Nathaniel Lezra

Happy 2nd anniversary to the pod, and I can’t think of a more vital filmmaker for our time and for this episode than Nathaniel Lezra. His film ROADS OF FIRE (2025), winner of the Best Feature Documentary at the 2025 ‪@officialSBIFF‬ interweaves the lives of a human smuggler navigating the treacherous Darién Gap (the only land bridge between North and South America), an asylum seeker rebuilding her life in New York City, and volunteers working on the frontlines of a growing humanitarian emergency.

It found distribution from ‪@NewMountainFilms‬ with a theatrical release in September 2025, with event screenings in markets like New York and Los Angeles. As we talk about, it’s the straight shooting explainer of the migrant crisis that our country needs right now. So much to be excited for in the third year of the podcast — happy Fourth of July.

In this episode, Nat and I talk about:

• does he see ROADS OF FIRE as an explainer of the migrant crisis?
• how the film is a straight shooter politically;
• the theatrical run planned for September;
• the ambition of the film and the three threads — asylum seekers in NYC, migrants in Colombia, and humanitarian organizations — that he nimbly showcases in the film;
• his recommendation for film school graduates in getting started with shoots near Ukraine and Colombia;
• why documentary and not narrative?
• how narrative films demand life experience;
• how much he cares about gear as a filmmaker often on the road;
• what’s next for him.

Nathaniel’s Indie Film Highlight: THE ACT OF KILLING (2012) dir. by Joshua Oppenheimer; THE LOOK OF SILENCE (2014) dir. by Joshua Oppenheimer; Matthew Heineman; THE TERRITORY (2022) dir. by Alex Pritz; 20 DAYS IN MARIUPOL (2023) dir. by Mstyslav Chernov

Memorable Quotes:

• “ This film…traces very much my own exposure and journey becoming more aware of the migrant crisis”
• “ I've never put myself in a position other than once or twice in Colombia where I felt like I was letting go of control and truly just riding what was given to me.”
• “You'd be surprised what your own nuts and bolts production literacy will get you.”
• “ I don't want to be scared of the world. I want to have experiences.”
• “ And for me, the only way to do that is to find those stories and just accept my vulnerability and accept my ignorance to some degree and walk out into the world and see what the world has to offer.”
• “You need to live life in a serious way before you take a bite out of a narrative project.”
• “I spoke to some high schoolers not too long ago, and a lot of people are really astounded to learn just the value of your iPhone.”

Links:

Follow Nat On Instagram

ROADS OF FIRE Website