Fog of Truth

This week, we review ONE OF US, an observational film about three people in the process of leaving their Hasidic communities. Then, we all hop on the phone with Leah Warshawski director of BIG SONIA to talk about her filmmaking process and telling such a personal story.

 

Group Review Documentary:

ONE OF US / 2017 (Directors / Producers: Heidi Ewing & Rachel Grady)

Available to stream on Netflix

 

Film Featured in Interview Portion:

BIG SONIA / 2016 (Directors: Todd Soliday, Leah Warshawski)

 

Other Films Mentioned:

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

Quest / 2017 (Director: Jonathan Olshefski)

I Am Another You / 2017 (Director: Nanfu Wang)

The Blood is at the Doorstep / 2017 (Director & Producer: Erik Ljung)

Do Not Resist / 2016 (Director: Craig Atkinson)

Cartel Land / 2015 (Director: Matthew Heineman)

City of Ghosts / 2017 (Director: Matthew Heineman)

Crisis Behind a Presidential Commitment / 1963 (Director: Robert Drew)

Thin Blue Line / 1988 (Director: Errol Morris)

Strad Style / 2017 (Director: Stefan Avalos)

Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You / 2016 (Directors: Heidi Ewing & Rachel Grady)

Devil’s Playground / 2002 (Director: Lucy Walker)

Bacon and God’s Wrath / 2015 (Director: Sol Friedman)

Novitiate /  2017 (Director: Margaret Betts)

Menashe / 2017 (Director: Joshua Z. Weinstein)

Promises / 2001 (Directors: B. Z. Goldberg, Justine Shapiro & Carlos Bolado)

Love Means Zero / 2017 (Director: Jason Kohn)

Don't Stop Believin': Everyman's Journey / 2012 (Director: Ramona S. Diaz)

I Beat Mike Tyson / 2012 (Director: Joshua Z. Weinstein)

Holocaust Survivor Band / 2015 (Director: Joshua Z. Weinstein)

The Last Laugh / 2016 (Director: Ferne Pearlstein)

Drivers Wanted / 2012 (Director: Joshua Z. Weinstein)

Ingrid / 2018 (Director: Morrisa Maltz)

 

Timestamps:

10:07 - Group Review of ONE OF US

22:10 - Group Interview w Leah Warshawski, director of BIG SONIA

44:55 - Doc Talk

 

Hammer to Nail Links by Christopher Llewellyn Reed:

http://www.hammertonail.com/reviews/big-sonia-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 have slightly divergent feelings about the time commitment required to watch a six-part series on the Grateful Dead. Plus, Bart interviews Ellen Goldfarb of DARE TO BE DIFFERENT.

Group Review Documentary:

LONG STRANGE TRIP (2017) / (Director: Amir Bar-Lev / Producers: Alex Blavatnik, Ken Dornstein, Eric Eisner, Nick Koskoff, Justin Kreutzmann)

Available to stream on Amazon

 

Film Featured in Interview Portion:

DARE TO BE DIFFERENT (2017) / (Director / Producer: Ellen Goldfarb)

 

Other Documentaries Mentioned:

Gaga: Five Foot Two / 2017 (Director: Chris Moukarbel)

Stop Making Sense / 1984 (Director: Jonathan Demme)

Bob Dylan: Don’t Look Back / 1967 (Director: D.A. Pennebaker)

Searching for Sugar Man / 2012 (Director: Malik Bendjelloul)

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

Gimme Shelter / 1970 (Directors: Albert Maysles, David Maysles, Charlotte Zwerin)

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

Buena Vista Social Club / 1999 (Director: Wim Wenders)

Don't Stop Believin': Everyman's Journey / 2012 (Director: Ramona S. Diaz)

Motherland / 2017 (Director: Ramona S. Diaz)

What's Happening! The Beatles in the U.S.A. / 1964 (Directors: Albert Maysles, David Maysles)

Monterey Pop / 1968 (Director: D.A. Pennebaker)

David Bowie: The Last Five Years / 2017 (Director: Francis Whately)

Cobain: Montage of Heck / 2015 (Director: Brett Morgan)

Kurt & Courtney / 1998 (Director: Nick Broomfield)

