The Dangerous Art of the Documentary

David Terry Fine’s Netflix documentary “Dirty Pop” tells the story of Lou Pearlman, the architect of the modern boy band era and the extraordinary web of lies, deceit, exploitation and greed that propped up his music empire. In his discussion with Tiller, David reflects on his journey from the edit chair to the director’s chair (2:00), the importance of pushing against creative gatekeepers (11:30), posthumously bringing the lead character to life (24:00), the ethics of utilizing A.I. tools in documentaries (32:00) and his experience rewatching the final film (42:00). Produced by: Jacob Miller Executive Producer: Tiller Russell Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Italian master Gianfranco Rosi makes some of the most ravishing big-screen nonfiction films you will find. His latest, “Pompei: Below the Clouds”, a black-and-white masterpiece shot with a fixed camera, explores the complex lives of the people living in a region that seems to always be teetering on the edge of a haunting archival status. In his conversation with Tiller, they discuss the love they hold for their shared mentor Chuck Bowden (3:30), how Naples is a reflection of a suspended time (16:00), the importance of selecting the frame (26:00), why it’s impossible to describe his process (34:00), his preferred shooting specs (42:00), and how he knew when the film was “finished” (51:00). Produced by: Jacob Miller Executive Producer: Tiller Russell Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Soviet-born filmmaker Julia Loktev came to Moscow in 2021 to make a film about independent journalists being declared “foreign agents” by Putin’s regime. Her film “My Undesirable Friends” ended up becoming a rare glimpse into the lives of brave female journalists speaking truth to power in the face of Putin’s war against Ukraine. In her discussion with Tiller, Julia shares how loneliness inspires her to tell real stories (3:30), her secrets to filming verité (8:00), the advantages that filming on iPhones provided (18:00), the organization behind the chaos of shooting for hours (27:00), and what’s to come in Part Two of this film (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

Director David Borenstein’s latest documentary “Mr. Nobody Against Putin” is nominated for Best Documentary Feature in the 2026 Academy Awards. It follows a Russian teacher as he secretly documents his school becoming a war recruitment center during the Ukraine invasion. In his conversation with Tiller, David discussed the myth of the auteur director (3:00), adjusting his initial vision for the film (9:00), constructing the film with the teacher’s voice-over (17:00), the drama of the opening scene (24:00), and the broader context this film touches on (32:30). Produced by: Jacob Miller Executive Producer: Tiller Russell Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Director Isaac Gale’s film “Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted” follows cult musician Swamp Dogg, alongside housemates Moogstar and Guitar Shorty, as they turn their home into an artistic playground. Isaac talks to Tiller about the singularity of Swamp Dogg as a film subject (2:25), finding the visual vibe of the film (16:30), subverting expectations for the audience (28:00), and the journey of getting into theaters (35:00). 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 Tony Zierra’s 2017 film “Filmworker” tells the story of Leon Vitali, who surrendered his promising acting career to become Stanley Kubrick’s devoted acolyte. In his discussion with Tiller, Tony talks about his surprising first impression of Leon (3:00), why Leon could not adapt to the culture of Hollywood (12:00), developing trust with his film subject (19:30), the tragedy of Leon’s life after Kubrick died (31:00), and how the film redeemed him in front of the world (37:00). The remastered film is now available to watch on Doc Addicts at https://www.docaddicts.com/filmworkerdirectorscut. Produced by: Jacob Miller Executive Producer: Tiller Russell Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Directors Andrew Jarecki and Charlotte Kaufman take viewers deep inside one of the nation’s deadliest prison systems in their latest film “The Alabama Solution”, where incarcerated men defy the odds stacked against them to expose an explosive and shocking cover-up. They share with Tiller how this story inspired them (2:30), their co-directing method (6:45), the intention behind the cinematography (16:00), gaining access to an underground civil rights movement within the Alabama prison system (24:00), the construction of character in the edit (31:00), and the only way they know how to make documentaries (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

Director Geeta Gandbhir’s new film "The Perfect Neighbor" is largely made up of police bodycam footage, tracking the events of a seemingly minor neighborhood dispute in Florida escalating into deadly violence. Geeta shares with Tiller how she got her first film job on Spike Lee’s “Malcom X” (2:00), discovering the trove of archival evidence (7:00), how the system failed the entire neighborhood and how the entire tragedy was preventable (19:00), and the thought and craft behind the original photography (33:00). Produced by: Jacob Miller Executive Producer: Tiller Russell Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Pulitzer Prize-winning Lynsey Addario has risked her life to capture the stark realities of war — from the Middle East and Afghanistan to Ukraine. From National Geographic Documentary Films and Academy Award-winning filmmakers Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, “Love+War” chronicles Addario’s ascent in the male-dominated world of conflict photography. In their conversation, Tiller learns why this is Chai’s most personal film (3:00), how Lynsey decided to become the subject of a film (9:00), the lifelong cognitive dissonance of Lynsey’s life (20:00), Chai’s standard of stories that actually matter (31:30), and how Lynsey has managed to sustain her challenging lifestyle (40:00). 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 Gabe Polsky’s new documentary “The Man Who Saves the World?” tells the story of Patrick McCollum, a spiritual leader living in Moraga, California. The twist is this: certain Indigenous leaders in the Amazon believed Patrick is the answer to an ancient prophecy––the one who will unite and save the world. Gabe talks to Tiller about how he decided to dive all the way into this topic (3:45), his reliance on instinct while shooting (13:00), the complicated relationship he formed with the lead subject (20:00), the patchwork editorial process (27:30), and the hardest parts about making a film (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 Rebecca Miller’s latest five-hour docuseries profiles America’s greatest living director, Martin Scorsese. She talks to Tiller about how she framed her pitch to Scorsese (6:00), the selection of soundtrack (15:00), the importance of his key collaborators (24:00), how she took a cubist approach to Scorsese’s portrait (30:00), and what she learned about the art of directing (38:30). Produced by: Jacob Miller Executive Producer: Tiller Russell Music by: James Carroll, Graham Tracey & Zydepunk Distributed by: Jake Brennan & Brady Sadler, Double Elvis Productions

Legendary director Abel Ferrara’s latest film, “Turn in the Wound”, explores human conflict and the search for peace and balance through the music and words of Patti Smith in reflective conversation with the experiences of people at war in Ukraine. This is one interview Tiller has been looking forward to all his professional life. Abel shares with Tiller the secret to retaining his unflinching creative vision (1:30), making the decision to travel to war-torn Ukraine (8:00), how the film captures the cross-section of humanity in Ukraine (19:00), interweaving the arc of Patti’s story (29:30), the resilient nature of the Ukrainian people (40:00), and what Abel’s working on next (48:00). 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 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). The film is available to purchase now on Digital/VOD. 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