work... we shouldn't be thinking about, oh it's just drudgery... we should be thinking about these things as how we adapt as a society to climate change, which is the challenge of all of the generations that are present right now on Earth” – Trip Jennings

In 2019, four-time Grammy award winner Jason Isbell recorded his album Reunions. As he did so, he discussed his life and work with director Sam Jones. The result is Jason Isbell: Running With Our Eyes Closed, an unflinchingly honest account of a difficult childhood, Jason’s addiction to drink and drugs, the ups and downs of his marriage to fellow musician Amanda Shires, and how he has poured his life into his music.

In this episode of Factual America, Sam joins Matthew Sherwood to discuss his film and its star. They explore how listening is essential to creating good cinematic visuals, the effect that the Covid-19 pandemic had on Jason Isbell’s life as well as on the process of making the documentary, the ‘triumphant ending’ to Jason Isbell: Running With Our Eyes Closed that in the end didn’t even make the final cut, and points of connection between how Sam makes his films and Jason records his music.

Matthew discovers a promising new form of media (!), while both he and Sam find similarities between Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires and other famous musical and Hollywood couples from the past and present. 

Jason Isbell: Running With Our Eyes Closed is an intensely personal film about a musician at the height of his powers. With his commitment to cinéma vérité, Sam Jones is the ideal man to direct it.

Watch the episode at https://factualamerica.com

“... the challenge in editing the film was finding these portals between past and present. And what I found is that both past and present inform each other... knowing about his past made the present more rich, and then seeing him in the present struggle gave more context to his past.” – Sam Jones

The Gun Trace Task Force (GTTF) was meant to help the Baltimore Police Department fight violent crime. Instead, its officers terrorised innocent civilians. In 2017, a criminal investigation resulted in the successful prosecution of the officers, and they were convicted of extortion, fraud, racketeering, and robbery.

In I Got A Monster, director Kevin Abrams tells the story of what happened, and how a crusading defence attorney named Ivan Bates helped bring the corrupt police officers to justice. In the documentary, Kevin also speaks to the GTTF’s victims, giving a voice to people too often denied one.

Kevin tells host Matthew Sherwood about the GTTF’s Jekyll and Hyde leader. Wayne Jenkins was a tough but charismatic cop. Away from the spotlight, however, he was also utterly corrupt. They explore the question of how so many officers, who were also the subject of internal police investigations, managed to end up in the same unit. Was it a coincidence or a conspiracy? 

Kevin and Matthew discuss the broader issue of police corruption in the US, how it has been allowed to continue, and what has happened to the Baltimore Police Department since 2017, Kevin also reflects on his experience of making I Got A Monster, which was completed thanks to the goodwill and help of a diverse range of people, including the FBI, local journalists, and Baltimoreons.

Watch the episode at https://factualamerica.com

”... documentary has a great ability to humanise things, and to make things feel real [so] that people can get a greater understanding emotionally of what people are dealing with... police corruption and the victims of it.” – Kevin Abrams

February, 1993. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) has received word that the Branch Davidians, a cult based near Waco, Texas, is stockpiling illegal weapons at their compound. The ATF attempts to storm the base but the cultists know they are coming and force them to retreat. A 51-day siege follows, and it only ends when the compound is consumed by fire. 82 are killed, including 28 children.

In this episode of Factual America, Matthew Sherwood meets Tiller Russell, director and producer of Waco: American Apocalypse, a new Netflix docu-series that features interviews with law enforcement officers and Branch Davidian survivors, as well as previously unseen footage from the siege.

Tiller describes what happened at Waco as an ‘iconic American tragedy’ as it brought together two foundational aspects of American life – God and guns. The fate of so many children at the compound also makes it a very contemporary tragedy. Unsurprisingly, therefore, Tiller calls Waco ‘a ghost story’ that has ‘haunted America’.

