Writing portfolio from time as contributing editor at Documentary magazine.
The headings below link to the full articles.
W E R N E R H E R Z O G
Cave Dwelling: The Werner Herzog Interview
An interview with Werner Herzog about his films, 3-D hype, albino crocodiles,
doppelgangers reading "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," death row inmates, becoming a character on "The Simpsons," and the feeling of being watched by unseen eyes.
Wandering Toward Wonder: Werner Herzog's Fever Dreams
An essay on Werner Herzog in conjunction with his Career Achievement Award.
Werner Herzog: The Unanswered Interview
"Sometimes it is better to have only questions and no answers."
E R R O L M O R R I S
The Cinematic Investigations of Errol Morris
An interview with Oscar-winner Errol Morris in conjunction with his Career Achievement Award. "From the majestic opening frame of a lovably earnest, yet doomed pet-cemetery owner dwarfed by a verdant tree in Gates of Heaven to the final could-have-been-anywhere snapshot of a Baghdad sunset taken by an Abu Ghraib prison guard in Standard Operating Procedure, Morris has remained vigilantly focused on establishing eye contact between us and ourselves, making a mission of merging the human scale with the cinematic scale. No other filmmaker has made the interview such a cinematic occasion, the seemingly trivial detail such a gateway to the soul--or soullessness--of a story, the eyes of strangers such windows to the uncertainty of history."
A 'Tabloid' Tale: Errol Morris Pursues a Confounding Narrator
A conversation with Errol Morris about his film Tabloid, his process, and the state of the art of documentary filmmaking. "What happens to the narrative DNA of a movie once it's in your mind? Does it get decoded? Does it get cloned in the stories you tell? Or in the narrative structure of your own life story?"
O T H E R E X P L O R A T I O N S O F N O N F I C T I O N F I L M
A rare career-spanning conversation with the legendary Les Blank not long before his passing. Drawn from several conversations, this was one of the final and most generous interviews of Blank's storied career.
The Write Wing: Defining the Role of the Writer in Nonfiction
An exploration of the varied, emerging roles of the writer in documentary filmmaking. Featuring interviews with Alex Gibney (Taxi To the Darkside, Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room), Mark Monroe (The Cove, Icarus, Sound City), and Amy Berg (Deliver Us From Evil, West of Memphis), and other writers and directors sharing facets of the complex prisms in which nonficiton narratives are created.
MPAA Exposed! Kirby Dick Sticks It to the Ratings System
A review and discussion regarding This Film Is Not Yet Rated – Academy Award nominee Kirby Dick’s comedic investigative documentary offering the first look behind the curtain of the gatekeeping cultural cabal that is the Motion Picture Association of America - featuring interviews with the fim's director Kirby Dick and producer Eddie Schmidt.
Vital Signs in Vérité: 'A Lion in the House' Confronts Childhood Cancer
An exploration of the nine-year process of making A Lion in the House, a four-hour journey into the lives of children battling cancer at the best pediatric oncology hospital in the world. Oscar-winning filmmaking couple Julia Reichert and Steven Bognar participated in this interview from a hospital room where Reichert was undergoing cancer treatment of her own that was ultimately successful.
Behind the Addict Door: HBO’s Humanistic Approach to Substance Abuse
A look into the making of HBO's omnibus project on addiction that included films by Albert Maysles, Liz Garbus, Eugene Jarecki, and Jon Alpert - featuring interviews with filmmakers and HBO executive John Hoffman.
Ten Ways of Looking at Democracy: Documentary Project Airs Around the World
A view into The Why Democracy Project, a compendium of ten feature films and many shorts by acclaimed filmmakers from around the world on the state of democracy - featuring interviews with filmmakers from Liberia, Japan, and South African executive producer/filmmaker, Don Edkins.
All This and World War II: 'Loot' Finds Treasure in the Hunt
An interview with director Darius Marder about his film Loot, World War II's place in the American memory, and the leap of faith that often propels the making of great nonfiction films.
Running for History: 'Jesse Owens' and the Inside Track on a Sports Icon
A discussion about Jesse Owens - a film exploring the public impact and little-known private suffering of legendary Olympian and civil rights pioneer, Jesse Owens - featuring interviews with director Laurens Grant and executive producer for American Experience, Mark Samels.
Getting Down with the 'Boogie Man': A Nonpartisan Look at Lee Atwater
A film review and conversation with director Stefan Forbes about his film Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story, the state of American politics, and the growing dissonance of democracy.
One Giant Leap: Pangea Day Offers a Global Cinematic Experience
An inside look at the TED-Prize project, Pangea Day, including an interview with its creator, filmmaker Jehane Noujaim (The Square, Control Room).
National Geographic All Roads Film Festival
A report on National Geographic's All Roads Film Festival, including reviews of films from native filmmakers of India, Peru, Mexico, Brazil, and Vietnam, and interviews with the creators of the festival.