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Speaker 1: Hello there, Welcome to a special episode of the Chuck Podcast.

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Speaker 1: Why do I call it special because we're dropping a

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Speaker 1: show on a Tuesday. We told you our normal schedule

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Speaker 1: is Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays. We know that Apple's tech problems

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Speaker 1: sort of messed things up, messed up the calendar for

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Speaker 1: a couple of months. The good news is Apple finally

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Speaker 1: appears to have fixed that problem. Many of you probably

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Speaker 1: already noticed that the now that you've subscribed, you'll see

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Speaker 1: it automatically downloaded when we do special updates, like we

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Speaker 1: snuck in a special sort of mini monologue pod, you know,

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Speaker 1: a breaking news pod on my initial reaction to the

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Speaker 1: Musk Trump situation. Hopefully that populated put it this way.

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Speaker 1: Our numbers indicate that it did. So we're relieved that

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Speaker 1: our friends on the West Coast there at Apple finally

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Speaker 1: took our complaints seriously and finally figured out this problem.

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Speaker 1: And so this should be much better for everybody. So

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Speaker 1: I am pleased to do that. Why am I doing

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Speaker 1: a special one today? Well, as many of you know,

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Speaker 1: I'm a big fan of documentaries in general. There's a

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Speaker 1: d C DOS Documentary Film Festival that's coming up this week.

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Speaker 1: It used. Basically, it's what used to be the Meet

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Speaker 1: the Press Film Festival. My friends at my former parent

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Speaker 1: company chose not to be involved in things like that anymore.

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Speaker 1: They've sort of retreated on a lot of sponsorships like that.

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Speaker 1: Understandable not saying it. I'm lamenting, I'm not criticizing, but

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Speaker 1: I still am going to be as involved as I

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Speaker 1: can be with d C Docs. I'm going to actually

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Speaker 1: be doing a few Q and as questions with some

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Speaker 1: documentary filmmakers over the weekend at d C Docs. I

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Speaker 1: hope you will go take a look. So my interview

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Speaker 1: today is with the organizers there. We give you a

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Speaker 1: preview of everything that's there. We know that there's a

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Speaker 1: lot going on this coming weekend in Washington, d C.

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Speaker 1: Including a certain parade, but there's plenty of alternative programming

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Speaker 1: in DC, including the Documentary Film Festival, which will be

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Speaker 1: over three a four day period starting on Thursday. So

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Speaker 1: my guests are the two organizers who put this thing together.

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Speaker 1: They're veterans of the documentary industry themselves, and we give

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Speaker 1: you a fun little glimpse of what's to come and

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Speaker 1: what's working in the documentary space these days. In many ways,

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Speaker 1: we've been in a golden era of that. But before

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Speaker 1: we get to that, obviously, there's a lot going on

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Speaker 1: in the political world, with sort of ground zero being

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Speaker 1: the showdown between the Trump administration and I guess we

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Speaker 1: could say it's the state of California right now with

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Speaker 1: what's going on in Los Angeles. This is the moment

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Speaker 1: that Donald Trump, and with a lot of assistants from

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Speaker 1: one of his chief advisor's deputy chief of staff, Stephen Miller,

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Speaker 1: they've been waiting for this moment, right, you know, looking

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Speaker 1: they've been trying to target blue city. Everything has been

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Speaker 1: about targeting blue cities when it's come to migrants and immigration.

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Speaker 1: Started back with Governor Abbott in the state of Texas

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Speaker 1: when he was busting migrants. Notice he only busts them

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Speaker 1: to blue cities. He didn't bust them anywhere else in America.

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Speaker 1: This has been an intentional trying to play politics with

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Speaker 1: this in as transparently cynical way as you possibly can't. Right,

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Speaker 1: and obviously it's pretty clear the President of the United

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Speaker 1: States doesn't take this very seriously because when all of

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Speaker 1: his tweets in his conversation is referring to the governor

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Speaker 1: of California as new scum, which he consistently does. And

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Speaker 1: I know we're supposed to no longer care about mean

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Speaker 1: tweets or no longer care about the unserious nature of

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Speaker 1: Donald Trump and his communication strategy at times. What I

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Speaker 1: don't think they really appreciate is that when he does that,

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Speaker 1: it sends this signal to most of America that follows

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Speaker 1: this is that he's not serious about this, that he

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Speaker 1: is playing politics with this, He is not putting the

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Speaker 1: country's security first. If he were as serious about this

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Speaker 1: as many of us supporters are, I mean, his supporters

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Speaker 1: should be the ones that are angry at how ridiculous

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Speaker 1: he sounds, and his tweets when he attacks Gavin Newsom,

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Speaker 1: when he attacks the mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass,

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Speaker 1: everything he's doing here sort of trivializes things. I think

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Speaker 1: some of his supporters really believe some of the crazy

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Speaker 1: rhetoric that's been out there, that there's an invasion and

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Speaker 1: there's this or that. But the reason that there's sort

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Speaker 1: of the reality based world. I don't know who else

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Speaker 1: to put it. I'm not going to put any other

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Speaker 1: pejoratives on it than that, But we really have sort

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Speaker 1: of a manufactured online Internet world that sees a set

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Speaker 1: of pictures and images that may or may not be

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Speaker 1: factual versus what's actually happening on the ground and what

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Speaker 1: was the intent. And there's no doubt there are activists

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Speaker 1: on the left that been waiting for ice to come

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Speaker 1: and they're going to make sure to make a scene

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Speaker 1: as well. It's a form of civil disobedience. Some will

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Speaker 1: argue it can get become uncivil disobedience. But the First

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Speaker 1: Amendments the First Amendment, And once again there's a lot

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Speaker 1: of people in the Trump administration that apparently missed missed

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Speaker 1: law school on the day they were teaching law, or

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Speaker 1: never bothered to learn and pretend that they're lawyers. I'm

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Speaker 1: not a lawyer. I didn't go to law school. I

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Speaker 1: really wish it did. I've always wanted that education. I

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Speaker 1: think over thirty years, I've done my best to educate

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Speaker 1: myself with the law. But here's something I know about

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Speaker 1: the First Amendment. It does not apply to only citizens.

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Speaker 1: This is something that has been I think a bother

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Speaker 1: to some on the right, But you know, the entire

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Speaker 1: Constitution when it applies to citizens, they say citizens, Okay,

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Speaker 1: the Constitution will explicitly say who it applies to and

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Speaker 1: when they and when it comes to the First Amendment,

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Speaker 1: it applies to everybody in the borders of this country,

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Speaker 1: no matter what circumstance they are in. Can you imagine

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Speaker 1: what kind of lack of freedoms we would be having

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Speaker 1: if you had to do a papers check to decide

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Speaker 1: whether you had rights or not. Right, there's a sort

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Speaker 1: of we're you know, either you believe in freedom of

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Speaker 1: speech or you don't. Either you believe in freedom of assembly,

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Speaker 1: or you don't. Make a political argument that what they

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Speaker 1: stand for is not a good idea. That's called democracy,

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Speaker 1: So go and do it, and do that way. But

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Speaker 1: I do think that nobody has undermined the supposed seriousness

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Speaker 1: that the many on the right, and I take them

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Speaker 1: at that word, many of their right believe when it

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Speaker 1: comes to immigration, how it's handled. But the President of

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Speaker 1: the United States does not take this issue seriously. He

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Speaker 1: just sees it as a political cudgel. And there's only

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Speaker 1: one issue that the public thinks Trump is handling a well,

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Speaker 1: and that is the border. So in many ways, with

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Speaker 1: everything else being a disaster, right, the economy and oh

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Speaker 1: my god, don't you know, And I know many people

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Speaker 1: don't read about the sort of the small little updates

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Speaker 1: to the jobs report, but you know, if you take

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Speaker 1: a look at my x feed, I retweeted, it's some

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Speaker 1: important analysis by Mark Zandy, Who's somebody I have here

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Speaker 1: who will be a semi regular guest when it comes

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Speaker 1: to economic conditions. I think he's one of the best

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Speaker 1: sort of nonpartisan folks out there. And he was looking

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Speaker 1: inside the numbers, and you can see the slow down beginning.

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Speaker 1: We start to see fewer exports coming in. It is

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Speaker 1: the beginning of the Trump recession is happening. You can

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Speaker 1: sort of see it coming. And the reason it's going

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Speaker 1: to be a Trump recession because the economy was moving

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Speaker 1: in one direction. Then he did this tariff scare, you know,

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Speaker 1: the on again, off again, on again, off again? Are

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Speaker 1: we doing this with them? Are we doing that with them?

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Speaker 1: It has created complete instability and complete paralysis with actual

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Speaker 1: industry in this country. And now this was the first

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Speaker 1: jobs report where you could start to see the beginnings

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Speaker 1: of this. What's the opposite of green shoots, I guess

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Speaker 1: we would say call them brown shoots right there, it's

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Speaker 1: like dead blades of grass already that appears to be

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Speaker 1: on the economic front, so he's doing you know, the

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Speaker 1: economy is a disaster, could become one. Doge is a failure.

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Speaker 1: The bill, the big beautiful bill is you know, I

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Speaker 1: still believe they're going to pass something because they politically

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Speaker 1: can't afford to pass nothing, right, but oh my god,

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Speaker 1: this is obviously not going well, and this is going

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Speaker 1: to continue to be a Frankenstein Bill in order to

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Speaker 1: get it passed, where they're going to be knitting all

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Speaker 1: sorts of crazy stuff together in order to get it passed.

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Speaker 1: And they're going to do that, and then obviously or policy.

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Speaker 1: To me, the one area he was showing some success

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Speaker 1: was in the Middle East, but it doesn't look like

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Speaker 1: the iarandials getting any closer. And of course the Russia

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Speaker 1: Ukraine war only seems to be intensifying. We're a long

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Speaker 1: way away from having that war decided overnight. So the

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Speaker 1: fact is nothing's going well for the president politically. Accept

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Speaker 1: the public's perception of how he's handled immigration. So they

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Speaker 1: do think they have some rope here, and they I

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Speaker 1: think they do think they have some room to run

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Speaker 1: here and that they might get some benefit of the

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Speaker 1: doubt and I do think they will get some benefit

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Speaker 1: of doubt. And that's why they've tried to go after

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Speaker 1: blue cities. I told you before. They especially want to

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Speaker 1: make California punching bag. Right, this is what Trump wants.

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Speaker 1: They want a political battle. They want to make Gavin

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Speaker 1: Newsom the face of the Democratic Party, which is an

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Speaker 1: interesting which is an interesting decision.

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Speaker 2: Right.

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Speaker 1: I know why many inside Trump world want to They

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Speaker 1: want to make the contrast you know, between a Gavin

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Speaker 1: newssan and themselves, you know, certainly not a Josh Shapiro

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Speaker 1: and Andy Brasheer and themselves. And I think they see

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Speaker 1: Gavin Newsom as it you know, the pretty boy from

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Speaker 1: Hollywood and San Francisco and the guy who first started

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Speaker 1: issuing marriage licenses to same sex couples. You know, they

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Speaker 1: see him as sort of the poster child of the

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Speaker 1: cultural left elitists. Right, So there is a there is

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Speaker 1: a temptation. And look, there's times that Newsom sort of

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Speaker 1: plays the part, right, I go hot and cold on him. Right,

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Speaker 1: there's times that you Gavin Newsom looks like the you know,

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Speaker 1: he's the pretty boy who's selling me. What do I

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Speaker 1: really want to buy something from him? Am I buying

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Speaker 1: this time share from him? And on other times, you know,

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Speaker 1: like his forcefulness. I think in standing up to the

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Speaker 1: to the administration who essentially usurped his powers as governor

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Speaker 1: and trying to engage the national Guard, he's shown some fight,

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Speaker 1: you know, and I think that that's you know, look,

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Speaker 1: the truly most gifted politicians can do both, right, They

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Speaker 1: can fight well and then they can be light too

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Speaker 1: and all this stuff. I think Newsom's proven to be

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Speaker 1: a pretty good fighter. And there's certainly you find out

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Speaker 1: a lot about a politician when they're sort of backs

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Speaker 1: there against the wall. And there's no doubt that Trump

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Speaker 1: was putting Newsom's back against the wall here. And it

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Speaker 1: could be an opportunity for Newsom and if you know

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Speaker 1: he you know, there might be no better antique that

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Speaker 1: the Trump administration could pull than if they arrest them.

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Speaker 1: I mean, it's one of those you know, it's it's

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Speaker 1: it's an obi wan kenobi moment. Right, strike me down,

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Speaker 1: and I've become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.

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Speaker 1: Right arrest Gavin Newsom, and you may create a martyr,

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Speaker 1: a martyr that that could become a rallying cry for

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Speaker 1: the Democrats. And let's be honest, the Democrats are desperate

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Speaker 1: for anybody to lead them right now, right? How desperate

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Speaker 1: is this is with the Democrats and leadership and their party.

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Speaker 1: I've been stewing over a column from my friend Mark

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Speaker 1: Leebovich in The Atlantic that's out. It basically laments Obama leadership.

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Speaker 1: Where's Barack Obama? How come he's not filling this vacuum?

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Speaker 1: Should he needs to be speaking out more? And there's

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Speaker 1: no doubt why is this hand ringing over Obama? Uh?

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Speaker 1: And he's got some interesting voices out there. And I've look,

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Speaker 1: I've been I've been going back and forth myself thinking

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Speaker 1: why are we dragging Obama into this versus?

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Speaker 3: Oh?

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Speaker 1: Wow? The void is so vast in the Democratic Party

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Speaker 1: when it comes to anybody speaking for it. Maybe he

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Speaker 1: is the only voice where you can have every faction

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Speaker 1: inside the Democratic Party listen to him. Certainly, this mess

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Speaker 1: and this absurdity at the DNC with David Hogg and

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Speaker 1: what he may or may not have leaked with that

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Speaker 1: crazy audio I was telling you about previous episode in

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Speaker 1: this whole Ken Martin is his name, by the way,

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Speaker 1: If you're not sure who the chair of the DNC

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Speaker 1: is if you're wondering, is he going to mention the

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Speaker 1: guy's name. Yes, Ken Martin's his name. He's not yet

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Speaker 1: a well known quantity because he really hasn't had a

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Speaker 1: chance to get started because of this controversy involving David Hogg,

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Speaker 1: who of course became most famous after the Parkland shooting.

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Speaker 1: He was a survivor of that. He got elected vice

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Speaker 1: chair and immediately endorsed a plan to primary as many

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Speaker 1: blue state Democrats as they could find, essentially in a

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Speaker 1: new guard versus old guard, and this rattled the DNC leadership,

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Speaker 1: and now they seem to be a bit paralyzed. Right,

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Speaker 1: you see some rallying around Ken Martin. But this league

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Speaker 1: zoom call, We've got a vote this week on hog.

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Speaker 1: It's a mess. This is the type of stuff that

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Speaker 1: maybe you need an elder statesman like Barack Obama to

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Speaker 1: come in and say, guys, this is ridiculous. Why don't

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Speaker 1: you all resign. He's the sort of executive chair and

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Speaker 1: you get sort of you bring you bring some you

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Speaker 1: bring some better people here, maybe get in it. You

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Speaker 1: talk an Eric Holder into actually doing the job or

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Speaker 1: something like that. But there definitely needs to I understand

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Speaker 1: the desire at a time when there's nobody else right,

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Speaker 1: A king Jeffries seems to struggling to meet this moment.

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Speaker 1: Chuck Schumer, I think has already been dismissed by a

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Speaker 1: large share of the Democratic Party thing the establishment. But

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Speaker 1: I think in the as a person that speaks for

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Speaker 1: the party, you know, you have Obviously Joe Biden's not

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Speaker 1: speaking for anybody. I think Kamala Harris is not exactly

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Speaker 1: seen as the person that's going to bring this party together.

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Speaker 1: So there really is only one person where every facet trust,

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Speaker 1: and that's Barack Obama. And so in lieu of anybody else,

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Speaker 1: I guess you say to yourself, oh, let's reach back

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Speaker 1: ten years and find that person. But it's a kin

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Speaker 1: like I've been thinking about this, you know. It's akin

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Speaker 1: to Republicans in nineteen ninety nine, after the disastrous ninety

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Speaker 1: eight midterms where they tried to use impeachment to win,

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Speaker 1: decided we need n you know, assuming Ronald Reagan were

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Speaker 1: still up to it, because he was still alive, then

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Speaker 1: we need Ronald Reagan to come unite the party that

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Speaker 1: had been the same amount of time removed, okay from

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Speaker 1: Reagan leaving to where we are today with Obama, because

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Speaker 1: he's the last president arguably that left with his party

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Speaker 1: still in love with him.

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Speaker 3: Right.

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Speaker 1: I think Democrats were worn out by Bill Clinton after

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Speaker 1: he left. Republicans were definitely worn out by George W. Bush.

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Speaker 1: But if you look the last you know, the two

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Speaker 1: you know, we've had four two term presidents in a row.

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Speaker 1: Excould be four in the last you know previous previous

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Speaker 1: to the to the election of Trump, we had four

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Speaker 1: consecutive two term presidents, right Obama, but four out of five,

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Speaker 1: Sorry I screwed up the first first president Bush and

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Speaker 1: two of them sort of left with approval ratings under

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Speaker 1: fifty and two of them essentially left with approval ratings

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Speaker 1: over fifty five. And that was what Obama and Reagan

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Speaker 1: now look, it is true felt it felt like it

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Speaker 1: took the Republicans a decade to find somebody to replace

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Speaker 1: Reagan as their north star. And it was a struggle,

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Speaker 1: right HW. Bush couldn't fill the vacuum, Bob Bowle couldn't

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Speaker 1: fill the vacuum. Those were arguably of the Reagan generation.

