The Director’s Cut - A DGA Podcast

Wildflower with Matt Smukler and Will Speck (Ep. 406)

Director Matt Smukler discusses his new film, Wildflower, with fellow director Will Speck in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, Smukler spoke about how the project transitioned from a documentary to a narrative feature, the challenges of making the shift in format and selecting a cast resembling family.
Based on a true story about his extended family that inspired a documentary of the same name, Smukler’s feature centers on Bea, the daughter of two intellectually disabled parents and a set of relatives that can't quite agree on the best way to help.
Please note: spoilers are included.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://dga.org/Events/2023/May2023/Wildflower_QnA_0323.aspx

Creed III with Michael B. Jordan and Tim Miller (Ep. 405)

Director Michael B. Jordan discusses his new film, Creed III, with fellow director Tim Miller in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, Jordan discusses the challenge of directing himself, how the fight scenes were another language within the film, and how anime allowed the themes of the story to resonate.
The film follows boxing champion Adonis Creed as he is forced to put his future on the line when a childhood friend and former boxing prodigy resurfaces after serving time in prison, eager to settle an old score and prove that he deserves his shot in the ring.
Please note: spoilers are included.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/Events/2023/April2023/Creed003_QnA_0323.aspx

Saint Omer with Alice Diop and Dee Rees (Ep. 404)

Director Alice Diop discusses her new film, Saint Omer, with fellow director Dee Rees in a Q&A at the DGA theater in New York. In the conversation, Diop speaks about finding ways to expand the court room visually, how her personal experience of watching the trial informed her direction, and relying on intuition to lead her through the making of the film.
Based on true events, the film tells the story of Rama, a successful author living in Paris, who travels to the northern town of Saint Omer to attend the trial of a young Senegalese women accused of murdering her baby daughter. Rama's plan to write a book about the case unravels when she is forced to reckon with memories of her own immigrant mother as well as her impending motherhood.
Please note: spoilers are included.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/Events/2023/March2023/GCS_SaintOmer_0123.aspx

Spoiler Alert with Michael Showalter and Charles Rogers (Ep. 403)

Director Michael Showalter discusses his new film, Spoiler Alert, with fellow director Charles Rogers in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, Showalter speaks about earning an emotional reaction to the film through technique, dealing with characters who use humor as a coping mechanism, and working with how an actor interprets a character naturally.
Based on Michael Ausiello's 2017 memoir, Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies, the film follows the final 11-months of Manhattan photographer Kit Cowan's life from his terminal cancer diagnosis to his death, told through the eyes of Ausiello, his spouse.
Please note: spoilers are included.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/Events/2023/February2023/1222_QnA_SpoilerAlert.aspx

Empire of Light with Sam Mendes and Karyn Kusama (Ep. 402)

Director Sam Mendes discusses his new film, Empire of Light, with fellow director Karyn Kusama in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, Mendes speaks about directing (recreating) scenes from his life, making films audiences can connect to, and relaying the cinematic experiences.
Set on the South coast of England in the 1980s, the film follows Hilary, a lonely woman who works at a seaside movie palace and is engaged in a boring affair with her married boss, Donald. When Stephen, a young new theater employee arrives on the scene, Hilary senses something kindred in him and they fall into a tenuous romance.
Please note: spoilers are included.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/Events/2023/January2023/EmpireOfLight_QnA_1222.aspx

The Pale Blue Eye with Scott Cooper and David O. Russell (Ep. 401)

Director Scott Cooper discusses his new film, The Pale Blue Eye, with fellow director David O. Russell in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, Cooper speaks about his belief in the importance of restraint in period movies, his collaboration with Christian Bale, and what helps the audience give themselves over to a film.
The film brings us the story of a veteran detective who is hired to delve into the murder of a West Point cadet, but finds himself stalled by the cadets' code of silence. In order to solve the mystery, he enlists the help of one of their own, a young Edgar Allen Poe.
Please note: spoilers are included.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/Events/2023/January2023/PaleBlueEye_QnA_1222.aspx

Avatar: The Way of Water with James Cameron and Guillermo Del Toro (Ep. 400)

