The Director’s Cut - A DGA Podcast

Director Kenneth Lonergan discusses his new film, Manchester by the Sea, with Bob Balaban. The film tells the story of a Boston janitor who becomes the sole guardian of his 16-year-old nephew after the sudden death of his brother. He reluctantly returns to his hometown and attempts to deal with the life and family he had left behind.

Mr. Lonergan was nominated for the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for 2016 for directing this film.

Director Barbara Kopple discusses her new film, Miss Sharon Jones!, with Shari Springer Berman. The film follows the R&B and soul singer Sharon Jones during the most challenging year of her life when she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer just before the release of her album, Give the People What They Want.

Director Mel Gibson discusses his new film, Hacksaw Ridge, with John Polson. The film follows the remarkable story of Desmond T. Doss, a World War II army medic, who saved 75 soldiers from the front lines of Battle of Okinawa without ever firing a single shot.

Director Ewan McGregor discusses his new film, American Pastoral, with Mike Mills. Based on the 1997 novel by Phillip Roth, the film centers on Seymour "Swede" Levov, a successful businessman who lives an idyllic life with his wife and daughter. When a stunning act of violence is blamed on Swede's missing daughter, he must confront the consequences of her political activism as he searches for her.

Director Nate Parker discusses his new film, The Birth of a Nation, with Jeffrey Byrd. The film tells the true story of Nat Turner: a literate slave living on a Virginia plantation in the early 1800s who is forced to preach obedience to other slaves. When Turner witnesses atrocities committed against other slaves, he orchestrates an uprising in the hopes of leading his people to freedom.

Mr. Parker was nominated for the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement of a First-Time Feature Film Director for 2016 for directing this film.

Director Robert Kenner discusses his new film, Command and Control, with Chuck Workman. The film chronicles the nine-hour ordeal that occurred at an Arkansas missile complex in September 1980. After a worker drops a socket and accidentally punctures the fuel tank of an intercontinental ballistic missile, drastic measures must be taken to avoid a deadly nuclear explosion.

Director Mick Jackson discusses his new film, Denial, with Jeremy Kagan. Based on the book History on Trial: My Day in Court with a Holocaust Denier, the film follows Deborah Lipstadt's court battle against David Irving, who sues her for libel when she declared him a Holocaust denier.

Director Kristi Jacobson discusses her new documentary, Solitary, with Nanette Burstein. With unprecedented access, the film takes a disturbing look at one of the most controversial aspects of America’s modern prison-industrial-complex: solitary confinement.

Director Rosemary Rodriguez discusses her new film, Silver Skies, with director Arthur Allan Seidelman. The film follows a group of eccentric retirees who find their lives turned upside down when they learn that their beloved apartment complex is being converted to condominiums.

Director Heidi Ewing discusses her new film with Rachel Grady, Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You, with Director Chuck Workman and its subject Norman Lear. The documentary paints a dynamic portrait of the influential creator, writer, and producer, exploring his work and achievements through shows such as All in the Family, Maude, Good Times, The Jeffersons.