The Director’s Cut - A DGA Podcast

God’s Country with Julian Higgins and Chloe Okuno (Ep. 371)

Director Julian Higgins discusses his new film, God's Country, with fellow director Chloe Okuno in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, Higgins discusses pulling off night exteriors on a small budget, the year hiatus during production, and the power of an impassioned letter.
Based on a James Lee Burke's short story "Winter Light" and his own short film of the same name, Higgins' feature tells the story of a college professor who finds herself drawn into an escalating battle of wills after she confronts two hunters who claim they're just passing through.
Please note: spoilers are included.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/Events/2022/November2022/GodsCountry_QnA_0922.aspx

Gigi & Nate with Nick Hamm and Ben Lewin (Ep. 370)

Director Nick Hamm discusses his new film, Gigi & Nate, with fellow director Ben Lewin in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, Hamm speaks about why he decided to take on the project, his approach to the rehearsal process, and the effect of Covid-19 on the production.
Based on true events, the film tells the story of Nate Gibson, a young man whose life is turned upside down after he suffers a near-fatal accident. Although moving forward seems impossible, he finds much needed hope with the assistance of Gigi, a curious and intelligent monkey trained to assist Nate with his basic needs.
Please note: spoilers are included.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/Events/2022/October2022/GigiAndNate_QnA_0922.aspx

Barbarian with Zach Cregger and David F. Sanberg (Ep. 369)

Director Zach Cregger discusses his new film, Barbarian, with fellow director David F. Sanberg in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses creating a photoboard for the film with his cinematographer, shooting Detroit for Bulgaria, and pulling off the last scene in the film in only 40 minutes.
The film tells the story of Tess, a young woman who arrives at her Airbnb late at night only to find that her rental has been mistakenly double-booked and a strange man is already staying there. Against her better judgment, she decides to stay the night, but soon discovers that there is much more to be afraid of in the house than the other guest.
Please note: spoilers are included.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/Events/2022/October2022/Barbarian_QnA_0922.aspx

Thirteen Lives with Ron Howard and Akiva Goldsman (Ep. 368)

Director Ron Howard discusses his new film, Thirteen Lives, with fellow director Akiva Goldsman in a Q&A at the DGA theater in New York. In the conversation, Howard reveals how much of the stunts the actors performed, his thoughts on the future of theatrical film, and his favorite scene in the film.
The film follows the miraculous story of the 2018 Tham Luang Nang Non rescue, in which an international team of divers was assembled to save a group of 12 young boys and their soccer coach after they became trapped in a system of flooded caves in Thailand.
Please note: spoilers are included.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/Events/2022/September2022/ThirteenLives_QnA_0822.aspx

Where the Crawdads Sing with Olivia Newman and Catherine Hardwicke (Ep. 367)

Director Olivia Newman discusses her new film, Where the Crawdads Sing, with fellow director Catherine Hardwicke in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, Newman reveals how she pitched the film to producers, discusses the difficulty of doing chemistry reads via Zoom, and talks about the necessity of being flexible as a director.
Based on the best-selling novel, the film follows Kya, an abandoned girl raised in the marshland, who finds herself falsely accused of murder by a small town in North Carolina. When the town attempts to prosecute her, Kya must clear her name as the truth of what happened lies within the murky waters of the marsh.
Please note: spoilers are included.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/Events/2022/September2022/WhereTheCrawdadsSing_QnA_0722.aspx

Summering with James Ponsoldt and Ry Russo Young (Ep. 366)

Director James Ponsoldt discusses his new film, Summering, with fellow director Ry Russo Young in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, they speak about why Ponsoldt wanted to make the film, his cinematic influences for the project, and how he helped the young actresses to function as a group and build chemistry.
The film follows four best friends on the brink of starting middle school who struggle with the harsh truths of growing up as they realize their lives are about to change forever. On the last weekend of summer, they embark on a mysterious adventure.
Please note: spoilers are included.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/Events/2022/September2022/Summering_QnA_0722.aspx

A Life In Hollywood with George Stevens Jr. and Paul Thomas Anderson (Ep. 365)

Director George Stevens, Jr. sat in conversation with Director Paul Thomas Anderson to discuss his career and upbringing with his father, DGA Past President George Stevens, Sr.
The conversation follows the release of Stevens' memoir, My Place in the Sun: Life in the Golden Age of Hollywood and Washington in which Stevens reflects on the legacy of his father and that of his family in Hollywood and the Directors Guild of America.
In the conversation, Stevens and Anderson talk about their shared Valley upbringing, Stevens' founding of the American Film Institute, and candid moments he recalls with his father as a kid.

