KUCI: Film School

The Rescue -/ Film School Radio interview with Co-directors E. Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin

From Academy Award-winning (Free Solo) filmmakers E. Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, THE RESCUE chronicles the enthralling, against-all-odds story that transfixed the world in 2018: the daring rescue of twelve boys and their coach from deep inside a flooded cave in Northern Thailand. Award-winning directors and producers E. Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin keep viewers on the edge of their seats as they use a wealth of never-before-seen material and exclusive interviews to piece together the high stakes mission, highlighting the efforts of the Royal Thai Navy SEALs and US Special Forces and detailing the expert cave divers' audacious venture to dive the boys to safety. THE RESCUE brings alive one of the most perilous and extraordinary rescues in modern times, shining a light on the high-risk world of cave diving, the astounding courage and compassion of the rescuers, and the shared humanity of the international community that united to save the boys. Co-directors and co-producers Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin (Free Solo, Meru) join us for a conversation on the many challenges they faced telling a story the world witnessed in real-time and how bringing in the remarkable story of a team of “weekend” cave diving specialist implemented a high risk plan that not only saved the lives 12 young boys and a soccer coach but turned the headlines into a deeply human story of courage, compassion and selflessness.
National Geographic Documentary Films is committed to bringing the world premium documentaries that cover timely, provocative and globally relevant stories from the very best documentary filmmakers in the world. films.nationalgeographic.com
For news and updates go to: films.nationalgeographic.com/the-rescue
Watch in LA area at landmarktheatres.com/los-angele /the-rescue

The Most Beautiful Boy in the World / Film School Radio interview with Co-directors Kristina Lindström and Kristian Petri

The year is 1970. The world-famous Italian director, Luchino Visconti is visiting Stockholm due to his new film Death in Venice, based on Thomas Mann’s 1912 novel of the same name. He is looking for a young boy to play the role of Tadzio, a young polish noble. At this point, Visconti has traveled around the whole world and filmed hundreds of boys and finally, after a number of screen tests, fifteen year old Stockholmer Björn Andresen is given the part. When the film premieres in London 1971, in the presence of Queen Elisabeth and princess Anne, Visconti declares the young Björn Andresen ”the most beautiful boy in the world”. But the moniker became an epithet that has come to haunt him for the rest of his life. He became an icon all over the world, and just like his role figure Tadzio, the object for men who desire young boys. Today, almost 50 years later, Björn is struggling with addiction and questions like why he never loved himself. He is also discovering the truth behind his mother’s disappearance and finding the clues to who his father is. THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BOY IN THE WORLD is a deeply personal and cinematic film about a person reconciling his past and taking control of his life. But it is also a unique look behind the scenes of one of the world’s greatest film classics, Death in Venice, the structures of power and the cause of it, which recently has become known as #metoo. Co-directors Kristina Lindström and Kristian Petri join us to talk about approaching Björn Andresen gaining his trust enough to once again be scrutinized by the probing eye of filmmakers, this time with very different intentions.
For news and updates go to: themostbeautifulboy.com
The Most Beautiful Boy screening at LA's NuArt Theatre 9/24 - 10/7

The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain / Film School Radio interview with Director David Midell

From writer and director David Midell comes a socially conscious drama thriller, THE KILLING OF KENNETH CHAMBERLAIN, shot in real-time, tells the true story of the final hours of the life of Kenneth Chamberlain Sr. (Frankie Faison). The elderly African American veteran with bipolar disorder was killed in 2011 during a conflict with police officers who were sent to his home to check on him, when his medical alert device was mistakenly activated. Despite Chamberlain informing the officers there was a mistake and he did not have an emergency, they were recorded taunting him, ridiculing his military service, howling racial epithets at him, and finally, the officers broke his door down and shot him twice in the chest, and no charges were brought against the police in a 2012 jury trial. Academy Award-winner Morgan Freeman, THE KILLING OF KENNETH CHAMBERLAIN, starring Frankie Faison (The Wire), is a multi award-winning film comes at an important time in the national conversation about how our criminal justice system treats people of color, people in low-income areas, and people living with mental health challenges, echoing recent high-profile incidents involving George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and countless others. Director David Midell (Nightlights) joins us to talk about the real life tragedy that inspired the film, hewing as closely as possible to the circumstances and reactions that led to the needless death of a man who did nothing to warrant the brutal end to his life and the challenges of filming in very close quarters.
For news and updates: kennethchamberlainmovie.com or killingofkcfilm.com

Civil War (Or Who Do We Think We Are) / Film School Radio interview with Director Rachel Boynton