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Speaker 1: I think there was some hope Jack Kemp would fill

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Speaker 1: that void. He didn't do it, and then for a

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Speaker 1: period of time George W. Bush did, right. I think

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Speaker 1: a lot of people never thought it was going to

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Speaker 1: be another Bush that could actually sort of finally take

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Speaker 1: the baton from Reagan and move it forward. But I

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Speaker 1: would argue, at least for the first term Bush did

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Speaker 1: that obviously, between Iraq and the Great Recession, I think

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Speaker 1: the record for George W. Bush doesn't stand up so

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Speaker 1: well to scrutiny these days, although his character, considering what

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Speaker 1: Donald Trump has done as certainly I think elevated the

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Speaker 1: perception of his presidency because he carried himself with honor

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Speaker 1: and distinction. So you so, I've been sitting here going,

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Speaker 1: all right, I guess I get it that in lieu

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Speaker 1: of anybody else stepping up that until there is a

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Speaker 1: Democratic leader, and that next great leader of the party,

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Speaker 1: if they find one, isn't going to happen until the

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Speaker 1: presidential primary process. There isn't anybody in waiting, right there

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Speaker 1: isn't you know. Even in after the al Gore loss

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Speaker 1: in two thousand, you kind of had Hillary Clinton sending

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Speaker 1: out there, you had you did have John Edwards was

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Speaker 1: starting to be seen as somebody you had some people

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Speaker 1: on the move, and so they there weren't people necessarily saying, hey,

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Speaker 1: it has to be Bill Clinton, because that would have

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Speaker 1: been the natural you know, there were right now, though,

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Speaker 1: I do think there is a lot of there's not

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Speaker 1: a lot of faith in the current folks on the

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Speaker 1: bench for the Democratic Party, whether it's Pete Bootage, who

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Speaker 1: I think people worry has now too much Biden baggage.

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Speaker 1: Maybe it's Wes Moore, but you know, he's It's tough

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Speaker 1: for a governor to be the face of the party

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Speaker 1: until they're actually running for president. So it is I

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Speaker 1: So I get the lament about Obama, but I kind of,

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Speaker 1: you know, the it's also a reminder that the Democrats

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Speaker 1: have a real leadership vacuum, right if Obama's the only

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Speaker 1: person they got that might be able to fill the void,

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Speaker 1: that might have the might be able to speak to

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Speaker 1: more than forty percent of America when he speaks out. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: it's him. But I also understand why Team Obama, you know,

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Speaker 1: the former president and folks around him are a bit

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Speaker 1: hesitant because you know, the reason he's preserved is the

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Speaker 1: reason I think he is stayed above the fray. Is

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Speaker 1: he stayed above the fray, and the minute you get

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Speaker 1: into the fray, things can get polarizing again. And is

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Speaker 1: that is that better use? Then again, if the threat

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Speaker 1: of Trump and what he could be doing with the

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Speaker 1: presidency is as grave as some on the left believe,

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Speaker 1: well then there's you know, there's no there's no excuse

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Speaker 1: for not speaking out. So you know, I will let me,

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Speaker 1: let me, let me end this way, the more Obama

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Speaker 1: speaks out, the more concerned. I think a lot of

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Speaker 1: people are going to be that about Trump's presidency, that

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Speaker 1: maybe he is taking us on a course that's anti democratic,

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Speaker 1: to the point of that that that's where we're headed.

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Speaker 1: But it is I certainly think that the obligation, you know,

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Speaker 1: to me, On one hand, Obama fulfilled his obligation. He

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Speaker 1: served two terms, he was you know, leader of the

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Speaker 1: free world, he represented the country, represented his party with distinction.

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Speaker 1: How much more does he owe the country? And I

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Speaker 1: think that's a fair question. Once you build the movement

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Speaker 1: that he did, one could argue, you know, that's a

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Speaker 1: sacrifice that he has to live with for the rest

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Speaker 1: of his life, and that he is obligated to speak out.

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Speaker 1: So I can be persuaded that he hasn't done enough.

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Speaker 1: But it only looks like he hasn't done enough because

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Speaker 1: there's been such a vacuum of leadership in that right.

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Speaker 1: I mean, ultimately, that Joe Biden presidency was a failure

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Speaker 1: for a lot of reasons, but the biggest one to

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Speaker 1: me was the fact that he didn't make the country

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Speaker 1: turn the page on Donald Trump. A better leader would

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Speaker 1: have done that. Is it because he was too old

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Speaker 1: to tour the country? Is it because he was this?

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Speaker 1: I don't know. I don't think we can wargame that.

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Speaker 1: I mean, I'd love to have seen what a sixty

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Speaker 1: five year old, energetic Joe Biden might have looked like,

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Speaker 1: traveling the country selling his plan. Maybe he would have

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Speaker 1: been an engaging person. Maybe it would have been Bill

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Speaker 1: Clinton asked. Maybe he never actually wins the presidency if

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Speaker 1: he's that version, right, you know, maybe the fact that

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Speaker 1: he was silent Joe for most of the twenty twenty campaign,

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Speaker 1: just doing occasional campaigning out of his basement, which was

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Speaker 1: actually against type for Biden, who was considered one of

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Speaker 1: the great talkers of his political generation, Maybe that was

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Speaker 1: an asset, right, You know, that the older version of

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Speaker 1: Biden never was going to get elected president because he

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Speaker 1: wore as welcome too quickly. So but the point is

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Speaker 1: is that the single greatest failure of the Biden presidency

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Speaker 1: is Trump's return, pure and simple, and he owns that.

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Speaker 1: He will always have to own that. And the fact

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Speaker 1: that he couldn't create the conditions to convince the Republican

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Speaker 1: Party to go another direction. Also, you know, you can say, oh,

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Speaker 1: it shouldn't be Biden's job to make the Republican Party

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Speaker 1: go another way. It should have been Biden's job to

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Speaker 1: help move the country past Trump, because that's what he

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Speaker 1: promised he would do. And so the failure to do that,

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Speaker 1: you can say that all the news media didn't give

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Speaker 1: him a chance, or everything's too fragmented. Well, then guess what,

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Speaker 1: he wasn't equipped to do the job. So any excuse

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Speaker 1: you make for why Biden failed only reinforces the notion

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Speaker 1: that he wasn't equipped for the job. So we're here

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Speaker 1: in this massive vacuum, the Democratic Party staring into this

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Speaker 1: sort of abyss, and they do realize that the most

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Speaker 1: popular member of their party is a guy who can't

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Speaker 1: run for president again, and that's Barack Obama. Of course,

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Speaker 1: there is one way Barack Obama becomes relevant if Donald

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Speaker 1: Trump and Steve Bannon figure out think they have figured

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Speaker 1: out a way for him to seek a third term.

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Speaker 1: As I've always joked, there's no better way to cure

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Speaker 1: the right wings anybody on the right who thinks it's

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Speaker 1: a good idea for Trump to seek a third term,

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Speaker 1: than to say, well, if Trump can seek a third term,

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Speaker 1: so can Barack Obama. And is that really something that

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Speaker 1: Donald Trump wants to do? Does he want to be

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Speaker 1: the guy that figures out how to bring Barack Obama

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Speaker 1: back to the presidency? Is that what he wants the

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Speaker 1: legacy of MAGA to be. It's an interesting question that

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Speaker 1: I love asking plenty members of MAGA and those are

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Speaker 1: the right who want to make this crazy rationale for

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Speaker 1: why he should be allowed to seek a third term

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Speaker 1: and say, okay, so then it's Obama Trump. How will

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Speaker 1: that work out?

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Speaker 3: All? Right? With that?

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Speaker 1: I hope you enjoy this preview of what I think

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Speaker 1: is tremendous film festival. It is this, it is Look,

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Speaker 1: there's some great documentary film festivals. My friends up in

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Speaker 1: NYC Docks do a terrific job. This is the premiere

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Speaker 1: one in DC. DC docs. I hope you'll take a listen.

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Speaker 1: I'll hope if you're in DC and you're not interested

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Speaker 1: in watching a parade, that you take a look at

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Speaker 1: the lineup that DC Docks has put together in the

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Speaker 1: buy a ticket. So a few years back, for the

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Speaker 1: seventieth anniversary of Meet the Press, I had this idea

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Speaker 1: of creating a film festival, and I want to Meet

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Speaker 1: the Press to be a sponsor of the film festival.

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Speaker 1: And we worked with some partners at the time, the

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Speaker 1: American Film Institute AFI. They had a docs program and

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Speaker 1: I got and for I think seven years we were

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Speaker 1: able to put together and Meet the Press Film Festival.

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Speaker 1: That is something that the entity that owns Meet the

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Speaker 1: Press has chosen not to be a part of anymore.

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Speaker 1: But the idea of a film festival focused on shorts

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Speaker 1: in particular, but documentaries that are of substance, that are

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Speaker 1: chronicling all sorts of surfacing issues that don't normally get surfaced,

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Speaker 1: is certainly an idea that's alive and well, and some

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Speaker 1: of my former compatriots in this taken it to another level.

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Speaker 1: We have the DC Docs. I think we're in a

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Speaker 1: year this will be year three. I'm done to nods

432
00:25:14,080 --> 00:25:18,080
Speaker 1: from my organizers. Here you yeah, pree DC Docs. I'd

433
00:25:18,160 --> 00:25:20,280
Speaker 1: like to think it has a little bit of the

434
00:25:20,400 --> 00:25:22,680
Speaker 1: DNA of the old Meet the Press Film Festival in it.

435
00:25:23,280 --> 00:25:26,440
Speaker 1: I've got Jamie Shore, who was my partner, one of

436
00:25:26,480 --> 00:25:28,360
Speaker 1: my partners in crime during the Meet the Press Film

437
00:25:28,400 --> 00:25:31,800
Speaker 1: Festival days. She's a co founder, and Sky Sidney is

438
00:25:32,040 --> 00:25:37,399
Speaker 1: joining me. The DC Docs June Film Festival is the

439
00:25:37,520 --> 00:25:41,000
Speaker 1: twelfth through the fifteenth, So when you're assuming you have

440
00:25:41,119 --> 00:25:44,600
Speaker 1: listened to this before June twelfth, go get some tickets.

441
00:25:44,880 --> 00:25:49,040
Speaker 1: This is not free, but it is fantastic. It will

442
00:25:49,080 --> 00:25:53,680
Speaker 1: be four days of incredible programming, some of which you

443
00:25:53,800 --> 00:25:56,879
Speaker 1: might find controversial, but that's the whole point of a documentary.

444
00:25:56,960 --> 00:25:59,560
Speaker 1: So Jamie and Sky, welcome to the podcast.

445
00:26:00,640 --> 00:26:02,840
Speaker 4: Thank you, Thank you, Jamie.

446
00:26:03,160 --> 00:26:05,120
Speaker 1: Since you and I've been doing this a long time,

447
00:26:05,240 --> 00:26:09,080
Speaker 1: tell me about d C Docs and and how it's

448
00:26:09,200 --> 00:26:13,000
Speaker 1: going in year three. And I have to tell you

449
00:26:13,160 --> 00:26:15,560
Speaker 1: this thing it looks bigger and better than ever.

450
00:26:17,160 --> 00:26:19,680
Speaker 3: It absolutely is, and thank you for having us on.

451
00:26:20,560 --> 00:26:22,840
Speaker 2: You're the second person today who's asked me if this

452
00:26:23,000 --> 00:26:26,199
Speaker 2: is year three, which is question since that is just.

453
00:26:26,320 --> 00:26:29,800
Speaker 1: Well we did that. I mean it's years, right, I mean, well, A,

454
00:26:29,920 --> 00:26:32,160
Speaker 1: there have been long years and B in some ways

455
00:26:32,160 --> 00:26:34,800
Speaker 1: we've been doing this for a decade, right and in

456
00:26:34,960 --> 00:26:37,600
Speaker 1: many of right many, and you've been doing it even

457
00:26:37,640 --> 00:26:40,320
Speaker 1: longer than that. And many of the filmmakers, you know,

458
00:26:40,359 --> 00:26:42,880
Speaker 1: they're like, oh, you've changed the name, but I'm still

459
00:26:42,920 --> 00:26:47,960
Speaker 1: coming to the DC event, right type of mindset I imagine, right, Jamie.

460
00:26:47,760 --> 00:26:51,040
Speaker 2: Yeah, you know three three years ago when when we

461
00:26:51,200 --> 00:26:55,240
Speaker 2: realized that DC city that we all love and care

462
00:26:55,359 --> 00:26:58,480
Speaker 2: about immensely and this market was going to be I

463
00:26:58,520 --> 00:27:00,440
Speaker 2: guess it was four years ago. Now, Sky, there was

464
00:27:00,520 --> 00:27:04,400
Speaker 2: going to be without a documentary film festival, a June.

465
00:27:04,240 --> 00:27:08,840
Speaker 1: Gathering up the world's capital. Right without a documentary film

466
00:27:08,920 --> 00:27:11,080
Speaker 1: festival seemed as.

467
00:27:11,320 --> 00:27:14,560
Speaker 2: Yeah, a well known film journalist said to me, and

468
00:27:14,680 --> 00:27:18,200
Speaker 2: I was lamenting it. You know, maybe you should reach

469
00:27:18,240 --> 00:27:22,240
Speaker 2: out to Sky and Sidney who was the longtime director

470
00:27:22,400 --> 00:27:26,159
Speaker 2: of Silver Docks and then of a double exposure, And

471
00:27:27,040 --> 00:27:29,200
Speaker 2: I just texted her and I said, hey, Sky.

472
00:27:29,240 --> 00:27:31,000
Speaker 3: Do you want to We didn't know each other that well.

473
00:27:31,080 --> 00:27:32,879
Speaker 3: Then said do you want to get coffee with me?

474
00:27:33,320 --> 00:27:37,280
Speaker 3: And she responded maybe? In what seven seconds later, She's like, yes,

475
00:27:37,359 --> 00:27:39,040
Speaker 3: I know what you want to talk about, let's do it.

476
00:27:39,720 --> 00:27:41,120
Speaker 3: And so that's how it was born.

477
00:27:42,000 --> 00:27:43,840
Speaker 2: For those of you who are listening to this locally

478
00:27:44,080 --> 00:27:46,120
Speaker 2: at Black Coffee on MacArthur.

479
00:27:45,840 --> 00:27:48,639
Speaker 3: Boulevard and just saying, should we do this?

480
00:27:48,840 --> 00:27:52,240
Speaker 2: This is crazy, but it's not crazy, and it's necessary,

481
00:27:53,280 --> 00:27:56,760
Speaker 2: and we've just been you know, sort of overwhelmed in

482
00:27:56,880 --> 00:27:59,560
Speaker 2: the last three years. So, you know, three plus years

483
00:27:59,680 --> 00:28:02,440
Speaker 2: that we've been doing this with you know, the warm

484
00:28:02,480 --> 00:28:04,439
Speaker 2: and brace we've gotten from the city, we've gotten from

485
00:28:04,480 --> 00:28:07,520
Speaker 2: the documentary community, from all of the people in New York.

486
00:28:07,359 --> 00:28:10,400
Speaker 3: In LA and who come to us now who said,

487
00:28:10,520 --> 00:28:12,800
Speaker 3: you know, we want to be in d C at

488
00:28:12,880 --> 00:28:15,840
Speaker 3: this point in the year. We want everything that DC

489
00:28:16,000 --> 00:28:19,600
Speaker 3: has to offer our documentaries. And so here we are

490
00:28:19,680 --> 00:28:20,320
Speaker 3: in year three.

491
00:28:20,960 --> 00:28:24,160
Speaker 2: You know, every year brings its challenges, it's complicating factors,

492
00:28:24,240 --> 00:28:25,040
Speaker 2: but we're doing it.

493
00:28:25,240 --> 00:28:26,520
Speaker 3: But Scott, we're doing it.

494
00:28:27,200 --> 00:28:29,960
Speaker 4: We are certainly doing it absolutely well.

495
00:28:30,000 --> 00:28:33,400
Speaker 1: Scott, tell me more fill in the blanks. What's tell

496
00:28:33,400 --> 00:28:35,879
Speaker 1: me about your vision here and how you fused it

497
00:28:36,000 --> 00:28:37,400
Speaker 1: with Jamis.

498
00:28:37,960 --> 00:28:41,600
Speaker 4: Yeah, Well, what brought me to d C now about

499
00:28:41,640 --> 00:28:44,640
Speaker 4: twenty years ago was in fact becoming the director of

500
00:28:44,720 --> 00:28:48,240
Speaker 4: programming for that brand new just a couple of years

501
00:28:48,320 --> 00:28:54,360
Speaker 4: under it spelt Documentary Festival Silverdoc, which transformed into AFI

502
00:28:54,480 --> 00:28:56,800
Speaker 4: Docs and I was there a little bit in that transition,

503
00:28:57,560 --> 00:29:00,240
Speaker 4: and when I first arrived, I thought I would be

504
00:29:00,320 --> 00:29:02,080
Speaker 4: here for a few years and of course make my

505
00:29:02,160 --> 00:29:05,640
Speaker 4: way back to New York, where film, you know, was

506
00:29:06,000 --> 00:29:08,840
Speaker 4: the center, and I fell in love with d C

507
00:29:09,200 --> 00:29:11,480
Speaker 4: and I fell in love and I saw very quickly

508
00:29:11,800 --> 00:29:17,040
Speaker 4: the incredible unique space that a documentary film festival could

509
00:29:17,120 --> 00:29:21,680
Speaker 4: offer in this region. And when you know, just like Jamiane,

510
00:29:21,720 --> 00:29:24,120
Speaker 4: that's why I responded so very quickly to this call.

