TV Documentary roundtable: ‘Dear Mama,’ ‘If These Walls Could Sing,’ ‘Judy Blume Forever,’ ‘Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie’ and ‘Pamela, a love story’ [Exclusive Video Interview]
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If you were teaching a film study course, which is one film you would have your students watch and why? What made you want to become a documentary filmmaker? What were your biggest challenges as a young filmmaker? What piece of career advice would you give your younger self?
These were some of the secrets revealed by five of today’s top filmmakers when they joined Gold Derby’s special “Meet the Experts” Q&A event with TV Documentary Emmy contenders: Allen Hughes (“Dear Mama”), Mary McCartney (“If These Walls Could Sing”), Davina Pardo and Leah Wolchok (“Judy Blume Forever”), Davis Guggenheim (“Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie”) and Ryan White (“Pamela, a love story”). Watch our lively group discussion above and click on each name to view their solo chat.
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“I’ve shown ‘Man on Wire,’ James Marsh‘s film, just because I think it’s just a masterclass in storytelling and it proves that non-fiction narrative can be just as strong as scripted stuff,” reveals Guggenheim. Wolchok adds, “I think if I were teaching a course, I would tell my students to go to a thrift store or a yard sale and get someone’s home movies. See how the camera could be like a catalyst for connection. Or maybe a deterrent to connection. See where people get self-conscious. Because people always get self-conscious when a camera first enters the scene.”
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For Hughes it’s Shirley Clarke‘s 1967 film “Portrait of Jason.” “He’s an amazing figure — black man,” the director says. “When you find the right character, there’s just so much rich story in that journey. It’s just one camera, one night in a hotel room in New York with this incredible, transcendent human being. That’s one of my favorite films.”
White says his personality played a large part in pushing him towards the documentary genre. “I’m an awful planner,” he admits. “I’m awful at logistics. All my producers will tell you. I love the unpredictability. I mean, we were talking about it with ‘Pamela,’ but, that exists in a lot of my films – these situations that are totally unpredictable. I love filmmaking where not a lot of decision and planning has to go into it.”
As for advice Pardo would give a young filmmaker? “Listen to your gut and figure out what it is that you want say. Everyone has something to say. Find your voice and find that story that’s really deep inside you.” McCartney adds, “I wish I learned how to fail sooner. I wish I was more comfortable with failure in my 20s and 30s. I would’ve made more stuff.”
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