KUCI: Film School

Speer Goes to Hollywood / Film School Radio with Director Vanessa Lapa

Albert Speer is an enigma. The highest-ranking Nazi in Nuremberg to be spared the death sentence, Speer was one of Hitler’s closest confidants and his chief architect, tasked with rebuilding Berlin as the capital of a global empire. As Reichsminister of Munitions, Speer was responsible for 12 million slave laborers. And yet, even now, he has the reputation of being “the good Nazi” – a myth he carefully constructed himself. SPEER GOES TO HOLLYWOOD meets its protagonist in 1971, while Speer was working on a screenplay for Paramount Pictures, based on his bestselling wartime memoir “Inside the Third Reich”. Based on months of audio cassettes, recorded by screenwriter Andrew Birkin, it features Speer’s callous attempt to whitewash his past in a feature film. The audio narrative is supplemented by rare archival footage, taken before and during World War II and later, during Speer’s retirement as a semi-reclusive country gentleman. Director Vanessa Lapa’s SPEER GOES TO HOLLYWOOD is a fitting follow up to her award-winning documentary on the life of the leader of the detested SS titled THE DECENT ONE (2014). Her latest film is a cautionary tale about Albert Speer’s 1971 attempt to whitewash his past with a Hollywood adaptation of his bestselling wartime memoir, "Inside the Third Reich”. Director Vanessa Lapa joins us for a conversation on the concerted attempt to rehabilitate the reputation and re-write the culpability of a trusted and faithful confidante of Adolf Hitler.
For news, updates and screenings go to: speergoestohollywood.com

River’s End: California’s Latest Water War / Film School Radio interview with Director Jacob Morrison

RIVER’S END: CALIFORNIA’S LATEST WATER WAR explores the global water crisis, using California as a microcosm. It reveals how water politics that led to the draining of the Owens Valley by Los Angeles, made famous by the film CHINATOWN, continue to this day in ongoing efforts to take ever more water from Northern California's San Francisco Bay estuary. Except this time, the water grab is at the hands of industrial agriculture and its powerful corporate investors. RIVER’S END inspires viewers to learn where their water comes from so that we can save our rivers and the ecosystems and communities that depend upon them. Director Jacob Morrison joins us for a informative conversation on the byzantine, arcane and extremely powerful system of public and private water interests with a history of land grabs and violent intimidation.
For news and updates go to: riversendfilm.com

Mothers of the Revolution / Film School Radio interview with Director Briar March

On September 5th, 1981 a group of women came together to change the world. These women marched from Wales to Berkshire to protest over nuclear weapons being kept at RAF Greenham Common. The Greenham Common Women’s Peace Camp that followed, challenged world leaders, altering the course of history and went on to inspire millions as the world’s first and biggest female-only demonstration, preceded only by the suffragettes.  MOTHERS OF THE REVOLUTION, a feature-length documentary that tells the story of the extraordinary women behind the Greenham Common Peace Camp, heads to the USA this Fall. Narrated by Glenda Jackson and featuring interviews with key participants including Julie Christie and Rebecca Johnson, alongside archive footage from the Greenham Common Women’s Peace Camp, Mothers of the Revolution takes you through one of the longest protests in history, when between 1981 and 2000, thousands of women from around the world came together at Greenham Common to take a committed stand against nuclear proliferation.  Forty years ago, these everyday human beings began with that first step on their march to Greenham Common and became the heroes of a movement that changed the world. Director Briar March (Coffin Club, There Once Was An Island) joins us for a conversation on just how groundbreaking and historically under-appreciated this protest movement is, the varied lives of the working class women who came together for this cause and the lessons that every one of us can and should take away from their remarkable story.
For news screenings go to: mothersoftherevolution-movie.com

Finding Kendrick Johnson / Film School Radio interview with Director Jason Pollock

FINDING KENDRICK JOHNSON is the feature documentary product of a 4-year undercover investigation into the facts of this case. From the creator of 'Stranger Fruit', this new documentary hopes to shed light on one of the most important American stories of our time. Told through the eyes of KJ's family and close friends, On January 11th, 2013, Kendrick Johnson was found dead in his high school gymnasium rolled up in a gym mat. The state of Georgia ruled his death as an accident, having died from positional asphyxia. When the family hired their own Forensic Pathologist, not only did he find KJ’s organs missing from his body during the autopsy, he determined the cause of death to be from non-accidental blunt force trauma. To this day, no one knows where KJ’s organs have gone.. So what really happened to KJ? Narrated by Hollywood legend, Jenifer Lewis. Directed by 'Stranger Fruit' creator, Jason Pollock, with an amazing team of producers including Actor Hill Harper, and Space Jam 2 director Malcolm D. Lee, FINDING KENDRICK JOHNSON shares this truly historic, heartbreaking, and unbelievable story with the world for the first time.
Foe news, updates and screenings go to: findingkendrickjohnson.com