The impact of the Waco siege on America and the world was undoubtedly facilitated by the rise of the 24/7 news cycle which, as Matthew notes, happened at around the same time. Despite, or perhaps because of this, Tiller explains that he is ‘a big believer in the passage of time... being a necessity to retell these stories in a way that adds depth and nuance to them.’ Especially if we consume a lot of news, we need time, sometimes a lot of it, to process what has happened. If we are able to do so, we may discover the story at the heart of Waco: American Apocalypse, the one that, as Tiller says, shows it is about ‘the human experience... what it means to be alive and to die and to watch people that you love, die’.

“Nothing like this had ever happened before. So, the FBI had no idea what they were doing. They were in this uncharted territory; the ATF, the people inside the compound, the news media had never seen anything like this.” – Tiller Russell

In the winter of 1957-58, 19 year old Charlie Starkweather went on a killing spree that would claim eleven victims before he and his accomplice, Caril Ann Fugate, were caught. At their trial, both were found guilty of murder. Charlie was executed while Caril was given a life sentence, later reduced.

In The 12th Victim, Nicola Marsh explores what happened during the killing spree from Caril’s perspective. She shows how, contrary to what was said at the time, Caril was not Charlie’s girlfriend but his ex; neither was she his willing accomplice but his hostage. And, most importantly, although convicted of murder, she killed no one.

As Nicola tells Matthew Sherwood, the Starkweather murders “coincided with the birth of live television news”. This gave both Charlie and Caril an immediate notoriety that encompassed all of America. In the years since, the case has also influenced the arts. Nicola cites Badlands (1973), True Romance (1993), and Natural Born Killers (1994) as films all inspired by what happened.

They also explore how The 12th Victim was made – from Nicola’s use of archival footage to the different ways she recreated key scenes. And they look at the question of what makes the true crime genre so popular, Nicola offers this succinct answer: “You get to experience all the things you're afraid of, but in a very safe way.”

At the heart of it all, however, stands a young girl whose life was ruined by the actions of others. Starkweather’s malice, incompetent policing, and bad decisions made by her attorney gave Caril Ann Fugate little chance of escaping the nightmare. Nevertheless, she continues to protest her innocence and seek a pardon.

“I think what really I found particularly compelling about the story was that for women, most women, we've all been in slightly sketchy situations. And the path out of it is laugh at the jokes until you have a clear exit strategy... If somebody gets a bit handsy, you don't turn around and punch them in the face, otherwise, you can end up dead.” – Nicola Marsh

The disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 represents one of the greatest mysteries in modern aviation history. 

On March 8th 2014 the plane left Kuala Lumpur on a scheduled flight to Beijing. Forty minutes later, the captain and Kuala Lumpur Air Traffic Control bade each other good night. That was the last communication between MH370 and the outside world. Less than two hours later, having been tracked by military radar, the aeroplane disappeared from sight somewhere over the Andaman Sea.

In MH370: The Plane That Disappeared, a three-part Netflix docu-series, director Louise Malkinson, tells the story of how the plane vanished, and the nine-year aftermath. Louise and her producer, Harry Hewland, join Matthew Sherwood to discuss their new documentary.

At the heart of the MH370 story are the families of the 239 passengers and crew who were on the plane, as well as those who, over the last decade, have sought to find out what happened. MH370: The Plane That Disappeared puts both groups front and centre as it explores what Harry calls, ‘the human story of the impact of MH370 and what this kind of mystery can do to people.’

In order to tell their story as authentically as possible, Louise and Harry were determined not to lead the viewer to any particular conclusion. When they present the various theories regarding MH370’s fate, they provide argument and counter-argument.

The question of what happened to flight MH370 is yet to be solved. The docu-series is, therefore, a story without an end. It is also, however, the story of a ‘strong community’: the next-of-kin who, as Louise tells Matthew, still ‘come together, every year around the anniversary’ to remember their loved ones, and who are still intent on finding the truth about what happened on that dreadful day in 2014.