Song to Song / 2017 (Director: Terrence Malick)

Bride of Frankenstein / 1935 (Director: James Whale)

The Tillman Story / 2010 (Director: Amir Bar-Lev)

Happy Valley / 2014 (Director: Amir Bar-Lev)

Lemon / 1969 (Director: Hollis Frampton)

Marley / 2012 (Director: Kevin Macdonald)

Cassette: A Documentary Mixtape  / 2016 (Director: Zach Taylor)

Sun Ra: A Joyful Noise / 1980 (Director: Robert Mugge)

Too Funny to Fail: The Life and Death of the Dana Carvey Show / 2017 (Director: Josh Greenbaum)

Conspiracy Theory Rocks / 1998 (Creator: Robert Smigel)

 

Timestamps:

12:41 - Group Review of LONG STRANGE TRIP

26:47 - Interview w Ellen Goldfarb, dire

40:20 - 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)

 

This week we talk about systemic racism, the rodent problem in Chris’s hometown of Baltimore and RAT FILM. We also have an interview with Erik Ljung, the director of BLOOD IS AT THE DOORSTEP.

Group Review Documentary:

RAT FILM (2016) / (Director: Theo Anthony / Producers: Sebastian Pardo, Riel Roch Decter)

Available to stream on Amazon / iTunes / Google Play

Film Featured in Interview Portion:

THE BLOOD IS AT THE DOORSTEP (2017) / (Director & Producer: Erik Ljung)

https://www.thebloodisatthedoorstep.tv/

Other Documentaries Mentioned:

F for Fake / 1973 (Director: Orson Welles)

Medium Cool / 1969 (Director: Haskell Wexler)

Milhouse / 1971 (Director: Emile de Antonio)

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

Outfoxed / 2004 (Director: Robert Greenwald)

The Brainwashing of my Dad (Director: Jen Senko)

Trapped (Director: Dawn Porter)

Abortion Stories Women Tell (Director: Tracy Droz Tragos)

Misconception (Director: Jessica Yu)

Starving the Beast (Director: Steve Mims)

Nobody Speak (Director: Brian Knappenberger)

Quest (Director: Jonathan Olshefski)

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

Jim & Andy (Director: Chris Smith)

Long Shot (Director: Jacob LaMendola)

Miracle on 42nd St (Director: Alice Elliot)

Cuba and the Cameraman (Director: Jon Alpert)

The Real Story Behind the "Charm City" Baltimore Nickname:

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1995-07-18/news/1995199190_1_charm-city-bill-evans-loden

Hammer to Nail Links by Christopher Llewellyn Reed:

Rat Film Review

Interview with Theo Anthony (Director of Rat Film)

The Blood is at the Doorstep Review

Interview with Erik Ljung (Director of The Blood is at the Doorstep)

Timestamps:

11:52 - Group Review of RAT FILM

29:00 - Christopher Llewellyn Reed interviews Erik Ljung

47:05 - Doc Talk

Official Baltimore rat bumper stickers here:

http://www.ratczar.com

 

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)

Music from Rat Film by Dan Deacon

In this episode we look at the rise of drone usage in documentaries and have an in-depth discussion of Strad Style, a film about a charming rural eccentric who makes replicas of historical violins. And, we have an interview with Luke Korem, director of Dealt.

Group Review Documentary:

STRAD STYLE (2017) / (Director: Stefan Avalos, Producers: Stefan Avalos, Suzan Ortmeier)

http://www.stradstyle.com/

Available to stream on Amazon / iTunes / Google Play

Film Featured in Interview Portion:

DEALT (2017) / (Director: Luke Korem, Producers: Russell Wayne Groves, Luke Korem)

http://www.dealtmovie.com/

Available to stream on Amazon / iTunes / Google Play

Other Documentaries Mentioned:

Lord Montagu / 2013 (Director: Luke Korem)

Making of a Murderer / 2015 (Directors: Moira Demos, Laura Ricciardi)

Whitey / 2014 (Director: Joe Berlinger)

Drone Boning / 2014 (Director: Ghost + Cow (Brandon LaGanke + John Carlucci))

The Keepers / 2017 (Director: Ryan White)

Kedi / 2017 (Director: Ceyda Torun)

