Fog of Truth

AFI DOCS Films Discussed:

Charm City / 2018 (Director: Marilyn Ness)

The Cold Blue / 2018 (Director: Erik Nelson)

For the Birds / 2018 (Director: Richard Miron)

United We Fan / 2018 (Director: Michael Sparaga)

 

Other Films Mentioned:

Baltimore Rising / 2017 (Director: Sonja Sohn)

The Force / 2017 (Director: Peter Nicks)

Rat Film / 2018 (Director: Theo Anthony)

Full AFI DOCS Lineup

AFI DOCS - Charles Guggenheim Symposium

 

Hammer to Nail Links by Christopher Llewellyn Reed:

http://www.hammertonail.com/film-festivals/charm-city-review/

 

Timestamps:

00:36 - Introduction discussion of the Charles Guggenheim Symposium

07:00 - Group review of UNITED WE FAN,

12:50 - Group review of CHARM CITY

15:57 - Group review of FOR THE BIRDS

20:15 - Group review of THE COLD BLUE

 

Website/Email:

www.fogoftruth.com

[email protected]

 

Credits:

Artwork by Hilary Campbell

Intro music by Jeremiah Moore

Transitional music by BELLS (thanks to Christopher Ernst)

Bart gives us a brief history of interactive and transmedia documentary and we take a look at Life Underground, an immersive online documentary exploring subways and passengers in urban centers around the world. Also included is an interview between Chris and the creator, Hervé Cohen, at SXSW.

Featured Documentary:

Life Underground Website.

Other Films/Articles/Organization Mentioned:

National Film Board of Canada

Tribeca Film Festival

IDFA DocLab

In Transit / 2015 (Director: Albert Maysles, Lynn True, David Usui, Nelson Walker, Ben Wu)

Film Festival Today link by Christopher Llewellyn Reed:

• SXSW 2018 recap (including capsule review of Life Underground)

Timestamps:

00:36 - Introduction

06:10 - Christopher Llewellyn Reed interviews Hervé Cohen of LIFE UNDERGROUND

13:06 - Group discussion of LIFE UNDERGROUND

Website/Email:

www.fogoftruth.com

[email protected]

 

Credits:

Artwork by Hilary Campbell

Intro music by Jeremiah Moore

Transitional music by BELLS (thanks to Christopher Ernst)

There seems to be no shortage of good doc series available to stream online. We take a look at the evolution of this format through early PBS observational series to today. We also discuss Dirty Money and Bart interviews the creators of Wild Wild Country.

 

Group Review Documentary:

DIRTY MONEY (2018) / USA (Creator: Alex Gibney)

Available on Netflix

 

Film Featured in Interview Portion:

WILD WILD COUNTRY (2018) /USA (Creators: Chapman Way & Maclain Way)

Available on Netflix   

 

Other Films/Articles/Books Mentioned:

Up Series / 1964 - Present (TV Series)

An American Family / 1973 (TV Series)

Airport / 1996 - 2008 (TV Series)

The Civil War / 1990 (TV Series / Director/Creator: Ken Burns)

The Jinx / 2015 (TV Series / Director: Andrew Jarecki)

Making a Murderer / 2015 (TV Series / Directors:  Moira Demos & Laura Ricciardi)

Wormwood / 2017 (TV Series / Director: Errol Morris)

The Staircase / 2004 (TV Series)

American Vandal / 2017 (TV Series / Creators: Tony Yacenda, Dan Perrault)

The Keepers / 2017  (TV Series / Director: Ryan White)

Planet Earth / 2006 (TV Series / Director: Alastair Fothergill)

American Masters Series / 1986 - Present (TV Series / Creator: Susan Lacy)

Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson / 2004  (TV Series / Director: Ken Burns)

Taxi to the Dark Side / 2008 (Director: Alex Gibney)

The Bandit / 2016 (Director: Jesse Moss)

Mommy Dead and Dearest / 2017 (Director: Erin Lee Carr)

Solitary / 2016 (Director: Kristi Jacobson)

Amanda Knox / 2016 (Directors: Rod Blackhurst, Brian McGinn)

Before the Flood / 2016 (Director: Fisher Stevens)

The Battered Bastards of Baseball / 2014 (Director: Chapman Way & Maclain Way)

Source Family / 2012 (Directors: Jodi Wille, Maria Demopoulos)

My Fathers, My Mother and Me / 2013 (Director: Paul-Julien Robert)

Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple / 2006 (Director: Stanley Nelson Jr.)