“I spoke to people in China, we spoke to people in Malaysia, we spoke to people in France... everybody's the same: we all need closure. We all need it. We need to be able to say goodbye, and the fact that they haven't been able to do that...[it’s] an unimaginable torture that they've had to go through, through all this time.” – Louise Malkinson

Right Here, Right Now represents a beginning and an end. As director Jak Hutchcraft tells Matthew Sherwood, the film is his directorial debut. A concert, like the one that forms the film’s subject, however, will likely never be repeated in the UK again.

The year is 2002. Superstar DJ Fatboy Slim (Norman Cook) has decided to put on a free concert at Brighton beach. The authorities expected “around 50,000 people to attend” explains Jak. On the day, however, 250,000 fans crowd onto the beach.

The police are overwhelmed. On a hot summer’s day, the concert is surely heading for disaster. In the event, though, there are a total of just six arrests and one death – a tragic accident after the event.

Matthew and Jak discuss how Cook went from being a member of 80s pop band, The Housemartins, to being a DJ, and one of the biggest stars not only in the UK, but also America. They discuss his musical genius, looking at one of Cook’s most famous songs, Rockefeller Skank.

At the heart of their conversation, however, is the free concert on Brighton beach: how it nearly didn’t happen, the trauma it caused those tasked with policing it, and the impact it had on Brighton and Brightonians – an impact that is still being felt today.

Matthew discovers that Jak used to be a youth worker. Redundancy made him look at where his career was going – where he wanted it to go. Ultimately, his questioning brought him to Right Here, Right Now, and the concert of a lifetime. 

Watch the episode at https://factualamerica.com

“[Fatboy Slim’s free concert] changed people's lives... It changed dance culture and club culture and electronic music. It changed that forever, especially in the UK, [as well as] perceptions of our DJs and what they can do.” – Jak Hutchcraft

Right here, Right now
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Martha Mitchell, wife of John Mitchell, Attorney General of the US under President Richard Nixon, was not afraid to speak ‘truth to power’. She was so influential that President Nixon would go on to say that without her, there would have been no Watergate scandal.

Despite her important role, Mitchell has, in the years since Watergate, become a forgotten figure. Co-producer of The Martha Mitchell Effect, Judith Mizrachy states that this is a result of a successful gaslighting campaign against her. The film aims to give Mitchell the credit she is due.

Jay Rosenblatt started filming conversations with his daughter, Ella, when she was just two years old. He continued to do so every year on her birthday until she turned 18. In How Do You Measure A Year? we see those conversations evolve as Ella goes from being a ‘toddler to [a] young woman’.

How Do You Measure a Year? represents Jay’s desire to learn and help Ella grow up, to empower her, and, as Jay says, help her to be herself.

A US Marine returns home from active service filled with hatred towards Muslims. He builds a bomb, intending to blow up his local mosque. But then, he meets the Muslims who worship there. They treat him with kindness and love. And that’s after they discover what he intended to do.

For director Joshua Seftel, Stranger at the Gate comes out of his wider The Secret Life of Muslims project, which is his attempt to counter the hatred Muslims received after 9/11. Stranger is an extraordinary story of friendship, forgiveness and reconciliation.

Joshua notes how divided people have become today but also how we can ‘build impossible bridges between each other’ so that strangers may become friends.

Watch the episode at https://factualamerica.com

The Martha Mitchell Effect
How Do You Measure A Year?
Stranger at the Gate
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Innersound Audio
Alamo Pictures

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Whether or not you give a f*ck, this is the film for you. 

If you don’t care about anyone or anything, The Subtle Art shows why you should. If you do care, The Subtle Art shows why you shouldn’t. 

It may have something to say, but The Subtle Art says nothing new. As director Nathan Price tells Matthew Sherwood, it uses ‘very old knowledge... Buddhism... stoicism... wisdom that's existed through the ages’ but it speaks in a ‘punky’ way that makes the film’s message fresh and relatable for people today.

At the heart of The Subtle Art is Mark Manson, author of the book on which the film is based. He uses the example of his life to firmly ground his words in reality. The Subtle Art is not a film that tolerates platitudes; only the truth.