¡Viva Maestro! with Theodore Braun and Ondi Timoner (Ep. 364)

Director Theodore Braun discusses his new film, ¡Viva Maestro!, with fellow director Ondi Timoner in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, Braun shares what drew him to the project, his approach to filming biographical documentaries, and how he captured the music of the film in Dolby Atmos.
The film is a behind-the-scenes portrait of conductor and artistic director Gustavo Dudamel, following him around the world as his international tours are disrupted by deadly protests across his native Venezuela.
Please note: spoilers are included.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/Events/2022/August2022/VIVA_MAESTRO_DocSeries_0722.aspx

Father’s Day with Kivu Ruhorahoza and Alex Stapleton (Ep. 363)

Director Kivu Ruhorahoza discusses his new film Father's Day, with fellow director Alex Stapleton at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, Ruhorahoza discusses how the film examines masculinity in the country of Rwanda and his process with working with actors to reveal deeper layers within the characters.
Please note: spoilers are included.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/Events/2022/August2022/GCS_FathersDay_0622.aspx

My Cousin Vinny with Jonathan Lynn and Raymond De Felitta (Ep. 362)

In a special anniversary discussion, Director Jonathan Lynn discusses his film, My Cousin Vinny, with fellow director Raymond de Felitta in a screening at the DGA theater in New York. In the conversation, hear Lynn discuss the improvised moments, the grueling shoots of the courtroom scenes, and the clever method used to get the shoot with the owl.
The film tells the tale of Vinny, a wildly inexperienced New York lawyer who must save his teenage cousin and his friend from jail or worse after they are accused of murder in a backwater Alabama town. Complicating matters are Vinny's cranky fianceé, an uncompromising judge, and a smooth-talking district attorney.
Please note: spoilers are included.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/Events/2022/July2022/ERSP_AnniversarySeries_MyCousinVinny_0522.aspx

The Walk with Daniel Adams and Alejandro Brugués (Ep. 361)

Director Daniel Adams discusses his new film, The Walk, with fellow director Alejandro Brugués in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, they speak about Adams' childhood connections to the story, what a really great performance is about, and making New Orleans look like 1970s Boston.
The film weaves together three story threads as an Irish cop, his bigoted 17-year-old daughter and a young African American student and her father are caught up in the turbulent court-ordered forced integration of the Boston school system in 1974.
Please note: spoilers are included.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://dga.org/Events/2022/July2022/TheWalk_QnA_0522.aspx

Top Gun: Maverick with Joseph Kosinski and Jason Reitman (Ep. 360)

Director Joseph Kosinski discusses his new film, Top Gun: Maverick, with fellow director Jason Reitman in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, they speak about how Top Gun came into his life (the first and second time), convincing Tom Cruise to hop back into the cockpit, and the complex process of shooting the actors while flying inside the jets.
The sequel film takes us back down the highway to the danger zone as pilot Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, who has spent more than thirty years dodging a promotion that would ground him, is called up on to use his skills to train a detachment of graduates for a perilous special assignment.
Please note: spoilers are included.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/Events/2022/July2022/TopGunMaverick_QnA_0622.aspx

Downton Abbey: A New Era with Simon Curtis and Amy Holden Jones (Ep. 359)

Director Simon Curtis discusses his new film, Downton Abbey: A New Era, with fellow director Amy Holden Jones in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, they speak about how Curtis made the film his own after the televsion show and the previous film and how he hopes the film will be perceived.
Based on the popular television series and a follow-up to the 2019 feature film, A New Era reacquaints us with the Crawley family and their servants, as some venture to the South of France, while others remain behind to oversee the shooting of a film at their estate.
Please note: spoilers are included.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/Events/2022/July2022/DowntonAbbey_QnA_0522.aspx

The Devil You Know with Charles Murray and Matthew Cherry (Ep. 358)