Millhouse / 1971 (Director: Emile de Antonio)

Point of Order / 1964 (Director: Emile de Antonio)

In the Year of the Pig / 1969 (Director: Emile de Antonio)

Underground / 2015 (Directors: Emile de Antonio, Haskell Wexler)

Rush to Judgement / 1967 (Director: Emile de Antonio)

 

Timestamps:

02:49 - Intro discussion of Documentaries Series

12:53 - Group Review of DIRTY MONEY

29:47 - Bart Weiss interviews Chapman Way & Maclain Way of WILD WILD COUNTRY

46:29 -  Doc Talk

 

Website/Email:

www.fogoftruth.com

[email protected]

 

Credits:

Artwork by Hilary Campbell

Intro music by Jeremiah Moore

Transitional music by BELLS (thanks to Christopher Ernst)

Documentary films about artists and the process of creating and selling art is the topic this week as we each discuss some of our personal favorites and review LEANING INTO THE WIND by Thomas Riedelsheimer. Bart and Chris also interview directors Tommy Pallotta and Femke Wolting about their new film MORE HUMAN THAN HUMAN, which discusses developments in the field of artificial intelligence.

 

Group Review Documentary:

LEANING INTO THE WIND (2018) / UK, Germany (Director: Thomas Riedelsheimer)

Screening in theatres now

 

Film Featured in Interview Portion:

MORE HUMAN THAN HUMAN (2018) / Netherlands (Directors: Tommy Pallotta, Femke Wolting)   

 

Other Films/Articles/Books Mentioned:

Running Fence / 1977 (Director: Charlotte Zwerin, Albert Maysles, David Maysles)

The Gates / 1977 (Director: Antonio Ferrara, Albert Maysles, David Maysles, and Matthew Prinzing)

That’s What They Call Art (video)

Extraordinary Ordinary People / 2017 (Director: Alan Governar)

Finding Vivian Maier / 2014 (Director: John Maloof, Charlie Siskel)

In the Realms of the Unreal / 2004 (Director: Jessica Yu)

Cutie and the Boxer / 2013 (Director: Zachary Heinzerling)

F for Fake / 1977 (Director: Orson Welles)

Every Frame a Painting (youtube video)

Exit Through the Gift Shop / 2010 (Director: Banksy)

My Kid Could Paint That / 2007 (Director: Amir Bar-Lev)

Long Strange Trip / 2017 (Director: Amir Bar-Lev)

Art & Craft / 2014 (Director:Sam Cullman, Jennifer Grausman, Mark Becker)

Art of the Steal / 2009 (Director:Don Argott)

My Architect / 2003 (Director: Nathaniel Kahn)

Helvetica / 2007 (Director:Gary Hustwit)

Objectified / 2009 (Director:Gary Hustwit)

Urbanized / 2011 (Director:Gary Hustwit)

Crumb / 1994 (Director: Terry Zwigoff)

Heaven is a Traffic Jam on the 405 / 2016 (Director:Frank Stiefel)

Rivers and Tides / 2002 (Director: Thomas Riedelsheimer)

The Last Hijack / 2014 (Directors: Tommy Pallotta, Femke Wolting)

Conversations with People Who Hate Me (podcast)

The Rider / 2018 (Director: Chloé Zhao)

Songs My Brothers Taught Me / 2015 (Director: Chloé Zhao)

Crime + Punishment / 2018 (Director: Stephen Maing)

 

Timestamps:

01:45 - Intro discussion of Documentaries about Art

20:48 - Group Review of LEANING INTO THE WIND

33:07 - Christopher Llewellyn Reed interviews Tommy Pallotta and Femke Wolting of MORE HUMAN THAN HUMAN

47:48 -  Doc Talk

 

Hammer to Nail Links by Christopher Llewellyn Reed:

http://www.hammertonail.com/reviews/leaning-into-the-wind-review/

http://www.hammertonail.com/film-festivals/more-human-review/

 

Website/Email:

www.fogoftruth.com

[email protected]

 

Credits:

Artwork by Hilary Campbell

Intro music by Jeremiah Moore

Transitional music by BELLS (thanks to Christopher Ernst)

The growing number of documentaries shedding light on cases of police brutality and misconduct across the country is the theme this week as we review THE FORCE and Chris interviews Craig Atkinson, director of DO NOT RESIST.