511
00:29:25,360 --> 00:29:30,120
Speaker 4: I think that that Washington d C is the intersection

512
00:29:31,160 --> 00:29:35,600
Speaker 4: of the ways in which films can The platform that

513
00:29:35,640 --> 00:29:39,080
Speaker 4: we can provide for films is unlike anything else that

514
00:29:39,240 --> 00:29:41,000
Speaker 4: not only the nation, but the world I think has

515
00:29:41,080 --> 00:29:45,360
Speaker 4: to offer. And for us, it's not just film that

516
00:29:46,000 --> 00:29:48,480
Speaker 4: perhaps can speak truth to power, although certainly that is

517
00:29:48,520 --> 00:29:51,880
Speaker 4: a part of it, but also, you know, we celebrate

518
00:29:51,960 --> 00:29:56,320
Speaker 4: films that bring a tremendous amount of artistry and just

519
00:29:56,400 --> 00:30:01,280
Speaker 4: an incredible diverse plate of content. And for me, that's

520
00:30:01,400 --> 00:30:03,720
Speaker 4: just been my passion from day one. And when we

521
00:30:03,800 --> 00:30:07,160
Speaker 4: knew that this city would be without it, it was

522
00:30:07,320 --> 00:30:09,480
Speaker 4: very it was immediately clear, you know that we wanted

523
00:30:09,520 --> 00:30:10,600
Speaker 4: to fill in that void.

524
00:30:12,200 --> 00:30:14,320
Speaker 1: Well, you know, Jamie, the reason I was so into

525
00:30:14,360 --> 00:30:18,120
Speaker 1: it in particular as well, and Sky you're sort of

526
00:30:18,200 --> 00:30:21,160
Speaker 1: touching on this was I think what makes DC a

527
00:30:21,200 --> 00:30:25,200
Speaker 1: more powerful location than CAN, than LA, than New York

528
00:30:26,040 --> 00:30:29,920
Speaker 1: is simply the potential audience that can turn an idea

529
00:30:30,040 --> 00:30:33,880
Speaker 1: into actual action. Because let's be honest, Jamie, I don't

530
00:30:33,920 --> 00:30:36,840
Speaker 1: think a lot of members of Congress are going to CAN.

531
00:30:36,920 --> 00:30:38,400
Speaker 1: I don't think a lot of members of Congress are

532
00:30:38,400 --> 00:30:40,360
Speaker 1: going to NYC Docs. And I say this, I love

533
00:30:40,520 --> 00:30:45,640
Speaker 1: NYC Docs, an incredible program. But the opportunity here to

534
00:30:45,800 --> 00:30:50,560
Speaker 1: actually sort of almost force feed some of these ideas

535
00:30:50,680 --> 00:30:55,200
Speaker 1: into the DC ecosystem, actually can trans take ideas and

536
00:30:55,280 --> 00:30:57,200
Speaker 1: have them translated into actual action.

537
00:31:00,160 --> 00:31:02,800
Speaker 3: We've always that has always been important to us. And

538
00:31:02,880 --> 00:31:04,760
Speaker 3: we talk about the mix of things.

539
00:31:04,800 --> 00:31:08,240
Speaker 2: And it's not just that because here we run into

540
00:31:08,280 --> 00:31:10,640
Speaker 2: members of Congress at the supermarket. But you know, it's

541
00:31:10,720 --> 00:31:14,880
Speaker 2: not there are local celebrities, but they also buy groceries.

542
00:31:14,400 --> 00:31:16,840
Speaker 3: And they you know, and they go to Starbucks and

543
00:31:16,880 --> 00:31:17,920
Speaker 3: all of those kinds of things.

544
00:31:17,960 --> 00:31:20,600
Speaker 2: But that's the unique access that we have and maybe

545
00:31:20,640 --> 00:31:22,800
Speaker 2: it becomes ho hum for us every once in a while,

546
00:31:22,880 --> 00:31:24,440
Speaker 2: but it's not for everybody else.

547
00:31:24,840 --> 00:31:26,720
Speaker 3: And they come here for that access.

548
00:31:26,760 --> 00:31:30,560
Speaker 2: But it's not just access to those who are you know,

549
00:31:31,320 --> 00:31:33,480
Speaker 2: who are in the legislative branch or the executive branch.

550
00:31:33,560 --> 00:31:38,720
Speaker 2: It's also the platform of journalism, the platform of stakeholder groups,

551
00:31:38,760 --> 00:31:42,560
Speaker 2: to NGOs and CBOs and all of those, all of

552
00:31:42,640 --> 00:31:46,680
Speaker 2: that Washington parlance, that are people who can amplify ideas

553
00:31:47,320 --> 00:31:50,400
Speaker 2: and that's what's so important. You know, it may be

554
00:31:50,920 --> 00:31:53,200
Speaker 2: a film about government overreach, or it may be a

555
00:31:53,320 --> 00:31:56,040
Speaker 2: film about you know, in president, because we certainly have plenty.

556
00:31:56,120 --> 00:31:58,840
Speaker 2: We can talk about the nitty gritty of Ukraine or

557
00:31:59,800 --> 00:32:02,960
Speaker 2: you know, issues that are on the news every single day.

558
00:32:03,040 --> 00:32:06,000
Speaker 2: But it's not just that we're top heavy. We want

559
00:32:06,080 --> 00:32:08,680
Speaker 2: to make sure that we're getting stories out that actually

560
00:32:08,800 --> 00:32:12,560
Speaker 2: do There are sports films. There's a sports film related

561
00:32:12,640 --> 00:32:16,560
Speaker 2: to early onset Alzheimer's and how a family navigates that.

562
00:32:16,960 --> 00:32:19,040
Speaker 3: There's a policy component to that as well.

563
00:32:19,200 --> 00:32:23,600
Speaker 2: There are music film There are all kinds of genre

564
00:32:23,840 --> 00:32:27,920
Speaker 2: here that we dig into that have a place in Washington,

565
00:32:28,000 --> 00:32:28,240
Speaker 2: d C.

566
00:32:29,000 --> 00:32:31,280
Speaker 3: And do we move the book order, do we just

567
00:32:31,400 --> 00:32:31,800
Speaker 3: create a.

568
00:32:31,880 --> 00:32:35,000
Speaker 2: Community around a film because we have people who are

569
00:32:35,080 --> 00:32:36,840
Speaker 2: going to go and sit through it and then talk

570
00:32:36,880 --> 00:32:39,760
Speaker 2: about it and then elevate it and help these films

571
00:32:39,920 --> 00:32:43,520
Speaker 2: find audiences outside of the confines of the four walls

572
00:32:43,560 --> 00:32:45,680
Speaker 2: in which we present this and that is just as

573
00:32:45,720 --> 00:32:46,760
Speaker 2: important to what we're.

574
00:32:46,600 --> 00:32:47,720
Speaker 4: Doing, you know.

575
00:32:47,800 --> 00:32:49,480
Speaker 1: And the other thing, s guy, is the barrier to

576
00:32:49,600 --> 00:32:51,760
Speaker 1: entry to make a documentary has actually never been lower,

577
00:32:52,200 --> 00:32:54,840
Speaker 1: which means that there's a lot of great journalists who

578
00:32:54,880 --> 00:32:57,880
Speaker 1: may be amateur filmmakers who are giving it a try,

579
00:32:58,520 --> 00:33:01,680
Speaker 1: or have an opportunity to match with an experienced filmmaker

580
00:33:02,880 --> 00:33:06,760
Speaker 1: and collaborate. And this is the you know, the I

581
00:33:07,000 --> 00:33:10,760
Speaker 1: was obsessed with shorts right the forty minute or less

582
00:33:11,160 --> 00:33:14,480
Speaker 1: documentary because I thought, you know that, that's certainly you

583
00:33:14,560 --> 00:33:17,400
Speaker 1: know that, And I do think in today's episodic mindset

584
00:33:17,520 --> 00:33:20,680
Speaker 1: of how people consume just all content, forty minutes is

585
00:33:20,680 --> 00:33:23,120
Speaker 1: a nice sweet spot, right that thirty to forty minute

586
00:33:23,160 --> 00:33:25,920
Speaker 1: you can really convey. That's the length of most episodes,

587
00:33:25,960 --> 00:33:29,479
Speaker 1: whether it's a drama, thriller, comedy, well it's it can

588
00:33:29,560 --> 00:33:31,840
Speaker 1: be that way with a doc. And I love feature

589
00:33:31,920 --> 00:33:33,760
Speaker 1: length docs, and there's some terrific ones I want to

590
00:33:33,800 --> 00:33:39,040
Speaker 1: talk about that, but I'm curious how many submissions did

591
00:33:39,080 --> 00:33:43,000
Speaker 1: you have that you didn't use, Like, what was this

592
00:33:43,200 --> 00:33:45,920
Speaker 1: year and how did you you know, did you end

593
00:33:46,000 --> 00:33:47,880
Speaker 1: up having to weed out some good stuff just because

594
00:33:47,880 --> 00:33:48,840
Speaker 1: there was too much material?

595
00:33:49,600 --> 00:33:52,360
Speaker 4: One always has to beat out good stuff, and it's

596
00:33:52,480 --> 00:33:55,920
Speaker 4: it's very, very painful. You know, only the programmers know

597
00:33:56,320 --> 00:33:58,800
Speaker 4: all the different possible directions we could have gone in

598
00:33:59,440 --> 00:34:03,760
Speaker 4: before you finalize your slate. And so this year, I

599
00:34:03,800 --> 00:34:06,600
Speaker 4: think we received us about a thousand submissions, which actually.

600
00:34:06,400 --> 00:34:09,239
Speaker 1: Believe it or not, is in totally speat your length

601
00:34:09,400 --> 00:34:10,520
Speaker 1: and short.

602
00:34:10,440 --> 00:34:14,720
Speaker 4: Exactly exactly, and I anticipate will continue to be receiving

603
00:34:14,800 --> 00:34:17,799
Speaker 4: more and more in the years to come. I think

604
00:34:17,800 --> 00:34:20,439
Speaker 4: it's because we're three years old. People believe or not still,

605
00:34:20,800 --> 00:34:23,040
Speaker 4: I shouldn't say believe it or not. It's believable. They're

606
00:34:23,040 --> 00:34:26,400
Speaker 4: still learning about us. Sure, And I'm not necessarily wishing

607
00:34:26,640 --> 00:34:28,120
Speaker 4: that we get to a point where we have three

608
00:34:28,200 --> 00:34:29,719
Speaker 4: thousand submissions.

609
00:34:29,200 --> 00:34:31,319
Speaker 1: To because then all you and Jamie will be doing

610
00:34:31,440 --> 00:34:33,880
Speaker 1: is watching submissions. That's exactly is what you'll do for

611
00:34:33,960 --> 00:34:36,120
Speaker 1: eleven months, That's right. Somehow you'll have to.

612
00:34:36,160 --> 00:34:38,799
Speaker 4: Plot quite accurate, quite accurate, but when you were saying

613
00:34:38,880 --> 00:34:41,840
Speaker 4: that the barrier of kind of admission to do this,

614
00:34:42,440 --> 00:34:47,239
Speaker 4: it struck me that there's it's related to a little

615
00:34:47,239 --> 00:34:49,560
Speaker 4: bit to the function and role of a film festival

616
00:34:50,040 --> 00:34:53,600
Speaker 4: over time. Once upon a time, you know, when film

617
00:34:53,640 --> 00:34:58,320
Speaker 4: festivals were first created quite frankly, Mussolini interesting fact, you know,

618
00:34:58,400 --> 00:35:01,480
Speaker 4: with created the very first film that still exists today,

619
00:35:01,560 --> 00:35:05,320
Speaker 4: the Venice Film Festival. This was a place of scarcity.

620
00:35:05,400 --> 00:35:07,800
Speaker 4: You know, the film festival was doing something very specific.

621
00:35:07,880 --> 00:35:11,040
Speaker 4: They were they were almost the only way in which

622
00:35:11,400 --> 00:35:16,160
Speaker 4: audiences could discover films, and there was, you know, very

623
00:35:16,239 --> 00:35:21,719
Speaker 4: little content that you know, that that could surface. Now

624
00:35:22,000 --> 00:35:25,200
Speaker 4: a festival is almost kind of parsing through the abundance

625
00:35:26,640 --> 00:35:27,720
Speaker 4: and take.

626
00:35:27,640 --> 00:35:30,440
Speaker 1: A more curator. You're like the art director at the

627
00:35:30,560 --> 00:35:34,319
Speaker 1: National Gallery trying to feature the best, Like I'm you're

628
00:35:34,360 --> 00:35:35,680
Speaker 1: a filter rather than a.

629
00:35:35,880 --> 00:35:39,680
Speaker 4: Yes, that's that's right, and and so kind of now

630
00:35:39,960 --> 00:35:43,120
Speaker 4: in an error where you just turn on TikTok if

631
00:35:43,560 --> 00:35:46,640
Speaker 4: you're of a particular generation or streaming platforms or as

632
00:35:46,680 --> 00:35:50,160
Speaker 4: you know, an online platform. Now it's not a matter

633
00:35:50,239 --> 00:35:52,360
Speaker 4: of not being ab to find content, it's being to

634
00:35:52,440 --> 00:35:57,759
Speaker 4: find content. Perhaps that has that's that's has that's valuable

635
00:35:58,440 --> 00:36:00,480
Speaker 4: in a certain way. And of course there's that their

636
00:36:00,520 --> 00:36:03,239
Speaker 4: state keeping in that and there one could criticize what

637
00:36:03,320 --> 00:36:07,319
Speaker 4: that means to decide, you know, ascribe a value to things.

638
00:36:07,920 --> 00:36:09,799
Speaker 4: But I think that the role of a festival right now,

639
00:36:10,520 --> 00:36:13,680
Speaker 4: in a period of time in which there is this

640
00:36:13,800 --> 00:36:17,919
Speaker 4: low barrier of entry, has really shifted to something about

641
00:36:18,120 --> 00:36:21,680
Speaker 4: kind of shining a spotlight on important content that's worthy

642
00:36:21,719 --> 00:36:22,640
Speaker 4: of our time and attention.

643
00:36:23,480 --> 00:36:26,759
Speaker 1: Jamie, You've got films in here that have already buy

644
00:36:26,800 --> 00:36:29,400
Speaker 1: ins from Netflix and from Hulu and from some of

645
00:36:29,440 --> 00:36:33,600
Speaker 1: the major streamers out there. But do you have docs

646
00:36:33,680 --> 00:36:36,640
Speaker 1: that you're featuring that don't yet have a major partner

647
00:36:36,719 --> 00:36:39,239
Speaker 1: and are looking for one? Is this also a yeah?

648
00:36:40,400 --> 00:36:46,120
Speaker 2: Most good to know, you know, it's a it's this

649
00:36:46,320 --> 00:36:48,719
Speaker 2: is the and Sky can speak to this as well.

650
00:36:49,040 --> 00:36:50,800
Speaker 2: This is you know, this is the role of a

651
00:36:50,840 --> 00:36:54,440
Speaker 2: documentary film festival. We have to we have to, you know,

652
00:36:54,640 --> 00:36:58,080
Speaker 2: give the give voice to these documentaries and find a

653
00:36:58,200 --> 00:36:59,000
Speaker 2: home for them here.

654
00:36:59,120 --> 00:36:59,800
Speaker 3: And we look at this.

655
00:37:00,920 --> 00:37:03,680
Speaker 1: We're you're not just let Netflix going on, Hey, just

656
00:37:03,960 --> 00:37:07,680
Speaker 1: focus all our Netflix stuff right careful? How much of

657
00:37:07,760 --> 00:37:09,319
Speaker 1: that that you let me just say?

658
00:37:09,440 --> 00:37:10,280
Speaker 3: You do love Netflix?

659
00:37:10,480 --> 00:37:10,920
Speaker 4: We love it.

660
00:37:11,080 --> 00:37:13,600
Speaker 3: We love it, and we love the two Netflix films

661
00:37:13,640 --> 00:37:15,280
Speaker 3: that we have Apocalypse.

662
00:37:15,360 --> 00:37:18,480
Speaker 1: I let me pause here. Netflix has helped supercharge interest

663
00:37:18,560 --> 00:37:22,080
Speaker 1: in docs, so like network, I mean, the whole Netflix

664
00:37:22,960 --> 00:37:27,880
Speaker 1: culture has essentially allowed for for for for this I

665
00:37:27,960 --> 00:37:30,120
Speaker 1: think community to thrive in a way that didn't in

666
00:37:30,200 --> 00:37:32,680
Speaker 1: the I mean, I think about I think about you

667
00:37:32,760 --> 00:37:34,680
Speaker 1: talk about Mussolini in the film Festival. You know, I

668
00:37:34,719 --> 00:37:36,800
Speaker 1: think about in the nineties, you had to go to

669
00:37:36,880 --> 00:37:39,879
Speaker 1: this crappy theater, the Florida Avenue Theater, and go see

670
00:37:39,920 --> 00:37:43,279
Speaker 1: a cool documentary. It was the only place. And yeah,

671
00:37:44,200 --> 00:37:46,680
Speaker 1: you know, you weren't even getting it at Blockbuster, right,

672
00:37:46,760 --> 00:37:49,640
Speaker 1: you know, good luck finding that anywhere anyway. Sorry, go ahead, and.

