The Director’s Cut - A DGA Podcast

Episode 96: Brad’s Status with Mike White and Miguel Arteta

Director Mike White discusses his new film, Brad's Status, with fellow Director Miguel Arteta. Starring Ben Stiller, the comedic drama tells the story of Brad, whose comfortable life in suburban California isn't quite what he imagined during his glory days in college.

Episode 95: Blade Runner 2049 with Denis Villeneuve and Rian Johnson

Director Denis Villeneuve discusses his new film, Blade Runner 2049, with fellow Director Rian Johnson. Picking up thirty years after the events of Ridley Scott's classic Blade Runner, the film follows K, an LAPD officer, who discovers a long-buried secret that could plunge what is left of society into chaos.

Episode 94: First They Killed My Father with Angelina Jolie and Jeremy Kagan

Director Angelina Jolie discusses her new film, First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers, with fellow Director Jeremy Kagan. Based on a memoir by human rights activist Loung Ung, the film recounts the Cambodian genocide of the 1970s through the eyes of a five-year-old girl as she embarks on a harrowing quest for survival during the Khmer Rouge's four-year reign terror.

Episode 93: Rebel In the Rye with Danny Strong and Richard Shepard

Director Danny Strong discusses his new film, Rebel in the Rye, with fellow Director Richard Shepard. The film shines a light on the life of legendary author J.D. Salinger, detailing his relationship with socialite Oona O'Neill, his experiences in World War II, and the writing process for his best-known novel, The Catcher in the Rye.

Episode 92: The Heart of Nuba with Kenneth A. Carlson and Chuck Workman

Director Kenneth A. Carlson discusses his new film, The Heart of Nuba, with fellow Director Chuck Workman. The film covers the work of Dr. Tom Catena, who treats as many as 400 patients a day at Mother of Mercy Hospital as the region is bombed relentlessly by war criminal Omar Al Bashir.

Episode 91: Shot with Jeremy Kagan and Mick Jackson

Director Jeremy Kagan discusses his new film, Shot, with fellow Director Mick Jackson. The drama follows the immediate aftermath of a shooting as the victim, his wife and the emergency medical personnel fight for his life in the critical first hour. The film simultaneously shows the experiences of the teen shooter as he tries to avoid the consequences of his actions.

Episode 90: mother! with Darren Aronofsky and William Friedkin

Director Darren Aronofsky discusses his new film, mother!, with fellow Director William Friedkin. The film tells the story of a young woman whose seemingly idyllic life is thrown into disarray when her husband invites strangers who claim to be fans of his work into their home. The film stars Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem alongside Michelle Pfeiffer and Ed Harris.

Episode 89: Unlocked with Michael Apted and Martin Campbell

Director Michael Apted discusses his new film, Unlocked, with fellow Director Martin Campbell. The film follows CIA agent Alice Racine, who is forced to live in London as a caseworker after failing to apprehend the terrorist behind an attack in Paris that claimed dozens of live. When she is unexpectedly called back into action by a mentor, she discovers an even greater threat in the form of a lethal biological attack.

Episode 88: Crown Heights with Matt Ruskin and Gavin O’Connor

Director Matt Ruskin discusses his new film, Crown Heights, with fellow Director Gavin O'Connor. The film tells the true story of Colin Warner, a man wrongfully convicted of murder in 1980s Brooklyn. Convinced of his innocence, Colin's childhood friend, Carl King, spends the next two decades fighting for Colin's freedom and exposing the injustice of his incarceration.

Episode 87: Tower with Keith Maitland and Ondi Timoner

Director Keith Maitland discusses his new film, Tower, with fellow Director Ondi Timoner. Told through archival footage combined with animation, the film recalls August 1st, 1966 when a gunman opened fire from the top floor of the iconic University of Texas tower.