 

Group Review Documentary:

THE FORCE (2017) / USA (Director: Peter Nicks, Producers: Linda Davis, Lawrence Lerew, & Peter Nicks)

Available to stream on Netflix / iTunes / Amazon

 

Film Featured in Interview Portion:

DO NOT RESIST (2016) / USA (Director: Craig Atkinson, Producers: Laura Hartrick & Craig Atkinson)

Available to stream on iTunes / YouTube / Google Play

 

Other Films/Articles/Podcasts Mentioned:

NY Times Op Docs

Demon in the Freezer / 2016 (Director: Errol Morris)

Animated Life: Mary Leakey / 2015 (Directors: Flora Lichtman & Sharon Shattuck)

Ten Meter Tower / 2017 (Directors: Maximilien Van Aertryck & Axel Danielson)

Baltimore Rising / 2017 (Director: Sonja Sohn)

Stanford Prison Experiment / 2015 (Director: Kyle Patrick Alvarez)

The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution / 2015 (Director: Stanley Nelson)

Tell Them We Are Rising / 2017 (Director: Stanley Nelson)

12th and Delaware / 2010 (Directors: Rachel Grady & Heidi Ewing)

Jesus Camp / 2006 (Directors: Rachel Grady & Heidi Ewing)

Boys of Baraka / 2005 (Directors: Rachel Grady & Heidi Ewing)

Detropia / 2012 (Directors: Rachel Grady & Heidi Ewing)

Semper Fi / 2011 (Directors: Rachel Libert & Tony Hardmon)

Wormwood / 2017 (Director: Errol Morris)

The Thin Blue Line / 1988 (Director: Errol Morris)

Repeat Podcast

 

Timestamps:

2:20 - Intro discussion of NY Times Op Docs

10:22 - Group Review of THE FORCE

24:02 - Christopher Llewellyn Reed interviews Craig Atkinson of DO NOT RESIST

40:15 - Doc Talk

 

Hammer to Nail Links by Christopher Llewellyn Reed:

http://www.hammertonail.com/interviews/a-chat-with-craig-atkinson/

 

Website/Email:

www.fogoftruth.com

[email protected]

 

Credits:

Artwork by Hilary Campbell

Intro music by Jeremiah Moore

Transitional music by BELLS (thanks to Christopher Ernst)

 

It’s the week of the cat! We open by talking about internet cat videos, review KEDI (an observational film about cats in Istanbul) and Chris interviews the filmmakers of TROPHY.

 

Group Review Documentary:

KEDI (2016) / Turkey, USA (Director: Ceyda Torun, Producers: Ceyda Torun & Charlie Wuppermann)

Available to stream on iTunes / Amazon / Google Play

 

Film Featured in Interview Portion:

TROPHY (2017) / UK, Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, USA (Directors: Christina Clusiau & Shaul Schwarz)  

Available to stream on iTunes / YouTube / Google Play

 

Other Films/Articles/Books Mentioned:

15:17 to Paris / 2018 (Director: Clint Eastwood)

Barcroft TV

Becoming Bond / 2017 (Director: Josh Greenbaum)

BLT at Noah's Ark

Boxing Cats / 1894 (Director: Thomas Edison)

The Dodo

juniperfoxx on Instagram

Keyboard Cat

Live and Let Die / 1973 (Director: Guy Hamilton)

Nanook of the North / 1922 (Director: Robert J. Flaherty)

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service / 1969 (Director: Peter R. Hunt)

The Private Life of a Cat / 1947 (Directors: Alexander Hammid & Maya Deren)

pumpkintheraccoon on Instagram

Simon’s Cat

Spook Country by William Gibson

A View to a Kill / 1985 (Director: John Glen)

Timestamps:

14:22 - Group Review of KEDI

28:50 - Christopher Llewellyn Reed interviews Christina Clusiau & Shaul Schwarz of TROPHY

48:28 - Doc Talk

 

Hammer to Nail Links by Christopher Llewellyn Reed:

http://www.hammertonail.com/reviews/kedi-review/

http://www.hammertonail.com/film-festivals/trophy-review/

 

Website/Email:

www.fogoftruth.com

[email protected]

 

Credits:

Artwork by Hilary Campbell

Intro music by Jeremiah Moore

Transitional music by BELLS (thanks to Christopher Ernst)

This week we discuss all things environmental documentary: What makes an effective call to action film? Do environmental docs need to do that to make an impact? And, we review IN PURSUIT OF SILENCE plus Chris interviews the directors of AN INCONVENIENT SEQUEL.