Urgent and nuanced, Civil War (or, Who Do We Think We Are) travels across the United States, exploring how Americans tell the story of their Civil War. Filmed from the last year of Obama’s presidency through the present, it interweaves insightful scenes and touching interviews filmed North and South, painting a uniquely crafted, multi-faceted portrait of the American psyche and the deep roots of its turbulent times. With subtlety and determination, Civil War portrays a nation in denial, haunted by an embittered past and the stories it refuses to tell. Director Rachel Boynton (Our Brand is Crisis, Big Men) joins us for a conversation on the winding journey she began in the hopes of understanding the long-held and deeply rooted “stories” we tell ourselves about the war that nearly destroyed any semblance of a United States and how we might be able to break through the mythology to reach a point where a more perfect union is possible.
Beginning October 24 Civil War will be streaming at Peacocktv.com

In Balachine’s Classroom / Film School Radio interview with Director Connie Hochman

The genius of George Balanchine (1904-1983), the man who reinvented ballet for the 20th century, is celebrated in this homage to his nonpareil choreography, the basis of his body of work for the New York City Ballet and the technique taught at the world-renowned School of American Ballet. Some of Balanchine’s greatest stars describe the inventiveness, precision, speed, and musicality he demanded: Jacques d’Amboise (“It’s like I was a pupil of Einstein”), Merrill Ashley (“a privilege of a lifetime”), Gloria Govrin, Suki Schorer, Edward Villella, and Heather Watts (“He was some kind of mad scientist”). Balanchine instilled in each of them an abiding, obsessive love of dance and an almost religious desire to pass along his artistry and vision. The depth of Balanchine’s passion – and theirs – is dazzling, as is much of the never-before-seen footage of him in the classroom. Director Connie Hochman joins us for a conversation on the impact George Balanchine had on the trajectory of ballet in America, the dancers who’s lives he changed and his living legacy in the people who continue to teach new dancers in a manner that reflects their interpretation of the Master’s credo.
For news and updates go to: zeitgeistfilms.com/film/inbalanchinesclassroom
Opens at Laemmle Theaters in LA - September 24

Aware: Glimpses of Consciousness / Film School Radio interview with Co-directors Eric Black and Frauke Sandig

In the mind expanding documentary AWARE: Glimpses of Consciousness a number of intriguing questions are What is consciousness? Is it in all living beings? What happens when we die? Why do we seem to be hardwired for mystical experience? In these times of existential crisis, there has been an explosion of research into consciousness. After four centuries of silence, scientists are confronting the “Big Questions”, cutting a window into a realm previously held tight by philosophy and religion: AWARE follows six brilliant researchers, approaching the greatest of all mysteries from radically different perspectives, from within and without: through high-tech brain research and Eastern meditation, by scientifically exploring inner space through psychedelic substances and by investigating the consciousness of plants. Scientists are arriving at new insights – some of which have been integral to Indigenous knowledge for millenia. AWARE opens as a science film but emerges well beyond the explicable, ultimately leading one on a voyage upon the ocean of consciousness, a contemplative, sensual, cinematographic meditation. The networks of consciousness are reflected in 'grand' imagery revealing the vast interconnectedness of Nature - from the smallest organisms, to the world of plants and animals and on to the cosmos. AWARE invites one to experience the awe and mystery of life as the researchers do, to dive in with them, returning to see the world anew, to review long-held beliefs and assumptions and initiate one’s own oceanic journey. Ultimately, to be aware one is aware. Joining us to talk about this beautiful film are the co-directors and co-writers of AWARE: Glimpses of Consciousness Frauke Sandig and Eric Black.
For news and updates go to: aware-film.com
For more about Frauke Sandig & Eric Black go to: umbrellafilms.org

Too Soon: Comedy After 9/11 / Film School Radio interview with Co-directors Nick Scown & Julie Seabaugh

Too Soon: Comedy After 9/11 follows the halt and gradual rebirth of comedy following the events of September 11, 2001. In the immediate aftermath, stand-up comics, broadway performers, The Onion satirical newspaper, late-night talk shows and institutions like Saturday Night Live learn how to navigate the new landscape. When the tragedy is used to justify the Iraq War, a wave of political awakening sweeps through comedy, helping to transform Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert into folk heroes. This type of biting political humor becomes more commonplace through the late Aughts as traditionally underrepresented comics dispel terrorist stereotypes. Entering the modern era, where media once asked, “Will We Ever Laugh Again?” jokes specifically addressing the attacks are now prevalent on TV shows, films, and podcasts. And if we can appreciate jokes about 9/11, we can use humor to get through anything. Too Soon: Comedy After 9/11 features interviews with David Cross, Janeane Garofalo, Marc Maron, Matthew Broderick, Aasif Mandvi, Rob Riggle, Nathan Lane, Gilbert Gottfried, Cedric the Entertainer, Chris Kattan, Lewis Black, Doug Stanhope, Jimmy Carr, Russell Peters and many more. Co-directors Nick Scown and Julie Seabaugh stop by to talk about how stand-up comedians, Broadway performers, late-night hosts, Saturday Night Live cast members, The Onion staffers and a plethora of performers managed to help their audience laugh even in the darkest of days.
For news, screenings and updates go to: TooSoonDoc.com