673
00:37:49,640 --> 00:37:51,680
Speaker 2: Jamie no, I mean, and look, I want to say

674
00:37:51,719 --> 00:37:54,080
Speaker 2: the other Netflix title just because I you know, The

675
00:37:54,120 --> 00:37:59,000
Speaker 2: Perfect Neighbor, which is just a riveting film. And we're

676
00:37:59,080 --> 00:38:01,040
Speaker 2: so excited to have both of these titles. And I

677
00:38:01,160 --> 00:38:03,360
Speaker 2: have to say, you know, especially when it comes to

678
00:38:03,440 --> 00:38:05,840
Speaker 2: the Netflix and the and the not Geos of the.

679
00:38:05,920 --> 00:38:09,239
Speaker 3: World, they came in very early in year one to

680
00:38:09,280 --> 00:38:12,400
Speaker 3: support us, and you know, we we.

681
00:38:12,480 --> 00:38:15,400
Speaker 1: Can't do this without That's not what they want. And

682
00:38:15,760 --> 00:38:17,640
Speaker 1: they kind of get it right, like, look, you're not

683
00:38:17,719 --> 00:38:19,759
Speaker 1: there to just feature their stuff. They know that if

684
00:38:19,800 --> 00:38:22,240
Speaker 1: they want to find new filmmakers, they got to support

685
00:38:22,280 --> 00:38:24,439
Speaker 1: the essentially support the industry if you will.

686
00:38:24,520 --> 00:38:27,040
Speaker 2: And yeah, and this is and this goes to, you know,

687
00:38:27,280 --> 00:38:29,560
Speaker 2: an earlier line of questioning that you had, and that

688
00:38:29,680 --> 00:38:32,600
Speaker 2: why they want to be here in June in the

689
00:38:32,719 --> 00:38:35,759
Speaker 2: calendar year is very important they curate their list to

690
00:38:35,920 --> 00:38:38,000
Speaker 2: us at the same you know, at the same time

691
00:38:38,080 --> 00:38:39,680
Speaker 2: that we are, you know, we meet in the middle

692
00:38:39,840 --> 00:38:44,000
Speaker 2: of this curation. But because June has become really the

693
00:38:44,120 --> 00:38:47,080
Speaker 2: beginning for the Oscar season and we're starting to see

694
00:38:47,239 --> 00:38:49,640
Speaker 2: a table setting of you know, what films are going

695
00:38:49,680 --> 00:38:51,880
Speaker 2: to be there in January and February in terms of

696
00:38:52,560 --> 00:38:56,799
Speaker 2: in terms of awards. That having having this platform here

697
00:38:56,920 --> 00:38:59,680
Speaker 2: is just incredibly important to them and their ability to

698
00:38:59,760 --> 00:39:03,720
Speaker 2: reach both you know, the politics, the policy, and the press.

699
00:39:03,719 --> 00:39:05,400
Speaker 2: And it's not allowed you I don't want people to

700
00:39:05,440 --> 00:39:07,120
Speaker 2: misconstrue the politics part of it.

701
00:39:07,239 --> 00:39:10,000
Speaker 3: It is not electoral politics. It's the city that we

702
00:39:10,160 --> 00:39:11,320
Speaker 3: live in and the policy.

703
00:39:11,400 --> 00:39:14,200
Speaker 2: And you know, everybody makes the film for a reason,

704
00:39:14,480 --> 00:39:16,800
Speaker 2: and you know, do they want to affect change in

705
00:39:16,920 --> 00:39:19,920
Speaker 2: some way? And the press that's here that they can

706
00:39:20,000 --> 00:39:21,920
Speaker 2: see this and can amplify it and get it off

707
00:39:21,960 --> 00:39:23,080
Speaker 2: of entertainment pages.

708
00:39:23,480 --> 00:39:25,840
Speaker 3: They see this, this is a unique opportunity.

709
00:39:25,920 --> 00:39:28,759
Speaker 2: But they are you know, they joined forces with us,

710
00:39:28,880 --> 00:39:31,960
Speaker 2: and when we said we were bringing this festival to Washington,

711
00:39:32,000 --> 00:39:33,400
Speaker 2: they immediately said we're in.

712
00:39:34,440 --> 00:39:37,279
Speaker 1: And now look one of my favorites returning. One of

713
00:39:37,360 --> 00:39:39,600
Speaker 1: my favorite validations for the Meet the Press Film Festival,

714
00:39:39,640 --> 00:39:42,520
Speaker 1: which I'd like to think helped, you know, keep the

715
00:39:42,680 --> 00:39:45,960
Speaker 1: flame alive here for it was we had I think

716
00:39:46,040 --> 00:39:48,640
Speaker 1: every year we had at least one film get nominated

717
00:39:48,719 --> 00:39:49,880
Speaker 1: for an Oscar and I think we.

718
00:39:49,920 --> 00:39:51,319
Speaker 3: Have two unders over six years.

719
00:39:51,440 --> 00:39:53,759
Speaker 1: Yeah no, but at least one every every year. And

720
00:39:53,760 --> 00:39:56,120
Speaker 1: when I think one year, it was just the coolest

721
00:39:56,160 --> 00:39:58,040
Speaker 1: thing that Oscars came out and you're like, hey, three

722
00:39:58,120 --> 00:40:00,720
Speaker 1: of the five shorts we had, you know type that's amazing.

723
00:40:00,800 --> 00:40:01,399
Speaker 3: That was the first.

724
00:40:01,560 --> 00:40:03,239
Speaker 2: That was the first year for the Meet the Press

725
00:40:03,239 --> 00:40:06,160
Speaker 2: Film Festival, the year with Heroin from Netflix.

726
00:40:06,120 --> 00:40:09,279
Speaker 1: Remember the other ones help and and I remember that

727
00:40:09,440 --> 00:40:12,280
Speaker 1: the filmmakers were like, thank you so much for giving

728
00:40:12,400 --> 00:40:15,040
Speaker 1: us a place. And you don't really realize that these

729
00:40:15,480 --> 00:40:18,360
Speaker 1: I don't want to, but it turns out these awards.

730
00:40:18,800 --> 00:40:22,799
Speaker 1: Shows don't necessarily go look for new stuff. They wait

731
00:40:22,880 --> 00:40:25,120
Speaker 1: for festivals like us to show up and shove the

732
00:40:25,200 --> 00:40:27,359
Speaker 1: new stuff in their face, right, Scott.

733
00:40:27,719 --> 00:40:32,000
Speaker 4: Yeah, I think I don't want to say exclusively, but

734
00:40:32,120 --> 00:40:36,400
Speaker 4: certainly festivals have the potential to really amplify these titles

735
00:40:36,480 --> 00:40:40,319
Speaker 4: and bring that really essential visibility to them. And if

736
00:40:40,360 --> 00:40:43,160
Speaker 4: it's not if it's not just because they appear in

737
00:40:43,280 --> 00:40:46,080
Speaker 4: the program, it's also because they're often in our case,

738
00:40:46,120 --> 00:40:50,560
Speaker 4: certainly bringing Ampus voting members into the seats and creating

739
00:40:50,719 --> 00:40:54,480
Speaker 4: opportunities for visibility for people who have well, let's uh.

740
00:40:54,640 --> 00:40:58,040
Speaker 1: Let's let's amplify some some some Let's start with the

741
00:40:58,120 --> 00:41:01,080
Speaker 1: feature feature length ones. Here, got my list in front

742
00:41:01,120 --> 00:41:03,400
Speaker 1: of me, and before I start throwing out titles that

743
00:41:03,520 --> 00:41:06,719
Speaker 1: look interesting to me, Sky, give me two or three

744
00:41:06,800 --> 00:41:09,480
Speaker 1: of the feature films that you're most excited about feature

745
00:41:09,520 --> 00:41:12,799
Speaker 1: link documentaries. Basically, it means about ninety minutes or when

746
00:41:12,840 --> 00:41:16,520
Speaker 1: we say feature link's choice, I know, I know, get

747
00:41:16,560 --> 00:41:19,560
Speaker 1: me to look and I'll give you another shot at it.

748
00:41:19,680 --> 00:41:22,279
Speaker 1: But give me, okay, first two that come to mind.

749
00:41:22,360 --> 00:41:27,480
Speaker 4: Boom, go okay, mister nobody versus putin a really fascinating

750
00:41:27,560 --> 00:41:32,320
Speaker 4: film about a teacher in Russia who is forced to

751
00:41:33,320 --> 00:41:38,560
Speaker 4: start changing the curriculum to be, you know, advocating for

752
00:41:39,600 --> 00:41:43,200
Speaker 4: you know, kind of bringing propaganda messages to children, who

753
00:41:43,360 --> 00:41:46,960
Speaker 4: decides that his way to radically oppose this is to

754
00:41:47,040 --> 00:41:52,800
Speaker 4: start documenting it, and takes extraordinary risk to reveal this

755
00:41:53,040 --> 00:41:56,880
Speaker 4: kind of indoctrination that's starting to happen, to transform the

756
00:41:56,920 --> 00:41:59,520
Speaker 4: way these young people are thinking about the war in

757
00:41:59,640 --> 00:42:06,360
Speaker 4: Ukraine and it's justification. It manages to be both humorous

758
00:42:06,680 --> 00:42:11,239
Speaker 4: and deadly serious and a little bit investigative, and it's

759
00:42:11,320 --> 00:42:14,200
Speaker 4: just a really surprising and interesting and important film.

760
00:42:14,680 --> 00:42:16,479
Speaker 1: And I'm guessing there are lessons in there that aren't

761
00:42:16,520 --> 00:42:19,360
Speaker 1: just about Russia, you correct, So what happens when a

762
00:42:19,440 --> 00:42:23,360
Speaker 1: government decides it wants to re educate?

763
00:42:24,120 --> 00:42:26,480
Speaker 4: Yes, that's always. That's always the kind of a phantom

764
00:42:26,640 --> 00:42:28,880
Speaker 4: presence of some of these films where you get to

765
00:42:28,960 --> 00:42:32,840
Speaker 4: see the shadow that hovering, And you're absolutely right. I

766
00:42:32,880 --> 00:42:35,600
Speaker 4: think anyone sitting in the audience watching this film can't

767
00:42:35,680 --> 00:42:38,680
Speaker 4: help but see the echo of what's happening in our

768
00:42:38,719 --> 00:42:39,200
Speaker 4: own lives.

769
00:42:39,560 --> 00:42:41,319
Speaker 1: And that's always the power of these All right, give

770
00:42:41,360 --> 00:42:44,840
Speaker 1: me another one, Okay, Jamie, you want to no, you go,

771
00:42:44,880 --> 00:42:47,320
Speaker 1: I'm gonna get out. Don't worry. Okay, okay, okay, no, no,

772
00:42:47,640 --> 00:42:49,960
Speaker 1: this is always good. It really focuses the mind.

773
00:42:49,920 --> 00:42:52,479
Speaker 4: Right, they just do it, you know, Okay, gosh okay.

774
00:42:52,520 --> 00:42:55,120
Speaker 4: I did just talk about this film recently. But two

775
00:42:55,200 --> 00:42:58,200
Speaker 4: thousand Meters to Andrika, this is These are tough films,

776
00:42:58,239 --> 00:43:01,399
Speaker 4: but this is the follow up by the filmmaker who

777
00:43:02,160 --> 00:43:04,400
Speaker 4: had the Academy Award winning Twenty Days in Marupol a

778
00:43:04,440 --> 00:43:06,880
Speaker 4: couple of days ago. It's keeping the Ukraine War very

779
00:43:07,000 --> 00:43:10,080
Speaker 4: upfront and center. In this case, it embeds itself with

780
00:43:10,160 --> 00:43:13,200
Speaker 4: a platoon who are literally traversing two thousand meters to

781
00:43:13,320 --> 00:43:16,040
Speaker 4: liberate a small town that had been occupied by Russia,

782
00:43:16,320 --> 00:43:19,200
Speaker 4: which is so decimated it's pretty much just rubble at

783
00:43:19,239 --> 00:43:21,719
Speaker 4: this point, absolute rubble. So there is a kind of

784
00:43:22,200 --> 00:43:24,680
Speaker 4: questioning of what are we doing, what exactly are we liberating?

785
00:43:25,160 --> 00:43:31,160
Speaker 4: But the filmmaker embeds himself and we experienced it as

786
00:43:31,480 --> 00:43:35,640
Speaker 4: these young men experience it. Sometimes we lose bight of

787
00:43:35,840 --> 00:43:38,440
Speaker 4: the person we've attached ourselves to because they don't make it.

788
00:43:39,520 --> 00:43:43,240
Speaker 4: And I feel like this is the most visceral experience

789
00:43:43,280 --> 00:43:46,239
Speaker 4: I've ever had cinematically of what it must be like.

790
00:43:47,360 --> 00:43:49,120
Speaker 4: Of course it's not the same, and I don't want

791
00:43:49,160 --> 00:43:53,360
Speaker 4: to suggest that, but it's so visceral of the horror

792
00:43:53,440 --> 00:43:58,960
Speaker 4: but also the profound determination of being in war and

793
00:43:59,440 --> 00:44:00,279
Speaker 4: what your fight for.

794
00:44:01,320 --> 00:44:03,880
Speaker 1: Look, this is what this is. You know. In some

795
00:44:03,960 --> 00:44:07,399
Speaker 1: ways this began with Vietnam. Our ability to chronicle video,

796
00:44:07,600 --> 00:44:11,600
Speaker 1: video and sound of war in real time. And every

797
00:44:11,640 --> 00:44:14,879
Speaker 1: time you know this, this may not be a new

798
00:44:15,000 --> 00:44:17,439
Speaker 1: way to do it, but it always, it always brings

799
00:44:17,480 --> 00:44:20,040
Speaker 1: it home. Okay, Jamie, your turn. I've got a couple

800
00:44:20,080 --> 00:44:21,719
Speaker 1: I want to ask you about, but I'm not going

801
00:44:21,760 --> 00:44:23,440
Speaker 1: to bring them up until I'm.

802
00:44:23,320 --> 00:44:25,239
Speaker 3: Gonna I'm going to give you too.

803
00:44:25,400 --> 00:44:28,480
Speaker 2: One is going to like stun Sky and decidlence right now,

804
00:44:28,600 --> 00:44:29,560
Speaker 2: and I'll start with that.

805
00:44:29,600 --> 00:44:31,680
Speaker 3: One, and I'll say it comes see me in the

806
00:44:31,719 --> 00:44:37,920
Speaker 3: Good Lady, Oh yay. For months. This is this. This

807
00:44:38,080 --> 00:44:42,280
Speaker 3: filmmaker is Ryan White, and she did a doc series years.

808
00:44:42,120 --> 00:44:44,680
Speaker 2: Ago and now the name is escaping me. But it

809
00:44:44,760 --> 00:44:47,440
Speaker 2: was about the nun who was murdered in Baltimore.

810
00:44:47,480 --> 00:44:50,600
Speaker 4: Sister I want to say sister Helen, but I'm not

811
00:44:50,600 --> 00:44:51,520
Speaker 4: sure that doesn't seem right.

812
00:44:51,600 --> 00:44:52,840
Speaker 3: Yeah, I can't remember who it was.

813
00:44:53,280 --> 00:44:54,759
Speaker 2: And then every time I see him, I'm like, well

814
00:44:54,760 --> 00:44:57,000
Speaker 2: you please because it ended, you know, in a in

815
00:44:57,080 --> 00:44:58,479
Speaker 2: a way that you just don't know who.

816
00:44:58,440 --> 00:45:01,239
Speaker 3: Can murder the nun? And please do you tell can

817
00:45:01,280 --> 00:45:02,719
Speaker 3: you tell me you murdered the not And this is

818
00:45:02,800 --> 00:45:03,680
Speaker 3: such a departure.

819
00:45:03,760 --> 00:45:07,160
Speaker 2: It is It is a lovely story about a spoken

820
00:45:07,239 --> 00:45:11,319
Speaker 2: word poet and her partner, and the poet is diagnosed

821
00:45:11,400 --> 00:45:13,200
Speaker 2: with the terminal.

822
00:45:12,880 --> 00:45:14,280
Speaker 3: Cancer and it is her journey.

823
00:45:14,960 --> 00:45:17,320
Speaker 2: And for months I was trying to get me to

824
00:45:17,360 --> 00:45:20,279
Speaker 2: watch this coming, No want too. And then I sat

825
00:45:20,320 --> 00:45:21,160
Speaker 2: and watched it one day and.

826
00:45:21,280 --> 00:45:22,520
Speaker 3: Ugly cry through the whole thing.

827
00:45:24,719 --> 00:45:26,920
Speaker 1: I get that way where you know something's going to

828
00:45:26,960 --> 00:45:28,680
Speaker 1: get you and you're like, I just don't. Yeah, I know,

829
00:45:29,040 --> 00:45:31,759
Speaker 1: I know, I don't have it in me, do it right,

830
00:45:31,880 --> 00:45:34,200
Speaker 1: I'm too cynical? All right, that sounds And what you're

831
00:45:34,200 --> 00:45:35,960
Speaker 1: saying is prepared to cry. I got you.