 

Group Review Documentary:

IN PURSUIT OF SILENCE (2015) / USA / Belgium / China / Germany / Hong Kong / India / Japan / Taiwan / UK (Director/Producer/Cinematographer: Patrick Shen, Producers: Andrew Brumme & Brandon Vedder)

Available to stream on iTunes / Roku / Chromecast

 

Film Featured in Interview Portion:

AN INCONVENIENT SEQUEL: TRUTH TO POWER (2017) / USA (Directors: Bonni Cohen & Jon Shenk, Producers: Richard Berge, Jeff Skoll & Diane Weyermann)

Available to stream on iTunes / Amazon / Google Play

 

Other Documentaries Mentioned:

Mr. Fish: Cartooning From The Deep End / 2017 (Director: Pablo Bryant)

An Inconvenient Truth / 2006 (Director: Davis Guggenheim)

DamNation / 2014 (Directors: Travis Rummel & Ben Knight)

The Islands and the Whales / 2017 (Director: Mike Day)

Jane / 2017 (Director: Brett Morgen)

Look & See: A Portrait of Wendell Berry / 2017 (Directors: Laura Dunn & Jef Sewell)

The Great Invisible / 2014 (Director: Margaret Brown)

Blackfish / 2013 (Director: Gabriela Cowperthwaite)

The Cove / 2009 (Director: Louie Psihoyos)

Food Inc. / 2008 (Director: Robert Kenner)
The Gateway Bug / 2017 (Director: Johanna B. Kelly)

Blue Planet / 2001 (Aired on BBC1)

Planet Earth / 2006 (Aired on BBC1)

Jacques Cousteau (Environmental Filmmaker, especially oceanic documentaries)

Koyaanisqatsi / 1982 (Director: Godfrey Reggio)

Chasing Coral / 2017 (Director: Jeff Orlowski)

Landfill Harmonic / 2015 (Directors: Graham Townsley & Brad Allgood)

Plastic China / 2016 (Director: Jiuliang Wang)

The Eagle Huntress / 2016 (Director: Otto Bell)

The Island President / 2011 (Director: Jon Shenk)

Dirty Money / 2018 (Created by Alex Gibney)

Nobody Speak / 2017 (Director: Brian Knappenberger)

Circus Ecuador / 2018 (Directors: James Brassard & Ashley Bishop)

The Fall - The Wonderful and Frightening World of Mark E Smith / 2005 (Director: Dione Newton)

 

Timestamps:

03:23 - Intro discussion about environmental documentaries

15:23 - Group review of In Pursuit of Silence

32:00 - Chris Interviews Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk of An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power

48:07 - Doc Talk

 

Hammer to Nail Links by Christopher Llewellyn Reed:

http://www.hammertonail.com/reviews/inconvenient-sequel-review/

 

Website/Email:

www.fogoftruth.com

[email protected]

 

Credits:

Artwork by Hilary Campbell

Intro music by Jeremiah Moore

Transitional music by BELLS (thanks to Christopher Ernst)

In a very special on location episode, Chris and Bart interview four filmmakers at SXSW. Please visit our website for the video footage of these interviews: www.fogoftruth.com/video-extras

 

Filmmakers Interviewed:

Jeremy Workman (Director) & Matt Green (Subject), THE WORLD BEFORE YOUR FEET

Alexandria Bombach (Director), ON HER SHOULDERS

Cristina Constantini & Darren Foster (Co-Directors), SCIENCE FAIR

Yuqi Kang (Director), A LITTLE WISDOM

 

Other Items & People Mentioned:

Walking Blog by Matt Green

The Last Girl: My Story of Captivity, and My Fight Against the Islamic State by Nadia Murad