Director Charles Murray discusses his new film, The Devil You Know, with fellow director Matthew Cherry in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, they speak about how the film's premise developed over the years, his approach to casting Michael Ealy for the detective role, and his exploratory approach to directing actors.
The film tells the story of Marcus, who after a lifetime of trouble is trying to turn his life around with the support of his loving family. When he discovers that one of his brothers may have been involved in a horrific crime, Marcus grapples with the limits of brotherhood and loyalty as he finds himself in the crosshairs of a seasoned but jaded detective.
Please note: spoilers are included.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/Events/2022/June2022/DevilUKNow_QnA_0422.aspx

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent with Tom Gormican and Scott Z. Burns (Ep. 357)

Director Tom Gormican discusses his new film, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, with fellow director Scott Z. Burns in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation they speak about the letter that convinced Nicolas Cage to do the movie, directing the film from an Ipad in a hotel room, and the importance of music in a film with a constantly changing tone.
The film stars Nicolas Cage as a fictionalized version of himself who is hired to attend the birthday of a superfan, who is actually a dangerous drug cartel kingpin. But when Cage is recruited by the CIA to help bring him down, he's forced to channel some of his most iconic on-screen characters.
Please note: spoilers are included.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/Events/2022/June2022/UnbearableWeight_QnA_0422.aspx

The Janes with Tia Lessin & Emma Pildes and Ondi Timoner (Ep. 356)

Director Tia Lessin & Emma Pildes discuss their new film, The Janes, with fellow director Ondi Timoner in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. They talk about the origin of the project, give more context on the films central characters, share their thoughts on the future of Roe v. Wade.
Screened as part of the DGA’s Documentary Series, the film tells the story of the Jane Collective, a group of women who used code names, blindfolds and safe houses in an underground service for women seeking abortions in the years before the Roe v. Wade decision.
Please note: spoilers are included.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/Events/2022/June2022/THE_JANES_DocSeries_0422.aspx

Drive My Car with Ryûsuke Hamaguchi and Victoria Hochberg (Ep. 355)

Director Ryûsuke Hamaguchi discusses his new film, Drive My Car, with fellow director Victoria Hochberg in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. The conversation took place via Zoom and was translated by Aiko Hamaguchi.
The film follows an aging widowed actor who receives an offer to direct a production of Uncle Vanya. During the production, he is forced to confront painful truths from his past with the help of the young woman assigned to chauffeur him.
Join Mr. Hamaguchi as he shares his philosophy of what a director is and how he helps actors instinctively understand their characters.
Please note: spoilers are included.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://dga.org/Events/2022/May2022/GCS_DriveMyCar_0422.aspx

Everything Everywhere All at Once w/ Dan Kwan & Daniel Scheinert and Destin Daniel Cretton (Ep. 354)

Directors Dan Kwan & Daniel Scheinert discuss their new film, Everything Everywhere All at Once, with fellow director Destin Daniel Cretton in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles.
When struggling laundromat owner Evelyn Wang finds out that only she can save the multiverse, she is swept into a dimension spanning adventure as she explores the other lives she could have led.
Join Mr. Kwan and Mr. Scheinert as they speak about working with Michelle Yeoh, the films that inspired this film (The Matrix and Fight Club), and how twelve people completed the visual effects using After Effects.
Please note: spoilers are included.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/Events/2022/May2022/EverythingEverywhere_QnA_0422.aspx

Moonfall with Roland Emmerich and Anna Foerster (Ep. 353)

Director Roland Emmerich discusses his new film, Moonfall, with fellow director Anna Foerster in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In a world on the brink of annihilation, two former astronauts team up with a conspiracy theorist to save humanity.
Mr. Emmerich shares why Moonfall led him back to directing another disaster film, why production design led him to directing, how he copes with being in the edit.
Please note: spoilers are included.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/Events/2022/April2022/Moonfall_QnA_022219.aspx

Meet the Nominees Theatrical Feature Film Symposium 2022 - Part 2 of 2 (Ep. 352)

Paul Thomas Anderson, Kenneth Branagh, Jane Campion, Steven Spielberg, and Denis Villeneuve engage in a conversation with moderator Jeremy Kagan for the 31st Annual DGA Meet the Nominees: Theatrical Feature Film Symposium.
Part two finds the nominees discussing how they help actors find their characters, what they do when the shot just isn't working, and how they deal with fear.
Please note: spoilers are included.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
www.dga.org/Events/2022/April20…eatureFilm2022.aspx