Director James Cameron discusses his new film, Avatar: The Way of Water, with fellow director Guillermo del Toro in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, Cameron speaks about working with Sigourney Weaver to develop her unique character, the innovative tech necessary for the film (and its upcoming sequels) and the groundbreaking process of underwater performance capture.
The long-awaited sequel to Cameron’s DGA Award-nominated feature, Avatar, The Way of Water is set a decade after the events of the first film and follows human-turned-Na’vi Jake Sully, who must find a safe haven for his family when old foes return to ravage their beautiful home and destroy their harmonious way of life.
Please note: spoilers are included.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/Events/2023/February2023/1222_QnA_Avatar.aspx

Babylon with Damien Chazelle and Taylor Hackford (Ep. 399)

Director Damien Chazelle discusses his new film, Babylon, with fellow director Taylor Hackford in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, Chazelle discusses the real-life figures who inspired the lead characters in the film, capturing the DNA of a "party movie" through the use of music, and crafting an atmosphere on set where life blends with art.
The film chronicles the rise and fall, outsized ambition, and outrageous excess of multiple characters during Hollywood’s transition from silent to sound films in the late 1920s.
Please note: spoilers are included.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/Events/2023/February2023/1222_QnA_Babylon.aspx

The Whale with Darren Aronofsky and Greta Gerwig (Ep. 398)

Director Darren Aronofsky discusses his new film, The Whale, with fellow director Greta Gerwig in a Q&A at the DGA theater in New York. In the conversation, Aronofsky discusses the motivation behind the film's 4:3 aspect ratio, the textual references between the play, his adaptation and the novel, Moby Dick, and his collaboration with lead actor Brendan Fraser.
The film tells the story of Charlie, a reclusive English teacher whose guilt over abandoning his wife and baby daughter has led to a years-long eating disorder that now threatens his life. Faced with mortality, he attempts to make amends with the daughter he left behind.
Please note: spoilers are included.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/Events/2023/January2023/TheWhale_QnA_1222.aspx

White Noise with Noah Baumbach and Todd Field (Ep. 397)

Director Noah Baumbach discusses his new film, White Noise, with fellow director Todd Field in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, Baumbach speaks about working with his actors during the month of rehearsal, the benefits of working with frequent and new collaborators, and how offering direction that includes physicality can be helpful to actors.
The film unveils the story of Jack Gladney, his wife Babette and their family, who must grapple with the universal mysteries of love, death, and happiness in an uncertain world after their lives are upended by a catastrophic train accident that spreads chemical waste over their town.
Please note: spoilers are included.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/Events/2023/January2023/WhiteNoise_QnA_1222.aspx

A Man Called Otto with Marc Forster and Taylor Hackford (Ep. 396)

Director Marc Forster discusses his new film, A Man Called Otto, with fellow director Taylor Hackford in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, Forster speaks about how he uses storyboards in his directorial process, his collaboration with Tom Hanks, and his approach to editing flashbacks in the film.
The film tells the story of Otto, a cantankerous grouch who's given up following the death of his wife. When a new family moves in nearby, he meets his match in Marisol, a quick-witted young woman who challenges him to see life differently, leading to an unlikely friendship that turns his world around.
Please note: spoilers are included.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/Events/2023/January2023/AManCalledOtto_QnA_1222.aspx

Bones and All with Luca Guadagnino and John Krokidas (Ep. 395)

Director Luca Guadagnino discusses his new film, Bones and All, with fellow director John Krokidas in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, Guadagnino discusses working with frequent collaborators, his one month journey through the Midwest that prepared him to conceptualize the film, and making a film from the era rather than about the era.
The film tells the story of Maren, a young woman on the margins of society, and Lee, a disenfranchised drifter, who embark on an odyssey through the backroads of America and their own cannibalistic natures. However, despite their best efforts all roads lead back to their terrifying pasts.
Please note: spoilers are included.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/Events/2023/January2023/BonesAndAll_QnA_1122.aspx

The Fire Within with Werner Herzog and Jeremy Kagan (Ep. 394)

Director Werner Herzog discusses his new film, The Fire Within: A Requiem for Katia and Maurice Krafft, with fellow director Jeremy Kagan in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, Herzog speaks about crafting the voiceover for the film during the edit, obtaining the groundbreaking footage shot by the two subjects, and modifying facts to resemble the truth.
Screened as part of the DGA's Documentary Series, the film crafts a fitting memorial to volcanologists and filmmakers Maurice and Katia Krafft, who were killed while filming the eruption of Japan's Mount Unzen on June 3, 1991.
Please note: spoilers are included.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/Events/2023/January2023/TheFireWithin_DocSeries_1122.aspx