The Naked Truth: Death by Fentanyl / 2016

Alan Berliner, Filmmaker

 

Hammer to Nail Links by Christopher Llewellyn Reed:

http://www.hammertonail.com/film-festivals/on-her-shoulders-review/
http://www.hammertonail.com/film-festivals/little-wisdom-review/

 

Timestamps:

00:39 - Introduction by Christopher Llewellyn Reed

02:52 - On location introduction by Bart Weiss & Christopher Llewellyn Reed

04:41 - Interview with Jeremy Workman & Matt Green

22:15 - Interview with Alexandria Bombach

38:57 - Interview with Cristina Constantini & Darren Foster

54:50 - Interview with Yuqi Kang

 

Website/Email:

www.fogoftruth.com

[email protected]

 

Credits:

Artwork by Hilary Campbell

Intro music by Jeremiah Moore

Transitional music by BELLS (thanks to Christopher Ernst)

Video Shot by Ryan Neitzey

In preparation for SXSW, we have a brief discussion of the festival generally, how much we love the programming there, and take a closer look at four of the documentary features from the 2018 lineup.

 

SXSW Films Reviewed:

A Little Wisdom / 2017 (Director: Yuqi Kang)

On Her Shoulders / 2018 (Director: Alexandria Bombach)

Science Fair / 2017 (Directors: Cristina Costantini, Darren Foster)

The World Before Your Feet / 2018 (Director: Jeremy Workman)

 

Other Films Mentioned:

Full SXSW Lineup

In Pursuit of Silence / 2015 (Director: Patrick Shen)

 

Website/Email:

www.fogoftruth.com

[email protected]

 

Credits:

Artwork by Hilary Campbell

Intro music by Jeremiah Moore

 

Leading up to the Academy Awards, we talk Oscars and each pick our favorite feature and short documentary nominees as well as wildly speculate on which films will take home the trophy this year.  

 

Documentary Shorts Nominated by the Academy:

Edith + Eddie / 2017 (Director: Laura Checkoway)

Heaven is a Traffic Jam on the 405 / 2017 (Director: Frank Stiefel)

Heroin(e) / 2017 (Director: Elaine Mcmillion)

Knife Skills / 2017 (Director: Thomas Lennon)

Traffic Stop / 2017 (Director: Kate Davis)

 

Documentary Features Nominated by the Academy:

Abacus: Small Enough to Jail / 2016 (Director: Steve James)

Faces Places / 2017 (Director: Agnes Varda, JR)

Icarus / 2017 (Director: Bryan Fogel)

Last Men in Aleppo / 2017 (Director: Firas Fayyad, Steen Johannessen, Hasan Kattan)

Strong Island / 2017 (Director: Yance Ford)

 

Other Films Mentioned:

20 Feet From Stardom / 2013 (Director: Morgan Neville)

The Act of Killing / 2012 (Director: Joshua Oppenheimer, Anonymous, Christine Cynn)

Citizenfour / 2014 (Director: Laura Poitras)

Amy / 2015 (Director: Asif Kapadia)

The Look of Silence / 2014 (Director: Joshua Oppenheimer)

Cartel Land / 2015 (Director: Matthew Heineman)

What Happened Miss Simone? / 2015 (Director: Liz Garbus, Hal Tulchin)

Born into Brothels: Calcutta’s Red Light Kids / 2004 (Director: Zana Briski, Ross Kauffman)

The Fog of War / 2003 (Director: Errol Morris)

Thin Blue Line / 1988 (Director: Errol Morris)

Bowling for Columbine / 2002 (Director: Michael Moore)

Daughter from Danang / 2002 (Director: Gail Dolgin, Vicente Franco)

Winged Migration / 2001 (Director: Jacques Perrin, Jacques Cluzaud, Michel Debats)

Inside Job / 2010 (Director: Charles Ferguson)

First Person (TV Series) / 2000 (Director: Errol Morris)

 

Hammer to Nail Links:

Review of Abacus: Small Enough to Jail

Review of Faces Places

Review of Strong Island

Review of Oscar Nominated Documentary Short Films 

 

Website/Email:

www.fogoftruth.com

[email protected]

 

Credits:

Artwork by Hilary Campbell

Intro music by Jeremiah Moore

Transitional music by BELLS (thanks to Christopher Ernst)