Pure Nonfiction: Inside Documentary Film
If you love documentary films, hear from the top storytellers on Pure Nonfiction. Host Thom Powers is well-connected in this world as a documentary curator for the Toronto International Film Festival, DOC NYC, and SundanceNow Doc Club. He leads conversations that are frank, funny and revealing. Listen to interviews with Oscar-winning filmmakers Barbara Kopple, Alex Gibney, and Roger Ross Williams; as well as the directors of “Making a Murderer,” “Weiner” and “OJ: Made in America.” Often the stories behind the scenes are as dramatic as what’s on the screen. On Twitter, Facebook, Instagram: @purenonfiction. Subscribe now.
- Update frequency
- every 11 days
- Average duration
- 38 minutes
- Episodes
- 230
- Years Active
- 2016 - 2025
208: Johan Grimonprez on "Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat"
Jazz musicians, CIA operatives, and African revolutionaries are among the many figures who populate "Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat" that win a Sundance jury award for Cinematic Innovation. Pure Nonfict…
00:53:32 |
Thu 21 Nov 2024
207: Frida, Celine and Daughters
Our third episode recorded live in Los Angeles for Documentary Spotlight, co-presented by The Ankler, features:
- "Frida" director Carla Gutierrez and composer Victor Hernandez Stumpfhauser (Amazon)…
00:44:10 |
Thu 14 Nov 2024
206: Docs with Laughs
We look at two new documentaries from directors who also work in comedy. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews Steve Pink ("Hot Tub Time Machine") whose documentary debut "The Last Republican" …
00:28:26 |
Fri 08 Nov 2024
205: Live from Los Angeles
Our latest Documentary Spotlight event took place in October, co-presented by The Ankler in Los Angeles. On this episode, we hear selections from the following conversations hosted by Thom Powers:
-…
00:47:43 |
Thu 31 Oct 2024
204: Shiori Ito on "Black Box Diaries"
Shiori Ito shocked Japan in 2017 when she publicly accused a prominent journalist with close ties to the Prime Minister of raping her. Both the police and her family tried to dissuade her from pursui…
00:39:03 |
Thu 24 Oct 2024
203: Elevating documentary craft in "Nocturnes"
"Nocturnes" won a Sundance special jury prize for cinematic craft. In the film, set in the mountainous forest on the border of India and Bhutan, we follow the scientist Mansi who works at night proje…
00:33:26 |
Thu 17 Oct 2024
202: On filming "Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story"
"Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story" profiles the actor who was paralyzed from a horse riding accident and found a new purpose in life. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews the documentary…
00:40:44 |
Thu 10 Oct 2024
201: Angela Patton & Natalie Rae Robison on "Daughters"
"Daughters," now streaming on Netflix, follows a Daddy Daughter Dance held in a prison. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews the film's director Angela Patton and Natalie Rae Robison, who coll…
00:31:18 |
Thu 03 Oct 2024
200: Beadie Finzi & Judy Kibinge on DISCO & the Independence Project
Episode 200 is dedicated to the legacy of Jess Search, the visionary producer and co-founder of Doc Society. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews Beadie Finzi of Doc Society and Judy Kibinge o…
00:46:23 |
Thu 26 Sep 2024
199: "No Other Land" directors Basel Adra and Yuval Abraham
"No Other Land" is directed by a collective of two Palestinians and two Israelis. They capture lives of Palestinians in the West Bank village of Masafer Yatta that's been routinely targeted by Israel…
00:40:20 |
Thu 05 Sep 2024
198: Lucy Walker on "Mountain Queen”
"Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa" profiles the woman who holds a world record for climbing Mount Everest. But her story is much bigger than that, overcoming innumerable hardships. Pure N…
00:49:15 |
Wed 07 Aug 2024
197: Sonya Childress & Sahar Driver on Color Congress
Two years ago, Sonya Childress and Sarah Driver founded Color Congress to support documentary organizations led by people of color in the United States. They serve over 100 organizations that have lo…
00:47:59 |
Thu 01 Aug 2024
196: Jeff Zimbalist on "Skywalkers: A Love Story"
"Skywalkers: A Love Story" (on Netflix) profiles the couple Ivan Beerkus and Angela Nikolau who attempt to climb the second tallest building in the world. It's both illegal and highly dangerous. Pure…
00:42:16 |
Thu 18 Jul 2024
195: Rethinking Louis C.K. in "Sorry / Not Sorry"
“Sorry / Not Sorry” reexamines the case of Louis C.K. In 2017, the New York Times reported that five women accused him of sexual harassment. He responded "these stories are true." Nine months later, …
00:45:16 |
Thu 11 Jul 2024
194: "Copa 71" Restores a Lost History
"Copa 71" tells the story of an international women's soccer competition held in 1971, two decades before FIFA sanctioned an official Women's World Cup. Taking place in Mexico City's massive Azteca s…
00:33:39 |
Thu 20 Jun 2024
193: ESPN 30 for 30
ESPN’s 30 for 30 broke the formula of sports documentaries by enlisting independent filmmakers. Now the series celebrates its 15th anniversary. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers recently moderated a l…
00:36:17 |
Tue 18 Jun 2024
192: Emmy Contenders, Part 2
Pure Nonfiction partnered with The Ankler for a live event in Los Angeles that highlighted documentary projects eligible for this year’s Emmys. On this episode, host Thom Powers interviews the teams …
01:15:27 |
Thu 13 Jun 2024
191: Emmy Contenders, Part 1
Pure Nonfiction partnered with The Ankler for a live event in Los Angeles that highlighted documentary projects eligible for this year’s Emmys. On this episode, host Thom Powers interviews the teams …
01:19:08 |
Wed 12 Jun 2024
190: Chris Wilcha — from "This American Life" to "Flipside"
"Flipside" is a personal essay film in which director Chris Wilcha grapples with middle age by trying to document the New Jersey record store where he worked as a teenager. In the process, he returns…
00:44:09 |
Thu 06 Jun 2024
189: India's Trail-Blazing Director Anand Patwardhan
Indian documentary film has been gaining world renown with Peabody Awards, Oscar nominations and other recognition. A key trailblazer for this movement is Anand Patwardhan who has grappled with India…
00:39:30 |
Thu 30 May 2024
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