Four Hours at the Capitol / Film School Radio interview with Director Jamie Roberts

FOUR HOURS AT THE CAPITOL explores the historic events of January 6, 2021, focuses on the facts of the day itself and the impact on those who were there and illuminates salient questions about the stark political divide in the United States, the culpability of those involved and the fragility of an electoral process that is fundamental to a functioning democracy. The film meticulously details how the violence quickly escalated, leaving Capitol security forces outnumbered and overwhelmed, and highlights the high-stakes standoff between police and rioters. Tightly focused and comprehensive, the documentary features never-before-seen footage and vivid first-hand accounts from lawmakers, staffers, police officers, protesters, and rioters who stormed the Capitol building where the electoral votes were being counted. FOUR HOURS AT THE CAPITOL unfolds with urgent precision and presents an unfiltered look at the insurrection, standing both as an intimate recollection as well as a stark reminder of the wider ramifications of the events of that unprecedented day, which ended with the deaths of five people and more than 140 police officers injured. FOUR HOURS AT THE CAPITOL features the personal experiences of those on the ground, building out the events of the day with exclusive interviews and footage from multiple sources, including phone videos and surveillance and body camera footage. Interviewees include Rep. Jim McGovern, Rep. Eric Swalwell, Rep. Ruben Gallego, Rep. Buddy Carter and Rep. Rosa DeLauro; senators Chuck Schumer and Dick Durbin; D.C. Metropolitan police officers Mike Fanone, Jimmy Albright and Daniel Hodges; Commanders Ramey Kyle and Robert Glover; and Capitol police officers Winston Pingeon, Byron Evans and Keith Robishaw; protestors/rioters including Couy Griffin, Dominic Box, Nick Alvear, Eddie Block and Bobbie Pickles; journalists/videographers and Capitol staffers. Director Jamie Roberts joins us to talk about his access to many of the key players inside and outside the maelstrom that threatened to violently thwart the transition of the legitimately elected president at the direction of the defeated president.
For news and updates go to: hbo.com/four-hours-at-the-capitol
HBO’s FOUR HOURS AT THE CAPITOL was executive produced by Dan Reed (HBO’s “Leaving Neverland”, “3 Days of Terror: the Charlie Hebdo Attacks,” “Terror At The Mall”) and directed by Jamie Roberts. For HBO: executive producers, Nancy Abraham and Lisa Heller; coordinating producer, Anna Klein. FOUR HOURS AT THE CAPITOL will debut on HBO October 20 and be available to stream on HBO Max.

Becoming Cousteau / Film School Radio interview with Director Liz Garbus

Adventurer, filmmaker, inventor, author, unlikely celebrity and conservationist: For over four decades, Jacques-Yves Cousteau and his explorations under the ocean became synonymous with a love of science and the natural world. As he learned to protect the environment, he brought the whole world with him, sounding alarms more than 50 years ago about the warming seas and our planet’s vulnerability. In BECOMING COUSTEAU, from National Geographic Documentary Films, two-time Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker LIZ GARBUS takes an inside look at Cousteau and his life, his iconic films and inventions, and the experiences that made him the 20th century’s most unique and renowned environmental voice — and the man who inspired generations to protect the Earth. Director Liz Garbus (What Happened, Miss Simone?, All In: The Fight for Democracy, The Farm: Angola, USA) joins us for a look back at one of the 20th centuries most influential and consequential figures and one of the early advocates for preserving and protecting mother ocean.
For news go to: nationalgeographic.com/becoming-cousteau
In Theaters October 22, 2021
For more go to: storysyndicate.com