Matthew’s conversation with Nathan ranges from the philosophical, as they discuss the difficulty of being human, to the nuts and bolts of shooting the film, which Nathan did in just eight days. Nathan reveals how a surprising encounter alerted him to the special nature of Manson’s book, the problems caused during production by NFTs, and the kindness shown by other creatives in letting their work be used in the film.

Nathan questions if The Subtle Art is even a documentary. In a way, it isn’t. It’s not even really a ‘self-help’ film for it goes much deeper than that. It’s no more, or less, than a film that helps you realise: realise that life can suck but happiness comes from solving our problems rather than avoiding them. And how do we solve them? By working out what to give a f*ck about, and what not.

Watch the episode at https://factualamerica.com

“... the human body is so complex, the human brain is so complex, it doesn't hurt to meditate upon it... and..., I guess, you could think of this [film] as a really just hyper-pitched, crafted meditation session.” – Nathan Price

What is Covered:

01:42 – Matthew Sherwood introduces this episode’s guest, Nathan Price, director of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a f*ck
04:13 – Nathan explains what The Subtle Art is all about
06:07 – Discussing Mark Manson, author of the book on which the film is based
07:10 – How The Subtle Art is a film without precursors
08:28 – How The Subtle Art is about more than its title immediately suggests
09:10 – How Mark Manson came to write The Subtle Art
10:19 – The Subtle Art: Speaking old truths in a new way
11:17 – The difficulty of being a human
14:47 – The kind of film Nathan wanted to make
16:59 – Introducing the grawlix
17:41 – Mark Metcalfe’s role in making a film version of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a f*ck
18:46 – How Nathan became involved in the making of the film
21:36 – Filmmakers who inspired Nathan in the making of The Subtle Art
23:30 – The Subtle Art as a conversation with a friend
24:35 – The intensity that came with shooting the film in a matter of days 
26:40 – Difficulties caused by the NFT boom and how Midjourney could have helped
27:38 – Nathan discusses some of the help he was given when making the film
30:01 – Matthew Metcalfe’s role in getting The Subtle Art accepted by a studio
31:21 – Discussing Nathan’s filmmaking background
33:28 – Early feedback for The Subtle Art
34:59 – The limits of Kant and Nietzsche in solving marital disputes
35:36 – What Nathan has learnt from making The Subtle Art of Not giving a f*ck
38:29 – Could a sequel to The Subtle Art be in the works
39:08 – What next for Nathan

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a f*ck
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Alamo Pictures

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David Bowie lived a life of extraordinary creativity and success. It was also a life of controversy, radical changes of direction, and an unceasing desire to push his art to the limits.

He was a cultural icon and an artistic genius. How does someone make a film about such a figure? According to the director of Moonage Daydream, and this episode’s guest, Brett Morgen, you have to first know your limitations: you won’t be able to cover everything so look for the ‘through line of action’, the theme that ties all the aspects of the film together. For Brett, the way he displays the through line is by making his film less informational and more experiential, and ‘impressionistic’. 

In addition to Moonage Daydream, Brett also discusses some of his previous films, including Montage of Heck, a bio-pic of Kurt Cobain, and The Kid Stays in the Picture. He shares a little of his ‘method’ approach to directing: to make The Kid he lived with its subject, Bob Evans, for a year.

Coming back to Moonage Daydream, we discover how the ultimate origin of the film can be traced right back to 2007. We also learn something of how much the film cost to make. Not in money, but personally. For during the pandemic, a heart condition meant that Brett had to be physically isolated from his family.

Ultimately, making Moonage Daydream was an intense experience. But also, one from which Brett was able to learn important lessons. Some he is able to share with Matthew. Others, as he admits, he is still absorbing. Great art has that effect. Fortunately, great artists stay with us to guide us through their work, and David Bowie was one of the greatest of all.

Watch the episode at https://factualamerica.com

“[David Bowie] lived his life by example... he was so comfortable in his skin. I watched every frame, you know, for two years... he was always present, and always learning and viewing each moment as an opportunity for an exchange, for growth.... he was obviously an incredible artist, but there's so much more to draw inspiration from.” – Brett Morgen