832
00:45:36,680 --> 00:45:38,279
Speaker 3: The other one is like an ugly man.

833
00:45:39,200 --> 00:45:43,200
Speaker 2: It's called Bodyguard of Lies, and it is it's our

834
00:45:43,280 --> 00:45:44,040
Speaker 2: Saturday night.

835
00:45:44,360 --> 00:45:45,439
Speaker 3: It's our closing night film.

836
00:45:45,440 --> 00:45:47,600
Speaker 2: Our closing night is Saturday night, which even though the

837
00:45:47,640 --> 00:45:49,920
Speaker 2: festival is on Sunday, it's just that's doc Parlan.

838
00:45:50,040 --> 00:45:52,319
Speaker 1: So we're not gonna have a Sunday night, right, it's

839
00:45:52,560 --> 00:45:57,000
Speaker 1: right understanding the festival over before the sun sets on Sunday.

840
00:45:58,760 --> 00:46:02,000
Speaker 2: Bodyguard of Lies just takes a look at the at

841
00:46:02,040 --> 00:46:07,160
Speaker 2: the entirety of the Afghan conflict from soup and I

842
00:46:07,200 --> 00:46:09,160
Speaker 2: don't really want to give it away, but Bodyguard of

843
00:46:09,239 --> 00:46:13,799
Speaker 2: Lies is a quote from Rumsfeld. And many years ago,

844
00:46:13,880 --> 00:46:16,040
Speaker 2: I worked on a film called Taxied at the Dark Side,

845
00:46:16,440 --> 00:46:19,080
Speaker 2: which ultimately won the Oscar for Alex Gibney. And it

846
00:46:19,239 --> 00:46:23,719
Speaker 2: was about Dilawar who was a taxi driver in Afghanistan

847
00:46:23,920 --> 00:46:27,920
Speaker 2: and a terrible story, but it was sort of transformative

848
00:46:28,239 --> 00:46:30,640
Speaker 2: in my life, if I'm going to be personal for

849
00:46:30,719 --> 00:46:31,960
Speaker 2: a second, just working on that.

850
00:46:32,280 --> 00:46:33,640
Speaker 3: And so then fast forward.

851
00:46:33,440 --> 00:46:35,239
Speaker 2: Twenty years when I see this and Alex as a

852
00:46:35,280 --> 00:46:38,480
Speaker 2: producer on this one, and it's so brilliantly.

853
00:46:38,080 --> 00:46:42,080
Speaker 3: Done, and it just it just explains everything.

854
00:46:41,719 --> 00:46:44,680
Speaker 1: And and you know, it almost feels like a sequel

855
00:46:44,719 --> 00:46:50,120
Speaker 1: to last year was Hollywood Hollywood Gate, Oh my god, Hollywood.

856
00:46:49,719 --> 00:46:53,440
Speaker 2: Game, which was also and there has been, you know,

857
00:46:53,600 --> 00:46:55,440
Speaker 2: there have been other fields like that, but this one

858
00:46:55,560 --> 00:46:58,440
Speaker 2: sort of gets at you in a significant way.

859
00:46:58,520 --> 00:47:01,400
Speaker 3: And I'm just this is a DC audience.

860
00:47:01,440 --> 00:47:04,280
Speaker 2: For those of us who are always hungry for explanations

861
00:47:04,360 --> 00:47:06,600
Speaker 2: and understanding, it gets you.

862
00:47:08,760 --> 00:47:12,440
Speaker 1: Well, you've you've sold that one pretty well. Yeah, let

863
00:47:12,520 --> 00:47:17,120
Speaker 1: me let me let me ask about one me. Okay,

864
00:47:17,680 --> 00:47:20,439
Speaker 1: being a gen X or a guy of a certain age,

865
00:47:20,960 --> 00:47:24,440
Speaker 1: I see anything with Andy Kauffman's name in it, and okay,

866
00:47:25,040 --> 00:47:27,879
Speaker 1: talk me out of it. Andy Kaufman is me. What's

867
00:47:27,920 --> 00:47:28,320
Speaker 1: it about?

868
00:47:29,480 --> 00:47:31,680
Speaker 4: Well, this is, you know, one of the unique aspects

869
00:47:31,719 --> 00:47:33,640
Speaker 4: of this film, because Andy Kauffman has been covered here

870
00:47:33,760 --> 00:47:36,400
Speaker 4: and there, but he still somehow remains this kind of

871
00:47:36,680 --> 00:47:37,680
Speaker 4: enigmatic figure.

872
00:47:38,160 --> 00:47:40,440
Speaker 1: Is that they have I think Andy goof on Elvis

873
00:47:40,960 --> 00:47:42,279
Speaker 1: right right, Well, that's funny.

874
00:47:42,440 --> 00:47:46,239
Speaker 4: Some you know still believe he's still alive someplace. You

875
00:47:46,280 --> 00:47:49,680
Speaker 4: know that, but I don't. This film is certainly not.

876
00:47:49,800 --> 00:47:53,400
Speaker 1: Maybe the Trump administration can release some files about uh,

877
00:47:53,840 --> 00:47:56,560
Speaker 1: the search for Andy Kaufman in two weeks. But I digressed,

878
00:47:56,600 --> 00:47:57,800
Speaker 1: But I digress. Go ahead.

879
00:47:57,880 --> 00:48:00,600
Speaker 4: But what's unique about this film is it has never

880
00:48:00,760 --> 00:48:06,560
Speaker 4: before heard recorded audio diaries by Andy Kaufman. So we

881
00:48:06,680 --> 00:48:09,120
Speaker 4: are getting a much more personal perspective than I think

882
00:48:09,160 --> 00:48:11,840
Speaker 4: has been available before because he's been such a private

883
00:48:11,880 --> 00:48:15,320
Speaker 4: and elusive figure. It also, you know, does a remarkable

884
00:48:15,400 --> 00:48:18,600
Speaker 4: job I think for both new audiences and also for

885
00:48:18,719 --> 00:48:22,200
Speaker 4: people like you who know him and hopefully appreciate his work,

886
00:48:24,080 --> 00:48:27,120
Speaker 4: brings an incredible treasure trove of archival material back to

887
00:48:27,200 --> 00:48:30,800
Speaker 4: the surface. But more than anything, I think it fills

888
00:48:30,840 --> 00:48:33,600
Speaker 4: in some of the gaps about you know, what motivated

889
00:48:33,680 --> 00:48:37,480
Speaker 4: him and his personal struggles and triumphs and relationship to

890
00:48:37,640 --> 00:48:40,840
Speaker 4: fame relation. You know, he operated in such an interesting

891
00:48:40,880 --> 00:48:43,440
Speaker 4: way where he touched upon certain things that were mainstream

892
00:48:43,640 --> 00:48:46,839
Speaker 4: like Oxy the sitcom and his stint on Saturday Night Live,

893
00:48:47,160 --> 00:48:49,839
Speaker 4: but was almost a performance artist, and so he had

894
00:48:49,880 --> 00:48:53,719
Speaker 4: this this kind of dual status as someone who made

895
00:48:53,800 --> 00:48:57,839
Speaker 4: it in these mainstream entities but also felt very much.

896
00:48:59,040 --> 00:49:00,560
Speaker 1: He got to stay on guard.

897
00:49:00,680 --> 00:49:00,799
Speaker 2: Right.

898
00:49:01,000 --> 00:49:03,239
Speaker 1: Yeah, Like the phrase au on guard, which we don't

899
00:49:03,280 --> 00:49:07,480
Speaker 1: use anymore, Like it is absolutely the only way you

900
00:49:07,520 --> 00:49:09,880
Speaker 1: could describe Andy Kaufman. Absolutely, he really.

901
00:49:09,760 --> 00:49:12,319
Speaker 4: Exactly exactly, And I think that some just does an

902
00:49:12,440 --> 00:49:15,520
Speaker 4: brilliant job showing that tension and revealing how he felt

903
00:49:15,560 --> 00:49:16,560
Speaker 4: about it all right.

904
00:49:16,600 --> 00:49:18,799
Speaker 1: Another one that jumped out of me. Barbara Walters tells

905
00:49:18,840 --> 00:49:24,160
Speaker 1: me everything tell me about that, Jamie, she does.

906
00:49:24,200 --> 00:49:26,640
Speaker 2: I mean, it is an in depth look at Barbara

907
00:49:26,719 --> 00:49:29,880
Speaker 2: Walters and aside that we you know, we we know

908
00:49:30,000 --> 00:49:33,239
Speaker 2: the public persona, we don't know the struggles. We don't

909
00:49:33,360 --> 00:49:36,479
Speaker 2: know the backstory of how difficult it was on set

910
00:49:36,600 --> 00:49:40,800
Speaker 2: and raising her daughter, and just really peels the curtain

911
00:49:40,880 --> 00:49:41,360
Speaker 2: back on.

912
00:49:42,560 --> 00:49:44,080
Speaker 3: You know a lot of times we get this and

913
00:49:44,239 --> 00:49:46,080
Speaker 3: you know, you think you know somebody, but do you.

914
00:49:46,200 --> 00:49:48,279
Speaker 2: I mean, it's the same way with Andy Kaufman. But

915
00:49:48,719 --> 00:49:53,200
Speaker 2: she's an iconic figure and we're always interested in these

916
00:49:53,520 --> 00:49:56,239
Speaker 2: and and you know, she only died recently and she

917
00:49:56,440 --> 00:49:57,719
Speaker 2: was on you know, on the View and all of

918
00:49:57,760 --> 00:50:00,279
Speaker 2: those other things. But it's kind of always interest in

919
00:50:00,360 --> 00:50:04,320
Speaker 2: these figures from the twentieth century that you know, maybe

920
00:50:04,600 --> 00:50:07,720
Speaker 2: is she less because we have another film about Sally Ryde,

921
00:50:07,960 --> 00:50:12,760
Speaker 2: who who I think someone actually fits better into that category,

922
00:50:12,800 --> 00:50:14,360
Speaker 2: who might have been lost a little bit in the

923
00:50:14,400 --> 00:50:16,800
Speaker 2: twentieth century as we moved into the twenty first century

924
00:50:17,520 --> 00:50:17,799
Speaker 2: as a.

925
00:50:17,840 --> 00:50:19,440
Speaker 3: Character because she died a long time ago.

926
00:50:19,600 --> 00:50:22,799
Speaker 2: But you really don't know Barbara Walters until you spend

927
00:50:22,920 --> 00:50:24,320
Speaker 2: ninety minutes with this film.

928
00:50:24,640 --> 00:50:27,280
Speaker 1: And I'm glad to see it because it's a three sixty.

929
00:50:28,239 --> 00:50:30,200
Speaker 1: You're not wrong. I think there's an entire I think

930
00:50:30,280 --> 00:50:32,320
Speaker 1: anybody under the age of fifty, if they knew Barbara

931
00:50:32,320 --> 00:50:34,840
Speaker 1: Walters is only kind of knows there is sort of

932
00:50:34,880 --> 00:50:38,640
Speaker 1: a talk show host at best or the most fascinating people.

933
00:50:39,239 --> 00:50:39,640
Speaker 4: She was a.

934
00:50:39,680 --> 00:50:42,080
Speaker 1: Trailblazer, she was a groundbreaker. She was a role model

935
00:50:42,120 --> 00:50:44,759
Speaker 1: for so many women in television journalism. She was a

936
00:50:45,040 --> 00:50:49,520
Speaker 1: hard nosed reporter asked a question. Yeah, you know, it's

937
00:50:49,600 --> 00:50:52,960
Speaker 1: just a it there. There there is a sense of

938
00:50:53,520 --> 00:50:55,560
Speaker 1: you know, it's funny. You know, we all we all

939
00:50:55,760 --> 00:50:59,560
Speaker 1: long for having various chapters in our professional lives. And

940
00:50:59,680 --> 00:51:02,320
Speaker 1: what happened sometimes she had so many successful chapters that

941
00:51:02,440 --> 00:51:06,880
Speaker 1: each chapter almost overshadowed the previous chapter. Sometimes you need

942
00:51:06,960 --> 00:51:10,040
Speaker 1: to take a step back and say, that's nice that

943
00:51:10,200 --> 00:51:12,279
Speaker 1: we talked about the last chapter. But there's all these

944
00:51:12,320 --> 00:51:15,480
Speaker 1: other parts of her life that are quite interesting, and

945
00:51:15,920 --> 00:51:18,080
Speaker 1: she's definitely one of those. All right, let me throw

946
00:51:18,080 --> 00:51:21,040
Speaker 1: another one at you that that feels very in the moment,

947
00:51:21,760 --> 00:51:26,040
Speaker 1: deep faking. Sam Altzman, mister open a, tell me about that.

948
00:51:26,760 --> 00:51:29,960
Speaker 4: Sure. So this film does two things at once. On

949
00:51:30,040 --> 00:51:33,960
Speaker 4: the one hand, it's kind of taking very seriously its

950
00:51:34,360 --> 00:51:38,319
Speaker 4: goal to interview Sam Oltman, a goal that kind of.

951
00:51:40,120 --> 00:51:44,200
Speaker 1: Roger and me exactly like where's Sam Altman, Where's.

952
00:51:46,239 --> 00:51:46,279
Speaker 3: You?

953
00:51:46,320 --> 00:51:48,480
Speaker 4: Already have a kind of your instinct is right on

954
00:51:48,560 --> 00:51:52,280
Speaker 4: that in that it's kind of elusive and never necessarily materializes,

955
00:51:52,600 --> 00:51:56,800
Speaker 4: and you begin to the journey towards that is becomes

956
00:51:56,960 --> 00:51:59,479
Speaker 4: what we're exploring. But the film also, in a very clever,

957
00:52:00,000 --> 00:52:05,120
Speaker 4: both truly hilarious and also poignant way, explores the potential,

958
00:52:05,440 --> 00:52:11,360
Speaker 4: not not necessarily literally, but the consciousness of AI and

959
00:52:11,920 --> 00:52:17,000
Speaker 4: the both threats and opportunities that it presents for artists

960
00:52:17,040 --> 00:52:20,840
Speaker 4: and humanity for that matter. This is the film is

961
00:52:20,880 --> 00:52:23,120
Speaker 4: made by the same filmmaker who made the very popular

962
00:52:23,480 --> 00:52:27,520
Speaker 4: hell Marketers, which is a kind of irreverent and interesting film,

963
00:52:27,560 --> 00:52:28,759
Speaker 4: and I think it brings a little bit of that

964
00:52:29,280 --> 00:52:32,040
Speaker 4: humorous irreverence to it. But I think it's a film

965
00:52:32,080 --> 00:52:34,200
Speaker 4: that is beginning to open the door to some serious

966
00:52:34,239 --> 00:52:37,200
Speaker 4: exploration of the role of AI in our lives and

967
00:52:37,600 --> 00:52:41,800
Speaker 4: in our art and asks a lot of important questions

968
00:52:41,840 --> 00:52:43,759
Speaker 4: that does it doesn't necessarily answer, but I think it

969
00:52:43,840 --> 00:52:46,560
Speaker 4: starts the conversation in a really profound way.

970
00:52:48,360 --> 00:52:53,879
Speaker 1: You already mentioned Jamie the Sally Ride documentary Sally, which

971
00:52:54,120 --> 00:52:56,600
Speaker 1: I think my guess is. It sort of sells itself right,

972
00:52:56,840 --> 00:53:00,360
Speaker 1: it's space, it's the first woman, it's all those things,

973
00:53:00,520 --> 00:53:07,040
Speaker 1: and and I'm more imagined. I imagine, Yes, she didn't.

974
00:53:07,360 --> 00:53:10,560
Speaker 3: She didn't let you know her. You know.

975
00:53:11,640 --> 00:53:13,560
Speaker 1: There you go. Well, that's that's sort of a theme

976
00:53:13,600 --> 00:53:16,880
Speaker 1: on some of these biopics that are in here. Let

977
00:53:16,920 --> 00:53:19,080
Speaker 1: me ask about one more here the Spies among us.

978
00:53:19,680 --> 00:53:20,960
Speaker 1: That one is very provocative.

979
00:53:22,960 --> 00:53:26,080
Speaker 4: Well, we're excited about this one for a lot of reasons,

980
00:53:26,120 --> 00:53:30,680
Speaker 4: including it is local filmmakers who despite it being local,

981
00:53:30,760 --> 00:53:34,400
Speaker 4: they premiered at south By Southwest. This is a fascinating

982
00:53:34,520 --> 00:53:38,520
Speaker 4: film that, of all things, a brother discovers that he

983
00:53:38,800 --> 00:53:44,719
Speaker 4: was literally the object of a decades long intense surveillance

984
00:53:45,520 --> 00:53:49,399
Speaker 4: done unto him by his own brother, and it kind

985
00:53:49,400 --> 00:53:52,640
Speaker 4: of is looking yeah, it's it's pretty shocking, but it

986
00:53:52,680 --> 00:53:59,600
Speaker 4: looks at the kind of the the government operation around

987
00:53:59,640 --> 00:54:04,759
Speaker 4: surveill and the infiltration into one particular intimate family where

988
00:54:04,840 --> 00:54:09,000
Speaker 4: this was enacted in you knows actually, yes exactly, and

989
00:54:09,080 --> 00:54:12,480
Speaker 4: actually the brother, the one who was the recipient of this,

990
00:54:12,600 --> 00:54:16,640
Speaker 4: will be with us in person with the filmmakers, and

991
00:54:16,840 --> 00:54:19,000
Speaker 4: it's a really fascinating film that looks both at this

992
00:54:19,160 --> 00:54:22,880
Speaker 4: kind of historical period, but also this very intimate the

993
00:54:22,960 --> 00:54:24,880
Speaker 4: dynamics that unfolded within a family.

