Director Bill Banowsky and producer Paul O’Bryan’s latest film “A Savage Art: The Life & Cartoons of Pat Oliphant” chronicles the incredible life and career of political cartoonist Patrick Oliphant, which also provides a concise history of political cartoons, political polarization and corporate media control. In their discussion, Bill and Paul reflect on becoming friends with Pat Oliphant (2:00), finding conflict and humanity in a film subject they respect (12:00), the genius of Pat’s ability to satirize intense subjects (20:30), and how Pat influenced the modern art of memes (30:00).

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).

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-nominated filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady's life-affirming documentary “Folktales” tells the timely and heartwarming story of teenagers who choose to spend an unconventional "gap year" learning to dog sled and survive the Arctic wilderness, in hopes of finding connection and meaning in the modern world. In their discussion with Tiller, they share how this film came to fruition (4:00), putting together a Norwegian crew (14:50), the number one rule they learned about living in the wild (23:00), the subtleties of their filming choices (30:00), the secret to their co-directing cohesion (37:30) and what they love about directing (41:00).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

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

William Kentridge's extraordinary nine-part series “Self-Portrait As A Coffee-Pot” is a vast, self-exploration into the creative labyrinthine mind of a prolific visual artist. In his discussion with Tiller, William ponders over the winding road of his creative process (3:30), how he interviewed himself for the film (9:30), uncovering the unconscious artistry within himself (21:00), the invaluable contribution of a talented editor (32:00), how he brought the film into museums (39:30) and creating art that defies our algorithms (45:30).

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

Director Thom Zimny returns to the show to discuss his latest collaboration with Bruce Springsteen, “Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.” Thom discusses with Tiller his 20-year-long creative process with Bruce (1:45), how the film mirrors the emotional ride of a Springsteen concert (12:00), humanizing the fan base (21:30), evoking the emotion behind the lyrics (27:00), starting the film with no notion of where it’s going (34:00), and “the silent conversation” of the edit (39:00).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Oscar-winning documentarian, The Roots drummer, and music icon Questlove joins the show to talk about his latest documentary, “Ladies & Gentlemen…50 Years of SNL Music.” The film takes audiences on a journey through the unparalleled musical legacy of Saturday Night Live, diving into the stories, surprises, and seismic impact of SNL’s musical guests. Questlove shares with Tiller how he first pitched the idea to Lorne Michaels (5:00), his struggles with imposter syndrome as an artist (11:00), the metaphysical part of creativity (15:00), and the biggest lesson he wants people to take away from this film (22:00).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Academy Award nominee Liz Garbus joins Tiller to discuss her latest masterful contribution to the realm of true crime, “Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer”, a tense examination of the ongoing the hunt for the Long Island serial killer through the perspective of his victims, their loved ones and the police. Liz discusses with Tiller how the documentary film industry has changed over the last 25 years (2:00), the moral quandary in telling true crime stories (6:00), whether she chose this story or if the story chose her (13:00), how the series highlights the failures of the criminal justice system (20:00), and the ongoing nature of the story (29:00).

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Welcome to Season 4 of The Dangerous Art of  the Documentary!

Oscar-winning director Errol Morris seeks to understand why

Produced by: Jacob Miller

Executive Producer: Tiller Russell

Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk

Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions