Pure Nonfiction: Inside Documentary Film
Latest Episodes
183: Just Vision’s Julia Bacha and Suhad Babaa on 20 Years of Covering Israel-Palestine
Thom Powers speaks with Just Vision's creative director Julia Bacha and executive director Suhad Babaa about their latest film "Boycott" and how their work changed with the recent escalation of violen
182: Sreemoyee Singh — from India to Iran
Growing up in Kolkata, Sreemoyee Singh fell in love with Iranian cinema and poetry. She pursued that passion by moving to Iran, learning Persian and capturing her journey in her debut documentary "And
181: Mila Turajlić on Non-Aligned
Mila Turajli has spent over 20 years exploring the legacy of Yugoslavia. Now she has two new films that draw upon the extraordinary archive of cameraman Stevan Labudovic .
180: Asmae El Moudir on "The Mother of All Lies"
First time filmmaker Asmae El Moudir discusses how she overcame obstacles in the eight year experience of making the film "The Mother of All Lies".
179: Alex Gibney on Paul Simon
"In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon" covers the highs and lows of the musician's career as he goes into the studio to create his most recent album "Seven Psalms" .
178: Anand Giridharadas on "The Persuaders"
In his book "The Persuaders," Anand Giridharadas profiles activists and organizers who seek to change people's minds in a time of divisiveness.
177: Carla Gutierrez on "Frida"
Carla Gutierrez makes her directorial debut with "Frida" about the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo.
176: Alissa Wilkinson at The New York Times
Alissa Wilkinson stands out amongst filmcritics for writing extensively about documentaries.
175: S. Leo Chiang on "Island in Between"
Filmmaker S. Leo Chiang reflects on the relations between Taiwan and China in the Oscar nominated short "Island in Between" streaming from The New York Times Op-Docs.
174: Oscar contenders, part 2
Pure Nonfiction partnered with The Ankler to spotlight seven of the Oscar contenders at a live event in Los Angeles on January 4, 2024.