994
00:54:26,120 --> 00:54:28,040
Speaker 1: Jamie, let's talk about the shorts and what I think

995
00:54:28,080 --> 00:54:29,960
Speaker 1: you do such a great job of and what we were,

996
00:54:30,160 --> 00:54:32,520
Speaker 1: what we used to do is sort of package try

997
00:54:32,560 --> 00:54:35,040
Speaker 1: to theme things up and put you know, so that

998
00:54:35,120 --> 00:54:37,520
Speaker 1: way you get your money's worth. If you buy a ticket,

999
00:54:37,600 --> 00:54:41,080
Speaker 1: you get to two or three films in one your

1000
00:54:41,200 --> 00:54:46,080
Speaker 1: your programs this year, animal instinct, field notes, heartstrings or

1001
00:54:46,280 --> 00:54:50,000
Speaker 1: forever hold your piece, the beat goes on, and what

1002
00:54:50,320 --> 00:54:55,439
Speaker 1: these walls hold. So without going through all of them,

1003
00:54:56,280 --> 00:54:59,439
Speaker 1: give me, give me, give me, give me a couple

1004
00:54:59,480 --> 00:55:02,840
Speaker 1: of your program that your your your, you're you're obviously

1005
00:55:03,239 --> 00:55:05,160
Speaker 1: excited about all sis. But give me the one or

1006
00:55:05,200 --> 00:55:09,840
Speaker 1: two that that you think again, I love the you

1007
00:55:10,000 --> 00:55:12,160
Speaker 1: know me? What do you think on? How about this?

1008
00:55:12,320 --> 00:55:12,360
Speaker 4: You?

1009
00:55:12,600 --> 00:55:13,040
Speaker 2: You know me?

1010
00:55:13,239 --> 00:55:14,920
Speaker 1: What do you think I will get into of this?

1011
00:55:15,280 --> 00:55:16,000
Speaker 3: Oh my goodness.

1012
00:55:17,120 --> 00:55:20,440
Speaker 2: Well, I actually there's one standalone one that I meant

1013
00:55:20,480 --> 00:55:22,359
Speaker 2: that I mentioned that I know because you're a sports guy.

1014
00:55:23,239 --> 00:55:27,239
Speaker 3: It does. It is about t j Oshi from the

1015
00:55:27,360 --> 00:55:31,120
Speaker 3: Capitals and his father was a I reference.

1016
00:55:31,160 --> 00:55:34,640
Speaker 1: This'll be a fun little local, local local.

1017
00:55:34,440 --> 00:55:36,800
Speaker 2: And he this film came to us, you know, not

1018
00:55:36,920 --> 00:55:39,440
Speaker 2: through a local necessary film, but a local story, and

1019
00:55:39,520 --> 00:55:43,240
Speaker 2: that he you know, during his you know, fabulously important

1020
00:55:43,320 --> 00:55:47,040
Speaker 2: run with the with the Olympics and and the capitals,

1021
00:55:47,680 --> 00:55:50,960
Speaker 2: his father was diagnosed with early on set dementia in

1022
00:55:51,080 --> 00:55:54,040
Speaker 2: his forties. And this and part of this story is

1023
00:55:54,120 --> 00:55:56,600
Speaker 2: not just you know, it's it's the glory of sports,

1024
00:55:56,640 --> 00:56:00,400
Speaker 2: but also t J making the determination whether not to

1025
00:56:00,480 --> 00:56:04,120
Speaker 2: get tested for the gene, which you know it was.

1026
00:56:04,560 --> 00:56:06,960
Speaker 3: It was just a grueling decision for him to make.

1027
00:56:07,160 --> 00:56:09,040
Speaker 2: And you know, it follows the shot directory of his

1028
00:56:09,160 --> 00:56:12,560
Speaker 2: career and his and the heartbreak over his coach.

1029
00:56:12,440 --> 00:56:17,080
Speaker 3: His father and his and his decline. And so that's

1030
00:56:17,120 --> 00:56:19,680
Speaker 3: a lovely one. I just know you could your sports guy.

1031
00:56:20,160 --> 00:56:23,160
Speaker 3: But the animal instincts, the heart string, I mean, they're

1032
00:56:23,200 --> 00:56:26,160
Speaker 3: all it's this is a difficult one for me to

1033
00:56:26,880 --> 00:56:29,080
Speaker 3: I'm going to toss it off to sky for sure

1034
00:56:29,320 --> 00:56:30,839
Speaker 3: that I love the animal.

1035
00:56:30,680 --> 00:56:34,279
Speaker 4: Yeah, I know, yeah, yeah, all beautiful. I mean it's

1036
00:56:34,320 --> 00:56:38,480
Speaker 4: fun putting together shorts programs because you want you're kind

1037
00:56:38,480 --> 00:56:41,279
Speaker 4: of interfering in a certain way curatorially with how people

1038
00:56:41,360 --> 00:56:46,479
Speaker 4: experiencing experience these films, and ideally you want to create

1039
00:56:46,560 --> 00:56:50,680
Speaker 4: kind of an expansive experience instead of narrowing them down.

1040
00:56:50,760 --> 00:56:53,360
Speaker 4: But the one program I'll highlight, the Beat goes On,

1041
00:56:54,239 --> 00:56:57,239
Speaker 4: is all organized around the power of music, but the

1042
00:56:57,320 --> 00:57:00,480
Speaker 4: films within them are very diverse. We have the world

1043
00:57:00,560 --> 00:57:03,760
Speaker 4: premiere of Don Porter's latest film called Edge of Daybreak,

1044
00:57:04,120 --> 00:57:07,680
Speaker 4: which follows it kind of takes a retroactive, retrospective look

1045
00:57:07,800 --> 00:57:12,640
Speaker 4: at incarcerated men who started formed a band while in prison,

1046
00:57:13,520 --> 00:57:16,560
Speaker 4: recorded an album that unbeknownst to them, became very very

1047
00:57:16,600 --> 00:57:18,880
Speaker 4: popular outside of the walls of prison, and then the

1048
00:57:18,960 --> 00:57:20,840
Speaker 4: film kind of follows them now all out of prison

1049
00:57:20,960 --> 00:57:23,400
Speaker 4: in their seventies eighties. We get to kind of come

1050
00:57:24,160 --> 00:57:30,360
Speaker 4: reunite and experience this kind of cognitive dissonance between this

1051
00:57:30,480 --> 00:57:33,880
Speaker 4: popularity that they couldn't experience and then the opportunity to

1052
00:57:34,640 --> 00:57:38,120
Speaker 4: kind of live these dreams blade or deferred. Within that

1053
00:57:38,160 --> 00:57:41,000
Speaker 4: same program, I'll just mentioned one other title, Testatura, really

1054
00:57:41,080 --> 00:57:46,680
Speaker 4: interesting about opera singers undergoing gender changes and what that

1055
00:57:46,880 --> 00:57:50,920
Speaker 4: means for their voices and how their voices transformed, and

1056
00:57:51,000 --> 00:57:54,880
Speaker 4: what it means to perhaps have started singing soprano and

1057
00:57:55,040 --> 00:57:57,520
Speaker 4: have to move to basse or you know, whatever it is.

1058
00:57:57,640 --> 00:58:00,160
Speaker 4: But it kind of looks at both opera in and

1059
00:58:00,240 --> 00:58:03,120
Speaker 4: of itself and its relationship to gender. It has kind

1060
00:58:03,160 --> 00:58:05,960
Speaker 4: of historical interesting relationship the gender in terms of performance

1061
00:58:06,240 --> 00:58:09,680
Speaker 4: and then the literal the literal changes that happens to

1062
00:58:09,800 --> 00:58:13,560
Speaker 4: voice within that. It's quite a fascinating, fascinating.

1063
00:58:13,120 --> 00:58:16,360
Speaker 1: Look, Jamie. One of the things and we were emphasizing

1064
00:58:16,400 --> 00:58:18,120
Speaker 1: in it Meet the Press, and you emphasize it now,

1065
00:58:18,240 --> 00:58:21,560
Speaker 1: is that, you know what, while all these documentaries in

1066
00:58:21,640 --> 00:58:24,240
Speaker 1: some ways you can make a claim that they're political,

1067
00:58:24,480 --> 00:58:27,640
Speaker 1: meaning that, yeah, they're trying to get people to think about,

1068
00:58:27,760 --> 00:58:29,520
Speaker 1: you know, should we change the way we do this

1069
00:58:29,800 --> 00:58:34,120
Speaker 1: or do that. But there's political and that there's ideological,

1070
00:58:34,280 --> 00:58:36,280
Speaker 1: and you've always done such a good job of because

1071
00:58:36,280 --> 00:58:38,040
Speaker 1: I know the look there's I'm gonna be honest here.

1072
00:58:38,400 --> 00:58:40,520
Speaker 1: You know this, Jamie, that some people hear the words

1073
00:58:40,880 --> 00:58:44,560
Speaker 1: documentary Film Festival and they automatically think, oh, that's all

1074
00:58:44,640 --> 00:58:47,160
Speaker 1: going to be left leaning stuff. You go out of

1075
00:58:47,200 --> 00:58:49,760
Speaker 1: your way to sort of to sort of pierce that

1076
00:58:50,880 --> 00:58:54,280
Speaker 1: conventional wisdom. Give me some examples this year.

1077
00:58:54,720 --> 00:58:57,360
Speaker 2: Well, I think I would talk about that thematically, and

1078
00:58:57,440 --> 00:59:00,720
Speaker 2: I would say that a lot of times people, you know,

1079
00:59:01,200 --> 00:59:05,080
Speaker 2: distributors or documentary filmmakers. They assume that a film belongs

1080
00:59:05,160 --> 00:59:09,600
Speaker 2: in Washington, and they make this very very incorrect assumption

1081
00:59:09,760 --> 00:59:12,720
Speaker 2: about a specific issue or you know, it's environment, or

1082
00:59:12,760 --> 00:59:16,480
Speaker 2: it's abortion, or it's I've mentioned government over or all

1083
00:59:16,560 --> 00:59:19,919
Speaker 2: of these issues. And yet what people don't realize is, well,

1084
00:59:20,120 --> 00:59:22,120
Speaker 2: we all you know, we let them. It's worked for

1085
00:59:22,280 --> 00:59:24,880
Speaker 2: us here in Washington. It's our day job. It's our

1086
00:59:24,960 --> 00:59:28,320
Speaker 2: day job. It's a company town. We've all been connected

1087
00:59:28,360 --> 00:59:32,360
Speaker 2: to government and one time in our career. So it's

1088
00:59:32,480 --> 00:59:36,080
Speaker 2: not that we're necessarily looking to be educated on one

1089
00:59:36,120 --> 00:59:39,160
Speaker 2: of these issues. And that's what we're constantly bearing in mind. Well,

1090
00:59:39,400 --> 00:59:43,560
Speaker 2: we love examinations of those issues. We also have to

1091
00:59:43,680 --> 00:59:46,680
Speaker 2: remember that this is a film has to stand as

1092
00:59:46,720 --> 00:59:49,800
Speaker 2: a film, it has to be entertaining, and we ask

1093
00:59:49,920 --> 00:59:54,240
Speaker 2: people to spend two precious resources, their entertainment time and

1094
00:59:54,280 --> 00:59:56,400
Speaker 2: their entertainment dollars on something.

1095
00:59:56,320 --> 00:59:58,800
Speaker 3: And they're both equally precious and important to them.

1096
00:59:59,320 --> 01:00:02,400
Speaker 2: And so when we do that, we can't say we

1097
01:00:02,680 --> 01:00:05,120
Speaker 2: you know, we automatically think, well, if somebody works at

1098
01:00:05,520 --> 01:00:08,520
Speaker 2: Planned parenthood or somebody works at you don't.

1099
01:00:09,160 --> 01:00:11,480
Speaker 3: On the other on the national rights of Light Committee.

1100
01:00:11,160 --> 01:00:13,440
Speaker 2: Or something like that, that they're going to be interested

1101
01:00:13,480 --> 01:00:15,440
Speaker 2: in a film on abortion, when it's like, God, I

1102
01:00:15,600 --> 01:00:18,640
Speaker 2: do that all day long, every day. I don't need

1103
01:00:18,760 --> 01:00:21,280
Speaker 2: to do that for my entertain Maybe I do want

1104
01:00:21,320 --> 01:00:23,160
Speaker 2: to see come see me in the good light, or

1105
01:00:23,240 --> 01:00:26,800
Speaker 2: I want to see a different you know, a music

1106
01:00:26,880 --> 01:00:28,800
Speaker 2: film or sports or something like that.

1107
01:00:29,000 --> 01:00:32,200
Speaker 3: So we don't look at idea. You know, it's not like, oh,

1108
01:00:32,280 --> 01:00:34,080
Speaker 3: this is a lefty screen or this is a right

1109
01:00:34,120 --> 01:00:36,200
Speaker 3: wing propagation. We don't look at it that way. We

1110
01:00:36,320 --> 01:00:38,360
Speaker 3: look at we look at the audience whether or not

1111
01:00:38,480 --> 01:00:39,320
Speaker 3: this fits.

1112
01:00:39,080 --> 01:00:41,720
Speaker 2: Our audience, that they're going to glean something from this

1113
01:00:42,000 --> 01:00:44,720
Speaker 2: that they don't that they don't spend all day pouring

1114
01:00:45,240 --> 01:00:46,560
Speaker 2: over the text about it.

1115
01:00:47,320 --> 01:00:49,640
Speaker 3: So I see how we approach it, and.

1116
01:00:49,680 --> 01:00:52,280
Speaker 1: I assume, Scot you also want to have a balance

1117
01:00:52,400 --> 01:00:58,280
Speaker 1: of serious and dark and light and uplifting, right like,

1118
01:00:58,600 --> 01:01:01,400
Speaker 1: you know, it can't be can't be too much in

1119
01:01:01,480 --> 01:01:04,000
Speaker 1: one direction, but you also feel like you meet the

1120
01:01:04,160 --> 01:01:08,040
Speaker 1: moment culturally, right like, meaning, if twenty twenty five is

1121
01:01:08,080 --> 01:01:10,520
Speaker 1: a time capsule and this film festival is a time

1122
01:01:10,560 --> 01:01:12,360
Speaker 1: capsule ten years from now, we're able to go back

1123
01:01:12,400 --> 01:01:14,520
Speaker 1: and say, oh yeah, this is very reflective of the

1124
01:01:14,600 --> 01:01:16,440
Speaker 1: moment we were living in in twenty twenty five.

1125
01:01:16,680 --> 01:01:19,800
Speaker 4: Yeah, spoken like someone who actually knows what it means

1126
01:01:19,840 --> 01:01:22,640
Speaker 4: to run a festival, because yeah, I mean, the curation

1127
01:01:22,800 --> 01:01:25,960
Speaker 4: is interesting because you curate film by film, and then

1128
01:01:26,000 --> 01:01:28,200
Speaker 4: you always have to take a thirty thousand foot view

1129
01:01:28,400 --> 01:01:30,800
Speaker 4: and look at the broad strokes of what you're doing.

1130
01:01:31,040 --> 01:01:33,520
Speaker 4: So when you talk about tone, you know that that's

1131
01:01:33,560 --> 01:01:36,120
Speaker 4: certainly when you're taking that broad stroke. If you look

1132
01:01:36,160 --> 01:01:38,800
Speaker 4: at your lineup and every single thing is really really

1133
01:01:38,920 --> 01:01:41,760
Speaker 4: depressing and heavy hitting, you know that you have to

1134
01:01:42,120 --> 01:01:45,760
Speaker 4: you have to change that up. So curation is so multifaceted,

1135
01:01:46,840 --> 01:01:49,520
Speaker 4: and I always, I truly do like to start with

1136
01:01:49,600 --> 01:01:52,440
Speaker 4: the films themselves. I do not like to enter the

1137
01:01:52,520 --> 01:01:57,320
Speaker 4: process of curating with an already determined pre gender right exactly,

1138
01:01:57,360 --> 01:01:59,680
Speaker 4: because you're then you're missing the films. Then you're not

1139
01:01:59,760 --> 01:02:01,520
Speaker 4: let them speak to you and kind of tell you

1140
01:02:02,160 --> 01:02:06,360
Speaker 4: what is actually on the minds of people. But once

1141
01:02:06,440 --> 01:02:08,480
Speaker 4: you kind of make sure that you you let the

1142
01:02:08,520 --> 01:02:12,000
Speaker 4: films be the driver. I think it's critically important to

1143
01:02:12,080 --> 01:02:15,720
Speaker 4: think about diverse slate, which can mean so many different things.

