The Director’s Cut - A DGA Podcast

Episode 36: Denial with Mick Jackson and Jeremy Kagan

Director Mick Jackson discusses his new film, Denial, with Jeremy Kagan. Based on the book History on Trial: My Day in Court with a Holocaust Denier, the film follows Deborah Lipstadt's court battle against David Irving, who sues her for libel when she declared him a Holocaust denier.

Episode 35: Solitary with Kristi Jacobson and Nanette Burstein

Director Kristi Jacobson discusses her new documentary, Solitary, with Nanette Burstein. With unprecedented access, the film takes a disturbing look at one of the most controversial aspects of America’s modern prison-industrial-complex: solitary confinement.

Episode 34 Silver Skies with Rosemary Rodriguez and Arthur Seidelman

Director Rosemary Rodriguez discusses her new film, Silver Skies, with director Arthur Allan Seidelman. The film follows a group of eccentric retirees who find their lives turned upside down when they learn that their beloved apartment complex is being converted to condominiums.

Episode 33: Norman Lear: Just Another Version Of You with Heidi Ewing, Norman Lear, & Chuck Workman

Director Heidi Ewing discusses her new film with Rachel Grady, Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You, with Director Chuck Workman and its subject Norman Lear. The documentary paints a dynamic portrait of the influential creator, writer, and producer, exploring his work and achievements through shows such as All in the Family, Maude, Good Times, The Jeffersons.

Episode 32: Deepwater Horizon with Peter Berg and Nick Cassevettes

Director Peter Berg discusses his new film, Deepwater Horizon, with Director Nick Cassevetes. The film follows the true events around the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig on April 20, 2010.

Episode 31: Queen Of Katwe with Mira Nair and Ava DuVernay

Director Mira Nair discusses her new film, Queen of Katwe, with Director Ava DuVernay. The film tells the true story of Phiona Mutesi, a young woman who overcomes her impoverished circumstance to become an international chess champion.

Episode 30: Star Trek Beyond with Justin Lin and Joe Russo

Director Justin Lin discusses his new film, Star Trek Beyond, with Director Joe Russo. The film finds the crew of the Starship Enterprise crash-landed on an unknown planet with a formidable foe seeking to destroy them and much more.

Episode 29: Life, Animated with Roger Ross Williams and Robert Weide

Director Roger Ross Williams discusses his new film, Life, Animated, with Director Robert Weide. The film follows the coming of age story of Owen Suskind, who was unable to speak for years as a child. Owen and his family eventually discovered a way to communicate using the classic Disney animated movies Owen loved to watch.

Episode 28: All Things Must Pass with Colin Hanks and Jeremy Kagan

Director Colin Hanks discusses his new film, All Things Must Pass, with Director Jeremy Kagan. The film charts the rise and fall of Tower Records, founded by Russ Solomon. From humble beginnings, Tower Records grew to become one of the music industry's most iconic retail stores.

Episode 27: The Craft Of Director with David O. Russell

Director David O. Russell engages in an in-depth discussion with Jeremy Kagan about his filmography, including Three Kings, Silver Linings Playbook, and American Hustle.
Topics include thinking of a film's structure in terms of "waves" (10:00), auditioning Christian Bale for the role played by Spike Jonze in Three Kings (18:00), beginning every day on a shoot with a team "huddle" (35:00), and rehearsing a fight scene from The Fighter with Amy Adams at a Whole Foods at 10 o'clock at night (53:00).

Episode 26: Maggie’s Plan with Rebecca Miller and Robert Benton

Director Rebecca Miller discusses her new film, Maggie's Plan, with Director Robert Benton. The film follows the story of a young woman, whose plan to raise her child as a single mother gets derailed when she falls for a married anthropologist. Though after she marries him, she eventually falls out of love and decides to reunite him with his former wife.

Episode 25: Last Days In The Desert with Rodrigo García and Scott Derrickson

Director Rodrigo García discusses his new film, Last Days in the Desert, with Director Scott Derrickson. The film tells the story of Jesus' struggle against the Devil over the fate of a family in crisis.

Episode 24: Mother’s Day with Garry Marshall and Robert B. Weide

Director Garry Marshall discusses his new film, Mother's Day, with Director Robert B. Weide. The film features a star-studded ensemble in a set of intertwining stories about motherhood.

Episode 23: Money Monster with Jodie Foster and Michael Apted

Director Jodie Foster discusses her new film, Money Monster, with Director Michael Apted. The film follows the explosive situation that develops when an irate investor hijacks the live studio broadcast of a Wall Street Guru's television show after losing everything on a stock tip.

Episode 22: Visual History Interview with James Burrows conducted by Michael Lembeck

Director and Sitcom Legend James Burrows discusses his life and career in highlights pulled from his DGA Visual History interview.
Topics include growing up as the son of Broadway writer/director Abe Burrows (Guys & Dolls), training on The Bob Newhart Show and The Mary Tyler Moore Show (10:00), his role as the Director on pilot episodes including Will & Grace (19:00), the development and casting of Cheers (24:00), and how he works with actors through the week of making a new episode of a show (39:00).

Episode 21: Elvis & Nixon with Liza Johnson and Bette Gordon

Director Liza Johnson discusses her new film, Elvis & Nixon, with Director Bette Gordon. The film gives a fictionalized account of what might have happened in an unusual meeting between Elvis Presley and President Richard Nixon in the White House, forever immortalized in an iconic photograph in the National Archives.

Episode 20: The Jungle Book with Jon Favreau and Donald Petrie

Director Jon Favreau discusses his new film, The Jungle Book, with Director Donald Petrie. The film retells the classic Rudyard Kipling tale about a boy named Mowgli, who is raised by wolves in an Indian jungle.

Episode 19: I Saw The Light with Marc Abraham And Peyton Reed

Director Marc Abraham discusses his new film, I Saw the Light, with Director Peyton Reed. The film tells the story of legendary country-western singer and songwriter Hank Williams, played by Tom Hiddleston. Despite Williams' singular talent, fame and addiction have a tragic effect on his life and personal relationships.

Episode 18: The Invitation with Karyn Kusama and Gil Kenan

Director Karyn Kusama discusses her new film, The Invitation, with Director Gil Kenan. The film tells the story of an estranged couple who reunite at a dinner party following the death of their son. As the party continues, it becomes clear that something mysterious and terrifying may be going on.

Episode 17: Visual History With Miloš Forman conducted by Daniel Algrant

Director Miloš Forman discusses his life and early career in highlights pulled from his Visual History interview.
Topics include his early life and attending film school in Prague (6:00), the Soviet government's banning of his satire The Fireman's Ball (12:00), the DGA's role in his avoiding deportation back to the Eastern block (18:00), the "hooks" in many of his films that inspired his directorial approach (23:00), the importance of casting in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (26:00), and creating the musical sequences in Amadeus (41:00).