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Documentary filmmaker Dan Sturman has won Oscar, Emmy, and Peabody Awards, and his films have been shown at the world’s most prestigious festivals, from Cannes to Sundance. He has interviewed presidents, war criminals, movie stars, and ordinary people with extraordinary stories.
In this episode, Dan takes us behind the scenes of some of his films, including “Nanking,” “Soundtrack for a Revolution,” “The Hollywood Complex,” and “Twin Towers.”
He gives us an inside look at documentary filmmaking:
- How he comes up with ideas for projects
- How he gets funding for his films
- How he convinces people to be interviewed about controversial subjects
- How awards and festival recognition impact his work
Dan also sings the praises of composers who score films. (Imagine how scary—or rather, how NOT scary—a horror movie would be without the music and sound effects!)
Dan shares the challenges (mostly related to financing independent films) and the joys of being a documentarian (such as getting to meet inspiring people and in turn being inspired by them).
Dan’s films are consistently thoughtful and thought-provoking. Here are some ways you can watch the films discussed in this interview:
"The Hollywood Complex": https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1754351/
"Twin Towers": https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0344503/
"Nanking": https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0893356/
"Soundtrack for a Revolution": https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/soundtrack/
Want to know more about Dan?
- check out his website: dansturman.com
Want to know more about The Experience Podcast?
- Sign up to be on our Insiders' List to receive our newsletters and insiders' information! Go to theexperiencepodcast.net (sign-ups are at the bottom of the page)
- Follow us on social media:
Support the show
View all episodes
By Elizabeth Pearson GarrSend us a text
Documentary filmmaker Dan Sturman has won Oscar, Emmy, and Peabody Awards, and his films have been shown at the world’s most prestigious festivals, from Cannes to Sundance. He has interviewed presidents, war criminals, movie stars, and ordinary people with extraordinary stories.
In this episode, Dan takes us behind the scenes of some of his films, including “Nanking,” “Soundtrack for a Revolution,” “The Hollywood Complex,” and “Twin Towers.”
He gives us an inside look at documentary filmmaking:
- How he comes up with ideas for projects
- How he gets funding for his films
- How he convinces people to be interviewed about controversial subjects
- How awards and festival recognition impact his work
Dan also sings the praises of composers who score films. (Imagine how scary—or rather, how NOT scary—a horror movie would be without the music and sound effects!)
Dan shares the challenges (mostly related to financing independent films) and the joys of being a documentarian (such as getting to meet inspiring people and in turn being inspired by them).
Dan’s films are consistently thoughtful and thought-provoking. Here are some ways you can watch the films discussed in this interview:
"The Hollywood Complex": https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1754351/
"Twin Towers": https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0344503/
"Nanking": https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0893356/
"Soundtrack for a Revolution": https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/soundtrack/
Want to know more about Dan?
- check out his website: dansturman.com
Want to know more about The Experience Podcast?
- Sign up to be on our Insiders' List to receive our newsletters and insiders' information! Go to theexperiencepodcast.net (sign-ups are at the bottom of the page)
- Follow us on social media:
Support the show