1144
01:02:15,760 --> 01:02:18,000
Speaker 4: You know, diversity means so many different things, diversity of

1145
01:02:18,080 --> 01:02:21,840
Speaker 4: tow and diversity of region, diversity of issue, diversity of

1146
01:02:21,880 --> 01:02:24,360
Speaker 4: whether it's an emerging filmmaker or filmmaker perhaps you know,

1147
01:02:24,520 --> 01:02:27,360
Speaker 4: who's in their fifth decade. So yes, we do look

1148
01:02:27,400 --> 01:02:29,640
Speaker 4: at that carefully and we think about placement. We think

1149
01:02:29,680 --> 01:02:32,160
Speaker 4: about who who our audience can be. Can people come

1150
01:02:32,200 --> 01:02:34,200
Speaker 4: with their family? Is this, you know, a film that's

1151
01:02:34,240 --> 01:02:39,360
Speaker 4: gonna you know, does require perhaps more thoughtful post screening conversation,

1152
01:02:40,600 --> 01:02:43,200
Speaker 4: you know, to unpack some of the intensity of what's

1153
01:02:43,240 --> 01:02:46,480
Speaker 4: been presented. And often we try to bring protagonists, the

1154
01:02:46,520 --> 01:02:50,040
Speaker 4: people featured in the films to also participate. Uh So

1155
01:02:50,120 --> 01:02:52,840
Speaker 4: there's a lot that goes beyond the actual selection of

1156
01:02:52,920 --> 01:02:54,760
Speaker 4: film in terms of what we're doing and building.

1157
01:02:55,760 --> 01:02:59,720
Speaker 1: Jamie, is there were there any guidelines this year about

1158
01:02:59,720 --> 01:03:03,560
Speaker 1: AI for your filmmakers, did you, you know, try to

1159
01:03:03,760 --> 01:03:07,360
Speaker 1: just yeah, okay, it's interesting people.

1160
01:03:07,720 --> 01:03:09,960
Speaker 4: This is going to be a conversation that continues to

1161
01:03:10,080 --> 01:03:14,080
Speaker 4: I think emerge as this becomes more important. I think

1162
01:03:14,120 --> 01:03:19,000
Speaker 4: that the fundamental guidelines are transparency. We do not say

1163
01:03:19,200 --> 01:03:21,760
Speaker 4: you may not use AI in your films. We say

1164
01:03:22,120 --> 01:03:24,800
Speaker 4: that there is a point where there is a moral

1165
01:03:25,360 --> 01:03:31,040
Speaker 4: expectation that there is transparency around a certain threshold of use. So,

1166
01:03:31,160 --> 01:03:35,880
Speaker 4: for example, if a narration is entirely generated by AI

1167
01:03:36,240 --> 01:03:38,880
Speaker 4: in the voice of let's say Barbara Walters. If we

1168
01:03:38,960 --> 01:03:41,320
Speaker 4: hear Barbara Walters narrating her own film, and this is

1169
01:03:41,440 --> 01:03:43,160
Speaker 4: just a random example, this is not a I'm not

1170
01:03:43,240 --> 01:03:46,360
Speaker 4: actually specifically talking about this film, fair enough, and the

1171
01:03:46,560 --> 01:03:50,720
Speaker 4: entirety of that narration was created with AI in her voice.

1172
01:03:51,280 --> 01:03:55,240
Speaker 4: To me, it would be unethical if that's not disclosed,

1173
01:03:55,480 --> 01:03:59,280
Speaker 4: but it's not unethical for the practice of that and

1174
01:03:59,560 --> 01:04:01,960
Speaker 4: in fact, but what's interesting when people talk about AI

1175
01:04:03,000 --> 01:04:05,480
Speaker 4: is that we seem to have this kind of assumption

1176
01:04:05,600 --> 01:04:09,080
Speaker 4: that the problem has or the use of this has

1177
01:04:09,200 --> 01:04:11,080
Speaker 4: just begun, and there's like a before AI and an

1178
01:04:11,080 --> 01:04:16,320
Speaker 4: after AI. But editing, camera and work, color correction, sound

1179
01:04:16,480 --> 01:04:20,600
Speaker 4: correction are all manipulating what was recorded on a camera.

1180
01:04:21,200 --> 01:04:24,440
Speaker 4: We have from day one with film and certainly with documentary,

1181
01:04:24,960 --> 01:04:30,080
Speaker 4: shifted the reality that was captured with technique and tools,

1182
01:04:30,680 --> 01:04:33,600
Speaker 4: and you know, there's a d R. You know if

1183
01:04:33,640 --> 01:04:36,000
Speaker 4: something wasn't you know, we didn't get the sound right

1184
01:04:36,120 --> 01:04:40,560
Speaker 4: of re recording, there's all these things. The tools have

1185
01:04:41,320 --> 01:04:46,240
Speaker 4: expanded exponentially, they've become sleeker, they've become increasingly hard to discern.

1186
01:04:47,480 --> 01:04:48,760
Speaker 4: So I think that I think that we have to

1187
01:04:48,800 --> 01:04:53,000
Speaker 4: both recognize that there has been enhancement all along. Do

1188
01:04:53,120 --> 01:04:55,320
Speaker 4: we get upset if something's been color corrected, if the

1189
01:04:55,840 --> 01:04:58,720
Speaker 4: quality of the sunset is more orange than what was

1190
01:04:58,720 --> 01:05:01,520
Speaker 4: actually recorded, and considered that something worthy of disclosure. So

1191
01:05:01,520 --> 01:05:03,040
Speaker 4: I think we have to ask a lot of questions

1192
01:05:03,040 --> 01:05:07,560
Speaker 4: around when is the When is the truth that is

1193
01:05:07,880 --> 01:05:13,160
Speaker 4: absolutely essential to the ethical kind of understanding of this

1194
01:05:13,280 --> 01:05:16,240
Speaker 4: film reached in such a way that transparency is required,

1195
01:05:16,320 --> 01:05:18,680
Speaker 4: And when can we just kind of work with an

1196
01:05:18,720 --> 01:05:23,120
Speaker 4: assumption of all film and art and documentary our perspectives

1197
01:05:23,200 --> 01:05:26,920
Speaker 4: on reality. They are not reality itself. They're not truth

1198
01:05:27,040 --> 01:05:29,480
Speaker 4: t with the capital T. They are a representation of

1199
01:05:29,560 --> 01:05:32,400
Speaker 4: a of a perspective that a particular filmmaker is bringing

1200
01:05:32,440 --> 01:05:32,880
Speaker 4: to the world.

1201
01:05:33,480 --> 01:05:35,840
Speaker 1: Yeah, now, look that that was a very I have

1202
01:05:35,920 --> 01:05:37,680
Speaker 1: to say, that was as good of a defense as

1203
01:05:37,720 --> 01:05:41,640
Speaker 1: I've heard on AI in sort of an incredibly nuanced

1204
01:05:41,640 --> 01:05:43,640
Speaker 1: because I've always said it's like, look, we don't you

1205
01:05:43,680 --> 01:05:47,360
Speaker 1: wouldn't disclose that you use spell check, right, you know,

1206
01:05:47,640 --> 01:05:50,120
Speaker 1: And so that's just now a tool we all use,

1207
01:05:51,080 --> 01:05:53,480
Speaker 1: you know, in some ways. AI is kind of a

1208
01:05:53,520 --> 01:05:55,600
Speaker 1: grammar check these days for a lot of people just

1209
01:05:55,680 --> 01:05:58,680
Speaker 1: done writing. You expose that, right, like, so we know

1210
01:05:58,800 --> 01:06:00,760
Speaker 1: that there are certain degrees where it's oh, this is

1211
01:06:00,760 --> 01:06:02,800
Speaker 1: simply a tool. I just ran spell check. I would

1212
01:06:03,360 --> 01:06:05,200
Speaker 1: I don't think that's a big deal. So anyway, I

1213
01:06:05,240 --> 01:06:07,040
Speaker 1: think you frame that quite nice.

1214
01:06:07,320 --> 01:06:09,560
Speaker 2: Also, you can go back and you look at the

1215
01:06:09,600 --> 01:06:12,440
Speaker 2: evolution of this art form, and I agree, I think

1216
01:06:12,480 --> 01:06:14,560
Speaker 2: that was that was the best way to describe it.

1217
01:06:14,640 --> 01:06:17,400
Speaker 2: But we you know, ten fifteen, twenty years ago, we

1218
01:06:17,400 --> 01:06:20,080
Speaker 2: didn't see animation, we didn't see recreations, we didn't.

1219
01:06:19,840 --> 01:06:23,520
Speaker 3: See this is evolving. And you know, we we you

1220
01:06:23,600 --> 01:06:24,640
Speaker 3: know maybe at a certain times.

1221
01:06:24,760 --> 01:06:27,200
Speaker 1: By the way, we're all tired. We're all tired of

1222
01:06:27,280 --> 01:06:30,440
Speaker 1: the same trope that some documentaries do, which is, well,

1223
01:06:30,480 --> 01:06:33,320
Speaker 1: we have no footage, so let's interview an expert, right

1224
01:06:33,520 --> 01:06:35,720
Speaker 1: right right, And like you know, now, these AI tools

1225
01:06:35,760 --> 01:06:40,200
Speaker 1: give us more creative ways to tell a story that

1226
01:06:40,280 --> 01:06:42,720
Speaker 1: we don't have footage from one hundred and fifty years ago.

1227
01:06:45,000 --> 01:06:48,520
Speaker 3: We we have to evolve with it and we're going

1228
01:06:48,600 --> 01:06:50,320
Speaker 3: to but we're going to continue to examine it.

1229
01:06:50,480 --> 01:06:52,920
Speaker 2: It's part of our We also have in connection with

1230
01:06:53,040 --> 01:06:55,720
Speaker 2: our As part of our festival, we have an industry

1231
01:06:55,840 --> 01:06:58,880
Speaker 2: forum where we tackle all of these issues on individual

1232
01:06:59,000 --> 01:07:02,640
Speaker 2: panels so that anybody in attendance can can get in

1233
01:07:03,000 --> 01:07:04,720
Speaker 2: and ask questions of the.

1234
01:07:04,720 --> 01:07:06,240
Speaker 3: People who are making these.

1235
01:07:06,200 --> 01:07:08,880
Speaker 1: Decisions exactly, sah, go ahead.

1236
01:07:08,960 --> 01:07:11,680
Speaker 4: We also have a specific panel called Documentary in the

1237
01:07:11,760 --> 01:07:15,640
Speaker 4: Age of AI, which is explicitly tackling this very topic.

1238
01:07:16,800 --> 01:07:20,720
Speaker 4: So if anyone interested should come to that one, all right.

1239
01:07:21,160 --> 01:07:23,919
Speaker 1: Tell me. I don't want to get necessarily your take

1240
01:07:23,960 --> 01:07:25,880
Speaker 1: on this state of the industry these days. But for

1241
01:07:26,000 --> 01:07:29,200
Speaker 1: the average documentary filmmaker that I'll see at this festival,

1242
01:07:30,000 --> 01:07:33,560
Speaker 1: will they say are they nervous about the current financial

1243
01:07:33,720 --> 01:07:37,600
Speaker 1: environment and what streamers are up to and the backing

1244
01:07:37,680 --> 01:07:41,880
Speaker 1: of things? Are they excited about the tools that they

1245
01:07:41,960 --> 01:07:43,960
Speaker 1: have and it's been easier to make these things? What

1246
01:07:44,400 --> 01:07:48,880
Speaker 1: would you I mean, Look, there's a filmmaker's got anxiety

1247
01:07:48,920 --> 01:07:51,240
Speaker 1: because they're a filmmaker, So I say this second, there's

1248
01:07:51,240 --> 01:07:54,560
Speaker 1: always some level of predetermined anxiety. But what would you

1249
01:07:54,640 --> 01:07:57,320
Speaker 1: say is the state of is this a bullish time

1250
01:07:57,400 --> 01:07:59,400
Speaker 1: to be in this business or is it a nervous

1251
01:07:59,440 --> 01:08:00,400
Speaker 1: time to be in this business?

1252
01:08:01,440 --> 01:08:04,480
Speaker 4: I've heard I'll just quickly start and looking forward to

1253
01:08:04,560 --> 01:08:09,160
Speaker 4: Jamie's perspective on this too, I would say the majority

1254
01:08:09,360 --> 01:08:14,480
Speaker 4: of filmmakers are expressing a lot of anxiety about an

1255
01:08:14,560 --> 01:08:20,920
Speaker 4: increasingly kind of tumultuous ecosystem, where like things are falling

1256
01:08:20,960 --> 01:08:22,640
Speaker 4: and they haven't landed yet, and we're kind of in

1257
01:08:22,680 --> 01:08:24,200
Speaker 4: a state of flux, and we don't quite know where

1258
01:08:24,200 --> 01:08:27,920
Speaker 4: we're going. And it seems like every week there's beating

1259
01:08:28,000 --> 01:08:32,960
Speaker 4: changes exactly but occasionally, and so there's a little you know,

1260
01:08:32,960 --> 01:08:34,880
Speaker 4: there's a lot of anxiety because it seems like there's

1261
01:08:35,240 --> 01:08:37,760
Speaker 4: a lot of things happening on concurrent.

1262
01:08:37,720 --> 01:08:40,559
Speaker 1: Lines, everything everywhere, all at once, Yes, exactly.

1263
01:08:41,040 --> 01:08:44,320
Speaker 4: But occasionally I run into someone who also is excited

1264
01:08:44,320 --> 01:08:47,360
Speaker 4: about this thing breaking, because there was also a feeling

1265
01:08:47,520 --> 01:08:50,160
Speaker 4: that something was being built in this kind of contorted

1266
01:08:50,200 --> 01:08:54,320
Speaker 4: Frankenstein way that was bound to break and actually did

1267
01:08:54,520 --> 01:08:58,800
Speaker 4: some harm along the way, and that the breaking.

1268
01:08:59,040 --> 01:09:02,440
Speaker 1: Is an opportunity is a good thing, Yeah, yes, exactly.

1269
01:09:02,160 --> 01:09:05,320
Speaker 4: And kind of excite that's right, that's right, and and

1270
01:09:05,720 --> 01:09:11,280
Speaker 4: kind of excited about the forcing us to re examine,

1271
01:09:12,520 --> 01:09:16,960
Speaker 4: you know, some fundamental the kind of the illusion of

1272
01:09:17,200 --> 01:09:19,519
Speaker 4: this strong scaffolding that has proven to actually be a

1273
01:09:19,560 --> 01:09:23,880
Speaker 4: bit of a house of cards, you know, that documentary

1274
01:09:24,479 --> 01:09:28,080
Speaker 4: for a period of time had this golden era moment

1275
01:09:28,600 --> 01:09:31,920
Speaker 4: of getting to start playing with the big guys, you know,

1276
01:09:32,320 --> 01:09:37,800
Speaker 4: getting huge acquisition deals, getting these incredible opportunities, and I

1277
01:09:37,840 --> 01:09:42,000
Speaker 4: think it both created trementos, created all these new avenues for.

1278
01:09:42,040 --> 01:09:45,000
Speaker 1: Douction, give these a household because of it, right like

1279
01:09:45,120 --> 01:09:48,040
Speaker 1: r exactly, it is probably the shining star of that moment,

1280
01:09:48,760 --> 01:09:49,400
Speaker 1: but it also.

1281
01:09:49,240 --> 01:09:51,400
Speaker 4: Did a little bit of kind of corrosion, created a

1282
01:09:51,439 --> 01:09:53,920
Speaker 4: little bit of a corrosion of the re existing industry.

1283
01:09:54,960 --> 01:09:58,040
Speaker 4: And I think there's a feeling that there's an opportunity here.

1284
01:09:58,160 --> 01:09:59,760
Speaker 4: I know Jamie wants to say something here.

1285
01:10:00,320 --> 01:10:03,040
Speaker 2: You know, I think that people are approach you're coming

1286
01:10:03,160 --> 01:10:05,040
Speaker 2: to our festival this year and the same way they

1287
01:10:05,080 --> 01:10:07,639
Speaker 2: did last year. And you know, we haven't addressed the obvious.

1288
01:10:07,840 --> 01:10:11,000
Speaker 2: You know, there's been a change in government. But if

1289
01:10:11,040 --> 01:10:14,080
Speaker 2: you're talking about the industry itself, there's a lot of handwringing.

1290
01:10:14,160 --> 01:10:17,799
Speaker 2: There's a lot of using of the term distribution crisis.

1291
01:10:18,120 --> 01:10:20,719
Speaker 1: That is, there's too much pro that's all of media,

1292
01:10:21,040 --> 01:10:23,240
Speaker 1: I mean, and not only that you don't get to

1293
01:10:23,240 --> 01:10:25,600
Speaker 1: control your own distribution. Some other entity is doing it,

1294
01:10:25,680 --> 01:10:27,080
Speaker 1: an algorithm is doing it, or.

1295
01:10:29,080 --> 01:10:30,400
Speaker 4: But let but let's.

1296
01:10:30,200 --> 01:10:32,680
Speaker 3: Examine what happened last year in terms of this.

1297
01:10:32,880 --> 01:10:35,080
Speaker 2: So we should give everybody, you know, sort of some

1298
01:10:36,280 --> 01:10:39,160
Speaker 2: exciting validation in that is when you got to the

1299
01:10:39,240 --> 01:10:40,800
Speaker 2: award and you know, we focus a lot on the

1300
01:10:40,840 --> 01:10:43,080
Speaker 2: award space when we got to the end and to

1301
01:10:43,200 --> 01:10:46,439
Speaker 2: the final five to two of those the eventual winner,

1302
01:10:46,520 --> 01:10:50,040
Speaker 2: No Other Land and Porcelain War were without distribution.