The Estate with Dean Craig and Alex Grossman (Ep. 393)

Director Dean Craig discusses his new film, The Estate, with fellow director Alex Grossman in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, Craig speaks about encouraging actors to bring ideas to their roles, the perks of directing your own material, and how he prefers making shot lists over storyboarding.
In the film, two sisters are pitted against their greedy extended family members in a battle to win over their terminally ill, difficult to please Aunt, in hopes of becoming the beneficiaries of her wealth.
Please note: spoilers are included.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/Events/2022/December2022/TheEstate_QnA_1122.aspx

The Menu with Mark Mylod and Lorene Scafaria (Ep. 392)

Director Mark Mylod discusses his new film, The Menu, with fellow director Lorene Scafaria in a Q&A at the DGA theater in New York. In the conversation, Mylod speaks about his approach to building the ensemble of actors, finding places to put the camera in a mainly one-location film, and handling the controlled chaos of as movie set.
The film follows a young couple as they travel to a remote island to dine at an exclusive restaurant, only to find that the chef has prepared a few surprises along with the meal.
Please note: spoilers are included.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/Events/2023/January2023/Menu_QnA_1122.aspx

Bardo with Alejandro G. Iñárritu and Rodrigo García (Ep. 391)

Director Alejandro G. Iñárritu discusses his new film, Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths, with fellow director Rodrigo García in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, Iñárritu shares his thoughts on how fiction can elucidate truth, the four years of developing the script, and the joyful process of editing his own work.
The film follows a renowned Mexican journalist and documentary filmmaker who is compelled to return to his native country, unaware that this simple trip will force him to grapple with intimate questions about identity, mortality, Mexican history, and what it means to be human in these peculiar times.
Please note: spoilers are included.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/Events/2023/January2023/Bardo_QnA_1122.aspx

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery with Rian Johnson and Phil Lord (Ep. 390)

Director Rian Johnson discusses his new film, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, with fellow director Phil Lord in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, Johnson talks about the movies that influenced the conception of Glass Onion, his process when working with his "family" of filmmaking collaborators, and how nostalgia for a specific genre can be an obstacle to making a film.
The film follows southern detective Benoit Blanc on a billionaire's lavish Greek island at a yearly reunion of a disparate group of friends. When one guest turns up dead, everyone becomes a suspect and must peel away the layers of their motivations, secrets, and lies.
This is a spoiler-free podcast.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/Events/2023/January2023/GlassOnion_QnA_1122.aspx

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever with Ryan Coogler and Tyler Perry (Ep. 389)

Director Ryan Coogler discusses his new film, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, with fellow director Tyler Perry in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, Coogler talks about how he approached the tribute to actor Chadwick Boseman after his passing, writing and directing from his worst fears, and staying tapped into his inner child when faced with challenging directing decisions on the film.
The sequel to 2018's megahit Black Panther finds the people of Wakanda grieving the untimely death of King T'Challa and facing off against intervening world powers. However, when an advanced hidden nation threatens to destroy them, someone else must pick up the clawed gauntlet.
Please note: spoilers are included.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/Events/2023/January2023/BlackPantherWF_QnA_1122.aspx

The Fabelmans with Steven Spielberg and Paul Thomas Anderson (Ep. 388)

Director Steven Spielberg discusses his new film, The Fabelmans, with fellow director Paul Thomas Anderson in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, Spielberg discusses the development of the script with Tony Kushner, the process of directing Gabrielle LaBelle to play a version of himself, and the feeling of rediscovering his family through his camera.
Please note: spoilers are included.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/Events/2023/January2023/Fabelmans_QnA_1122.aspx

The Good Nurse with Tobias Lindholm and Scott Cooper (Ep. 387)

Director Tobias Lindholm discusses his new film, The Good Nurse, with fellow director Scott Cooper in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, Lindholm talks about casting Eddie Redmayne and Jessica Chastain, wrestling with the true crime genre, and learning how to shoot diner scenes from David Fincher.
Based on true events, a nurse risks her life to uncover the truth after she begins to suspect her colleague is responsible for a series of mysterious patient deaths.
Please note: spoilers are included.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/Events/2022/December2022/TheGoodNurse_QnA_1122.aspx