Episode 86: To The Bone with Marti Noxon and Rick Rosenthal

Director Marti Noxon discusses her new film, To The Bone, with fellow Director Rick Rosenthal. The drama tells the story of Ellen, a 20-year-old anorexic who has failed at various recovery programs in the past. Desperate for a solution, her family sends her to a group home led by a non-traditional doctor, whose rules force Ellen to truly confront her addiction in order to find a path to survival.

Episode 85: Landline with Gillian Robespierre and Marielle Heller

Director Gillian Robespierre discusses her new film, Landline, with fellow Director Marielle Heller. The film tells the story of two sisters in 1990s New York City who suspect their father may be having an affair. They set out to discover the truth without tipping off their mother.

Episode 84: Detroit with Kathryn Bigelow and Paris Barclay

Director Kathryn Bigelow discusses her new film, Detroit, with fellow Director Paris Barclay. The film recounts what happened when misconduct by those charged with upholding the law resulted in the beating of several innocent people and the deaths of three unarmed black men.

Episode 83: My Journey Through French Cinema with Bertrand Tavernier and Chuck Workman

Director Bertrand Tavernier discusses his new film, My Journey Through French Cinema, with fellow Director Chuck Workman. The film follows Mr. Tavernier's half-century-long love affair with film that began when he was just a boy. Supported by his formidable knowledge on the subject, he details both the giants of his native cinema as well as some frequently overlooked contributors in a film of both personal and historical observations.

Episode 82: War for the Planet of the Apes with Matt Reeves and Drew Goddard

Director Matt Reeves discusses his new film, War for the Planet of the Apes, with fellow Director Drew Goddard. The third installment in the Planet of the Apes franchise reboot finds Caesar leading a colony of apes who are forced into a struggle with an army of humans who want to destroy them.

Episode 81: Baby Driver with Edgar Wright and Christopher Nolan

Director Edgar Wright discusses his new film, Baby Driver, with fellow Director Christopher Nolan. The film tells the story of a young getaway driver named Baby who meets the girl of his dream. Hoping to leave his criminal life behind, he is coerced into one last getaway job. But when things go awry, all of his skills will be put to the test if he has any hope of survival.

Episode 80: All Eyez On Me with Benny Boom and Jeff Byrd

Director Benny Boom discusses his new film, All Eyez on Me, with fellow Director Jeff Byrd. The film tells the story of Tupac Shakur, the prolific rapper, actor, poet and activist. The feature film charts his meteoric rise and ultimate transformation into a cultural icon before his untimely death at the age of 25.

Episode 79: The King’s Choice with Erik Poppe and Victoria Hochberg

Director Erik Poppe discusses his new film, The King's Choice, with fellow Director Victoria Hochberg. The film tells the story of King Haakon VII during three days in 1940 when he faced a moral decision about whether or not to cooperate with the invading German Army. Although outnumbered and facing almost certain defeat, Norwegians, following their King's choice, broke all rules of international diplomacy and warfare.
This screening was a part of the DGA's Global Cinema Series. Erik Poppe's previous film Hawaii, Oslo, was the inaugural film of this series when it started in 2004.

Episode 78: Wakefield with Robin Swicord and Lesli Linka Glatter

Director Robin Swicord discusses her new film Wakefield with fellow Director Lesli Linka Glatter. Wakefield was adapted from an E.L. Doctorow short story about a suburban lawyer with a loving wife and family. Though outwardly successful and happy, his inner feelings of suffocation lead Howard to snap and disappear without a trace. Hiding in his own garage attic, he survives by scavenging at night and spends his time secretly observing the lives of his wife, children and neighbors.

Episode 77: Wonder Woman with Patty Jenkins and Richard Donner

Director Patty Jenkins discusses her new film Wonder Woman with fellow Director Richard Donner. The film tells the story of Diana, princess of the Amazons, who travels on an adventure after an American pilot suddenly crashes on the shore of her island and tells of a war to end all wars raging in Europe. Convinced she can stop the threat, she leaves home to fulfill her destiny.