Nathan for You / 2017 / Season 4, Episode 7 (Director: Nathan Fielder)

Pumping Iron / 1977 (Directors: George Butler, Robert Fiore)

Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold / 2017 (Director: Griffin Dunne)

This is Congo / 2017 (Director: Daniel McCabe)

Cartel Land / 2015 (Director: Matthew Heineman)

Hammer to Nail Links by Christopher Llewellyn Reed:

http://www.hammertonail.com/film-festivals/strad-style-review/

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

http://www.hammertonail.com/interviews/luke-korem-interview/

Timestamps:

9:08 - Group Review of STRAD STYLE

21:31 - Christopher Llewellyn Reed interviews interviews Luke Korem of DEALT

34:58 - 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)

This week we explore documentaries where the filmmaker is an integral part of the story, review Unrest (a personal film by Jennifer Brea who filmed her own onset and struggle with M.E.), and have an interview with the director of Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story

Group Review Documentary:

UNREST (2017) / UK, USA (Director: Jennifer Brea, Producers: Jennifer Brea, Lindsey Dryden, Patricia E. Gillespie, Alysa Nahmias)

https://www.unrest.film

Available to stream on Amazon / iTunes / Google Play and (Netflix starting January 15, 2018)

Film Featured in Interview Portion:

BOMBSHELL: THE HEDY LAMARR STORY (2017) / (Director: Alexandra Dean, Producers: Alexandra Dean, Adam Haggiag, Katherine Drew)

https://zeitgeistfilms.com/film/bombshellthehedylamarrstory

Other Documentaries Mentioned:

Bowling for Columbine / 2002 (Director: Michael Moore)

Where Will We Invade Next / 2016 (Director: Michael Moore)

Shermans March / 1985 (Director: Ross McElwee)

Icarus / 2017 (Director: Bryan Fogel)

Strong Island / 2017 (Director: Yance Ford)

Human Flow / 2017 (Director: Ai Weiwei)

Murder Mouth / 2011 (Director: Madeleine Parry)

Forks Over Knives / 2011 (Director: Lee Fulkerson)

Kedi / 2017 (Director: Ceyda Torun)

List of US Theaters exhibiting film (turns out there are a bunch in LA!):

http://www.sprocketschool.org/wiki/List_of_analog_film_exhibitors

Hammer to Nail Links by Christopher Llewellyn Reed:

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

Timestamps:

8:30 - Group Review of UNREST

20:45 - Bart Weiss interviews Alexandra Dean of BOMBSHELL

32:38 - 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)

Bart Weiss, Christopher Llewellyn Reed and Summre Garber discuss sub-genres within the larger genre of “Documentary” and delve deep into Maineland, a film about two high school students from China attending a boarding school in Maine.

Group Review Documentary:

MAINELAND (2017) / China, USA (Director: Miao Wang, Producers: Robert M. Chang, Violet Du Feng, Damon Smith, Miao Wang)

http://www.mainelandfilm.com/

Film Featured in Interview Portion:

BARBECUE (2017) / Australia, Armenia, Japan, Jordan, Mexico, Mongolia, New Zealand, Philippines, South Africa, Sweden, USA, Uruguay (Director: Matthew Salleh, Producers: Daniel Joyce, Rose Tucker)

http://www.urtextfilms.com/barbecue/

Available to stream on Netflix / iTunes / Google Play 

Other Documentaries Mentioned:

My Architect / 2003 (Director: Nathaniel Kahn)

Cameraperson / 2016 (Director: Kirsten Johnson)

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

Tongues Untied / 1989 (Director: Marlon Riggs)

The Defiant Ones / 2017 (Director: Allen Hughes)

The Keepers / 2017 (Director: Ryan White)

Ex Libris / 2017 (Director: Frederick Wiseman)

Hammer to Nail Links by Christopher Llewellyn Reed:

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

http://www.hammertonail.com/film-festivals/barbecue-doc-review/

http://www.hammertonail.com/interviews/matthew-salleh-rose-tucker-interview/

Timestamps:

8:19 - Group Review of MAINELAND

29:47 - Christopher Llewellyn Reed interviews Matthew Salleh and Rose Tucker of BARBECUE

48: 27 - 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)