OVID.tv / Film School Radio interview with Co-founder Jonathan Miller

In a media environment dominated by increasingly concentrated corporate interests, a growing group of distribution companies who have long championed the best in independent features, documentaries, and social issue films, have joined forces to help launch an innovative subscription streaming service, OVID.tv. OVID.tv is an innovative subscription video-on-demand service launched with a collaborative effort between Docuseek, LLC and eight founding content partners. Today OVID works with thirty content partners from around the world. OVID.tv includes titles from 30 different film distribution companies, most of which you can explore on Ovid.tv's Content Partners page. Examples include Bullfrog Films, The dGenerate Films Collection, Distrib Films US, First Run Features, Grasshopper Film, Icarus Films, KimStim, The British Film Institute, and Women Make Movies. Most of the films on OVID.tv are not available on any other streaming platform, and OVID.tv will be adding even more films every week. Despite the odds and with little capital, Icarus Films, Docuseek, and our partners have decided that the time has come to step forward and build a new, independent space, dedicated to the films that we believe in and care about, and that we believe you care about, and value as well. OVID.tv co-founder Jonathan Miller joins us to talk about an affordable option for film lovers looking for the highest quality cinema experience presented by people who share your passion.
For more on the available films, subscription rates go to: OVID.tv

Fire Music / Film School Radio interview with Director Tom Surgal

Although the free jazz movement of the 1960s and ‘70s was much maligned in some jazz circles, its pioneers – brilliant talents like Ornette Coleman, Cecil Taylor, Sun Ra, Albert Ayler, and John Coltrane – are today acknowledged as central to the evolution of jazz as America’s most innovative art form. FIRE MUSIC showcases the architects of a movement whose radical brand of improvisation pushed harmonic and rhythmic boundaries, and produced landmark albums like Coleman’s Free Jazz: A Collective Inspiration and Coltrane’s Ascension. A rich trove of archival footage conjures the 1960s jazz scene along with incisive reflections by critic Gary Giddins and a number of the movement’s key players. FIRE MUSIC tells the exciting history behind the free jazz movement. This incredible music documentary focuses on a new form of jazz that began in the late 1950s. This new jazz was separate from the happy sounding commercial jazz music that made jazz a well known music genre all over the world. This free jazz was angrier and more emotional because the music reflected the turbulent times. The musicians behind this free jazz sound were ignored by mainstream media and as a result created their own subculture. Today free jazz has the largest audience in its 50 year plus history. FIRE MUSIC will stand as the first serious attempt to capture the sights and sounds of one of the most innovative movements in music history. Director Tom Surgal joins us for a conversation on the contentious birth and begrudging acceptance that has morphed into a celebration of the musicians who pushed the boundaries of America’s greatest contribution to the world of music.
For news, screenings and updatesfiremusic.org

FAUCI / Film School Radio interview with Co-directors John Hoffman and Janet Tobias

FAUCI delivers a rare glimpse into the long-standing professional career and personal life of the ultimate public servant, who after a lifetime of service faced his biggest test: a pandemic whose ferocity is unmatched in modern history. But that has come at a cost as he has also faced attacks from adversaries in a nation increasingly divided by political party lines — with science increasingly caught in the crosshairs. A world-renowned infectious disease specialist and the longest-serving public health leader in Washington, D.C., who has served under seven presidents, Dr. Fauci has overseen the U.S. response to 40 years’ worth of outbreaks, including HIV/AIDS, SARS and Ebola. FAUCI is a revealing and intimate portrait of the man mostly known only from appearances on the news. The film features insights from former President George W. Bush, Bill Gates, Bono, former national security advisor Susan Rice, National Institutes of Health director Dr. Francis Collins, former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Dr. Tom Frieden, journalists Laurie Garrett and The New York Times’ Apoorva Mandavilli, and key AIDS activists, among others. Dr. Fauci’s family, friends and former patients also provide more personal commentary about the man, his personality, and what makes him who he is. Co-directors by John Hoffman and Janet Tobias join us to talk about a dedicated public servant who has spent the vast majority of his life in service to a greater, and healthier good.
For news and updates go to: films.nationalgeographic.com/fauci
For more on the library of documentaries on NatGeo go to: films.nationalgeographic.com