Found / Film School Radio interview with Director Amanda Lipitz

FOUND is a feature documentary that follows the story of three American teenage girls—each adopted from China—who discover they are blood-related cousins on 23andMe. Their online meeting inspires the young women to confront the burning questions they have about their lost history. When they meet for the first time, they embark on a once in a lifetime journey to China in search of answers. Director Amanda Lipitz (Step) joins us to talk about the logistical, physical and emotional gauntlet that these young women signed up for in order to answer, or attempt to answer deeply personal questions about each of their lives as well as the support and love they show for one another.
To watch go to: netflix.com/FOUND
For more go to: amandalipitzproductions.com/documentary

The Universality of It All / Film School Radio interview with Director - Andrés Bronnimann

What connects us? THE UNIVERSALITY OF IT ALL, a feature-length documentary by Andrés Bronnimann, explores this simple yet complex question with profound perspective and intimate detail. Told through the lens of the filmmaker's longtime friendship with Emad, a Yemeni refugee living in Vancouver, Bronniman examines the subject of human migration and how it relates to such varied topics as climate change, colonialism, neoliberalism, globalization, identity politics, fertility rates, wealth gaps, trade wars, terrorism, and the media. Taking viewers on a journey around the world, the film analyzes various cases of migration using both an economic and historical viewpoint, arriving at the realization of our shared interconnectedness amidst the major events of the 21st century. Armed with only a camera and computer, THE UNIVERSALITY OF IT ALL is the result of two years of passion, sacrifice, and determination by Bronnimann himself. His objective? To inspire young people across the globe to see the connections that all global and local issues have. “I believe that if more people are able to see the similarities and correlations that we all share, than perhaps we can find solutions to the pressing challenges ahead of us,” says Bronnimann. “I want to awaken the critical thinking of my generation, and this film is me doing everything I can to accomplish that.”
For news and updates go to: theuniversalityfilm.com

LUZZU / Film School Radio interview with Director Alex Camilleri, Actor Jesmark Scicluna

In this beautifully rendered tale, LUZZU, follows a hardworking Maltese fisherman, Jesmark (Jesmark Scicluna) facing an agonizing choice. He can repair his leaky luzzu – a traditional, multicolored wooden fishing boat – in the hopes of eking out a meager living at sea for his wife and newborn son, just as his father and grandfather did before him. Or he can decommission it in exchange for an EU payout and cast his lot with a sinister black-market operation that is decimating the Mediterranean fish population and the livelihoods of the local families who depend on it. LUZZU won a Sundance Jury Prize for its nonprofessional lead actor Jesmark Scicluna, a real-life Maltese fisherman, and heralds the arrival of writer-director-editor Alex Camilleri. His gripping film operates in the neorealist tradition of Luchino Visconti, Roberto Rosselini, and the Dardenne brothers and calls to mind the work of his mentor Ramin Bahrani (Man Push Cart, The White Tiger), also a producer of the film. Director Alex Camilleri and actor Jesmark Scicluna join us for a conversation on the challenges of working with a largely non-professional cast, including Jesmark’s brother and staying true to the story of a traditional culture under pressure from global economic forces to change its ways.

For news, updates and screenings go to: luzzufilm.com
For news, updates and virtual screenings go to: kinolorber.com/film/luzzu
Award: Winner: Special Jury Prize for Acting (Jesmark Scicluna) – Sundance Film Festival
Luzzu will release theatrically in New York (Oct. 15) and in Los Angeles (Oct. 22) from Kino Lorber, followed by a national rollout. 

What Happened, Brittany Murphy / FIlm School Radio interview with Director Cynthia Hill

WHAT HAPPENED, BRITTANY MURPHY follows the life and tragic death of actress Brittany Murphy, The two-part series goes beyond the conspiracy theories and headlines and features new interviews and never-before-seen archival footage. Instead of sensationalizing stories, Hill relies heavily on research and takes a nuanced approach to crafting complex stories about women, victims, and contemporary issues. Post-research, she spends a great deal of time tracking down the people able to shed light on the story and works to gain their trust. This allows her to do a deeper dive during an interview and capture the story from all perspectives. In addition to WHAT HAPPENED, BRITTANY MURPHY and her previous Emmy-nominated film, PRIVATE VIOLENCE, Hill has proven to be an investigative documentary filmmaker that gives a voice to the voiceless. Emmy-nominated filmmaker Cynthia Hill joins us to talk about what drew her about Brittany Murphy’s story, navigating the twists and turns the tragic tale took and her commitment to not sensationalize an already salacious story.
The two-part series WHAT HAPPENED, BRITTANY MURPHY, premiering on HBO Max on October 14.