1303
01:10:50,479 --> 01:10:52,840
Speaker 3: They did not have any traditional.

1304
01:10:52,439 --> 01:10:55,400
Speaker 2: Platform, you know, in any way that any of us

1305
01:10:55,520 --> 01:10:58,519
Speaker 2: would have said, you know, it's it debuted here, it's

1306
01:10:58,600 --> 01:11:00,519
Speaker 2: coming out here, then it will go when it's.

1307
01:11:00,560 --> 01:11:02,519
Speaker 3: You know, it's a wards. That it was not the case.

1308
01:11:03,200 --> 01:11:06,599
Speaker 2: That was they were both you know, people who push

1309
01:11:06,680 --> 01:11:10,120
Speaker 2: those films board and fought for audiences in a non

1310
01:11:10,200 --> 01:11:10,880
Speaker 2: traditional way.

1311
01:11:10,960 --> 01:11:13,599
Speaker 3: And that where you know, the creativity has to come.

1312
01:11:13,520 --> 01:11:15,439
Speaker 2: In and the decisions and they and they were both

1313
01:11:15,680 --> 01:11:20,320
Speaker 2: really tough subjects that ultimately did find validation both in

1314
01:11:20,439 --> 01:11:23,959
Speaker 2: terms of the you know, of the industry and ultimately

1315
01:11:24,120 --> 01:11:25,960
Speaker 2: they found audiences, but not.

1316
01:11:26,080 --> 01:11:26,920
Speaker 3: In a traditional way.

1317
01:11:27,000 --> 01:11:29,680
Speaker 2: So we have to continue to approach that where this

1318
01:11:29,920 --> 01:11:34,360
Speaker 2: may not be sort of the pop culturally fair that

1319
01:11:34,479 --> 01:11:37,680
Speaker 2: people that are that's an easy purchase for you know,

1320
01:11:37,840 --> 01:11:41,840
Speaker 2: any kind of platform there. It's a challenging arn't and

1321
01:11:41,960 --> 01:11:44,040
Speaker 2: it it remains when and when I say it's not

1322
01:11:44,400 --> 01:11:46,720
Speaker 2: it's it's not hard to do that way, but it is.

1323
01:11:47,600 --> 01:11:50,519
Speaker 3: Sometimes it's hard to find the right avenue and that

1324
01:11:50,760 --> 01:11:54,000
Speaker 3: challenges it challenges us all and that's why we're so

1325
01:11:54,160 --> 01:11:54,880
Speaker 3: committed to doing this.

1326
01:11:54,960 --> 01:11:57,120
Speaker 2: So when somebody comes in and says it's a crisis,

1327
01:11:57,160 --> 01:11:59,720
Speaker 2: seems like yes, But to Skuy's point, it's an opportunity

1328
01:11:59,840 --> 01:12:00,240
Speaker 2: to we.

1329
01:12:00,439 --> 01:12:03,880
Speaker 3: Just we have to be better, faster, smarter and no.

1330
01:12:04,160 --> 01:12:07,760
Speaker 1: That's sort of attitude about the current media ecosystem. It's like, look,

1331
01:12:07,800 --> 01:12:11,680
Speaker 1: we're gonna it's it's always been changing. At least you

1332
01:12:11,800 --> 01:12:13,360
Speaker 1: have a warning that it's going to and we have

1333
01:12:13,400 --> 01:12:15,840
Speaker 1: a chance to rebuild. All right, let's land the plane.

1334
01:12:15,840 --> 01:12:19,080
Speaker 1: Where do they go to? My tickets? Where? Because this

1335
01:12:19,200 --> 01:12:22,280
Speaker 1: will air before the start of the festival, iver come.

1336
01:12:22,240 --> 01:12:26,439
Speaker 4: To our website d the doc with an x best

1337
01:12:26,680 --> 01:12:30,519
Speaker 4: dot com you can find our full lineup, the program,

1338
01:12:31,080 --> 01:12:34,879
Speaker 4: the Reality Check Forum with twenty five panels, masterclasses, workshops,

1339
01:12:34,920 --> 01:12:39,120
Speaker 4: a legal clinic, some a lot of networking events, some

1340
01:12:39,320 --> 01:12:43,839
Speaker 4: industry parties, where people can purchase tickets to individual screenings

1341
01:12:43,960 --> 01:12:44,639
Speaker 4: or pasts.

1342
01:12:45,479 --> 01:12:47,040
Speaker 1: So there's all different levels. You can just do the

1343
01:12:47,080 --> 01:12:49,439
Speaker 1: screening stuff, or you can get the how to become

1344
01:12:49,479 --> 01:12:52,439
Speaker 1: a documentary filmmaker, all of everything in between.

1345
01:12:53,080 --> 01:12:53,519
Speaker 4: Exactly.

1346
01:12:54,200 --> 01:12:56,680
Speaker 1: Oh, that's awesome, you can and.

1347
01:12:56,760 --> 01:12:58,200
Speaker 3: It's going to be an amazing weekend.

1348
01:12:58,520 --> 01:13:00,880
Speaker 1: And Jamie, where where are where are all the just

1349
01:13:00,960 --> 01:13:03,439
Speaker 1: for the DC locals? Where will they be headed when

1350
01:13:03,439 --> 01:13:04,040
Speaker 1: they buy their day?

1351
01:13:04,040 --> 01:13:04,880
Speaker 3: It will be headed there.

1352
01:13:04,960 --> 01:13:07,440
Speaker 2: We headed to multiple venues in a sort of centralized

1353
01:13:07,520 --> 01:13:09,760
Speaker 2: area in downtown.

1354
01:13:10,240 --> 01:13:12,120
Speaker 3: We have a bunch of exciting venues. One is the

1355
01:13:12,160 --> 01:13:14,240
Speaker 3: Wooly Mammoth Theater, another.

1356
01:13:14,040 --> 01:13:17,960
Speaker 2: Is the Bloomberg Center at Johns Hopkins, the Birk Theater

1357
01:13:18,160 --> 01:13:20,920
Speaker 2: at the Navy Naval Heritage Memorial, and.

1358
01:13:21,000 --> 01:13:27,280
Speaker 3: The Legal what real regal gallery place? Yeah, and so

1359
01:13:27,479 --> 01:13:30,000
Speaker 3: all they're all within walking distance of each other.

1360
01:13:30,120 --> 01:13:31,759
Speaker 1: You can kind of well, we can create a DC

1361
01:13:32,080 --> 01:13:35,040
Speaker 1: docs bar crawl. So what you do is, right, you

1362
01:13:35,160 --> 01:13:37,479
Speaker 1: go to one venue, we have a nice little happy

1363
01:13:37,560 --> 01:13:39,280
Speaker 1: hour and they need to send them to another venue.

1364
01:13:39,360 --> 01:13:42,000
Speaker 4: Right, that is brilliant. Yeah, that's you're brilliant.

1365
01:13:42,640 --> 01:13:43,800
Speaker 1: And that's here for guide.

1366
01:13:44,000 --> 01:13:46,639
Speaker 2: Yeah, we push everything everything, we we think we want

1367
01:13:46,680 --> 01:13:48,479
Speaker 2: to deal with. We put in a mental folder that

1368
01:13:48,560 --> 01:13:49,120
Speaker 2: we called you.

1369
01:13:50,040 --> 01:13:53,320
Speaker 1: Well, you can just it's the Chuck Podcast Bark Crawl,

1370
01:13:54,320 --> 01:13:55,120
Speaker 1: Will you know what?

1371
01:13:55,280 --> 01:13:58,439
Speaker 2: We're so happy we definitely look to us and at

1372
01:13:58,439 --> 01:13:59,600
Speaker 2: our dates for this weekend and.

1373
01:13:59,640 --> 01:14:00,559
Speaker 3: Twenty twenty six.

1374
01:14:03,040 --> 01:14:06,599
Speaker 1: Jamie shore Sky Sidney, I can't wait. I'll be involved

1375
01:14:06,640 --> 01:14:09,519
Speaker 1: in a couple of them doing some Q and a's.

1376
01:14:09,600 --> 01:14:12,200
Speaker 1: That's also another great part of it is you watch

1377
01:14:12,280 --> 01:14:14,879
Speaker 1: these films and sometimes you get to meet the filmmaker,

1378
01:14:15,080 --> 01:14:18,080
Speaker 1: you get to meet the antagonists or the protagonists. We're

1379
01:14:18,080 --> 01:14:21,720
Speaker 1: both together, and sometimes they show up and have imbibed

1380
01:14:21,840 --> 01:14:23,400
Speaker 1: and sometimes they have it, so you never know what

1381
01:14:23,479 --> 01:14:25,760
Speaker 1: you're going to get. Yeah, let's just say I've had

1382
01:14:25,800 --> 01:14:29,040
Speaker 1: some unique experiences with some of these folks, and each

1383
01:14:29,120 --> 01:14:30,880
Speaker 1: one of them is fantastic, but they're unique.

1384
01:14:31,920 --> 01:14:33,639
Speaker 3: Yep, thank you so much.

1385
01:14:34,240 --> 01:14:35,719
Speaker 4: Thank you. That's wonderful.

1386
01:14:43,960 --> 01:14:46,360
Speaker 1: All right. I hope you enjoyed. And now I hope

1387
01:14:46,360 --> 01:14:49,599
Speaker 1: you've gone to d C docs and you've figured out

1388
01:14:50,320 --> 01:14:53,400
Speaker 1: which ones you want to take a look at, which

1389
01:14:53,439 --> 01:14:56,519
Speaker 1: ones are exciting to you. I will just tell you this.

1390
01:14:56,640 --> 01:15:00,200
Speaker 1: You heard what I was into on that front. I'm

1391
01:15:00,200 --> 01:15:04,439
Speaker 1: obsessed with Andy Kaufman, and I hope you caught my

1392
01:15:04,560 --> 01:15:08,040
Speaker 1: little homage to Rim there and that he was likely

1393
01:15:08,080 --> 01:15:12,280
Speaker 1: caught goofin on Elvis, hey baby, But that would be

1394
01:15:12,360 --> 01:15:14,800
Speaker 1: one that I would easily find myself too. But they're

1395
01:15:14,840 --> 01:15:20,040
Speaker 1: all really good. And again, if you're trying to look

1396
01:15:20,120 --> 01:15:23,439
Speaker 1: for political bias, then you yourself have a problem with

1397
01:15:23,479 --> 01:15:29,200
Speaker 1: political bias. If you're looking to be challenged intellectually about issues,

1398
01:15:30,040 --> 01:15:33,640
Speaker 1: than DC Docks is for you. Whether you come at

1399
01:15:33,680 --> 01:15:37,920
Speaker 1: it from the left, middle, or right. I promise you

1400
01:15:38,000 --> 01:15:39,880
Speaker 1: there will something that will challenge your way of thinking

1401
01:15:40,240 --> 01:15:42,560
Speaker 1: and something that may reinforce your way of thinking. But

1402
01:15:42,680 --> 01:15:46,120
Speaker 1: either way that's the point of a good documentary. They

1403
01:15:46,160 --> 01:15:48,599
Speaker 1: will make you think. And I trust my friend Jamie

1404
01:15:48,640 --> 01:15:51,839
Speaker 1: Shore here. She does not put garbage in these lineups.

1405
01:15:52,160 --> 01:15:56,720
Speaker 1: Anything that was partisan garbage didn't make the cut, trust me.

1406
01:15:57,160 --> 01:16:02,639
Speaker 1: All right, let's do a little last chuck. All right,

1407
01:16:02,920 --> 01:16:09,160
Speaker 1: So question one, sorry I was loading in real time

1408
01:16:09,280 --> 01:16:13,400
Speaker 1: here comes from Mark R. Two questions. First, Sunday voting

1409
01:16:13,720 --> 01:16:15,680
Speaker 1: as the US considered Sunday voting as it means to

1410
01:16:15,760 --> 01:16:18,000
Speaker 1: increase participation like so many other countries, I guess it's

1411
01:16:18,080 --> 01:16:21,880
Speaker 1: less relevant with absentee ballots. Second, the presidential reformat. Do

1412
01:16:21,920 --> 01:16:23,519
Speaker 1: you think there could be a bipartison and effort to

1413
01:16:23,520 --> 01:16:25,920
Speaker 1: pass a reform act following the end of the current administration.

1414
01:16:26,000 --> 01:16:28,000
Speaker 1: If so, what should be addressed and be within the

1415
01:16:28,080 --> 01:16:31,560
Speaker 1: limits of the constitution? For example, presidential pardons, disclosure of

1416
01:16:31,600 --> 01:16:36,479
Speaker 1: tax returns, investments, family member and potential conflicts, health records,

1417
01:16:36,720 --> 01:16:38,880
Speaker 1: placing all assets, and a blind trust managed by an

1418
01:16:38,920 --> 01:16:43,320
Speaker 1: independent party while holding office. Thanks. First of all, that's

1419
01:16:43,360 --> 01:16:48,280
Speaker 1: a terrific agenda for the sort of the post Trump cleanup, right,

1420
01:16:48,400 --> 01:16:50,000
Speaker 1: you know, you know, the reason we got the twenty

1421
01:16:50,080 --> 01:16:54,080
Speaker 1: second Amendment mark was sort of like, oh, we can't

1422
01:16:54,160 --> 01:16:57,240
Speaker 1: have this, you know, in a time of war, all right,

1423
01:16:57,400 --> 01:16:59,280
Speaker 1: FDR turned out all right, but we could end up

1424
01:16:59,400 --> 01:17:02,680
Speaker 1: with some of authoritarian figure that never leaves office. So

1425
01:17:02,840 --> 01:17:05,320
Speaker 1: maybe we ought to enshrine the two term limit.

1426
01:17:05,760 --> 01:17:05,880
Speaker 4: You know.

1427
01:17:06,040 --> 01:17:08,719
Speaker 1: FDR ended up seeking a third term then a fourth

1428
01:17:09,120 --> 01:17:14,560
Speaker 1: because of the crisis in Europe at the time. So,

1429
01:17:14,920 --> 01:17:18,439
Speaker 1: but the point was the out party, the Republicans wanted

1430
01:17:18,520 --> 01:17:22,320
Speaker 1: to sort of prevent another FDR. So what you're describing

1431
01:17:22,400 --> 01:17:27,360
Speaker 1: here is actually a very natural, I think reaction when

1432
01:17:27,400 --> 01:17:29,960
Speaker 1: you have because look, a majority of this country does

1433
01:17:30,080 --> 01:17:33,719
Speaker 1: not like Trump's character and ethical behavior, right, that doesn't

1434
01:17:33,760 --> 01:17:36,040
Speaker 1: mean they didn't. Some of them didn't support them. There

1435
01:17:36,080 --> 01:17:39,160
Speaker 1: are people that voted for him that know he's unethical, No,

1436
01:17:39,320 --> 01:17:41,880
Speaker 1: he is low character, but think that that's actually an

1437
01:17:42,000 --> 01:17:45,160
Speaker 1: asset because of the current times that we're in. I've

1438
01:17:45,200 --> 01:17:47,519
Speaker 1: got an interesting column on sub Stack today if you

1439
01:17:47,600 --> 01:17:50,080
Speaker 1: check out, sort of talks about our sort of crisis

1440
01:17:50,160 --> 01:17:53,360
Speaker 1: on corruption and our numbness to it, and tries to

1441
01:17:53,400 --> 01:17:55,240
Speaker 1: at least give an explanation of why we might be

1442
01:17:55,320 --> 01:17:57,040
Speaker 1: numb to it. I'm not going to go on my

1443
01:17:57,080 --> 01:17:59,599
Speaker 1: soapbox here with it, but I went on my soapbox

1444
01:17:59,680 --> 01:18:02,000
Speaker 1: on some stack. Maybe we ought to call it the

1445
01:18:02,080 --> 01:18:06,280
Speaker 1: soapbox stack, if you will, But yes, I go there.

1446
01:18:06,439 --> 01:18:10,479
Speaker 1: So I love everything you're talking about in here. I

1447
01:18:10,640 --> 01:18:13,920
Speaker 1: do think, I mean, the biggest problem that we've had

1448
01:18:14,120 --> 01:18:18,800
Speaker 1: with connecting so when there was public funding of presidential

1449
01:18:18,880 --> 01:18:28,360
Speaker 1: campaigns where you know, and for about essentially Postwatergate, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Mondale, Ducaccus, Bush, Clinton,

1450
01:18:28,520 --> 01:18:35,679
Speaker 1: Bush Dole all the way up until Bush Gore two thousand,

1451
01:18:35,800 --> 01:18:38,280
Speaker 1: basically the back half there the last twenty five years

1452
01:18:38,280 --> 01:18:43,040
Speaker 1: of the twentieth century, the general election campaigns were financed

1453
01:18:43,080 --> 01:18:45,439
Speaker 1: by taxpayers. If you're old enough to remember the old

1454
01:18:45,479 --> 01:18:47,840
Speaker 1: presidential checkoff dollar that you could check off on your

1455
01:18:47,880 --> 01:18:51,680
Speaker 1: tax return, and that's how we funded presidential elections. And

1456
01:18:51,960 --> 01:18:57,360
Speaker 1: so you could pass legislation that tied the hands of

1457
01:18:57,400 --> 01:19:00,360
Speaker 1: a candidate to say, you're not eligible to get those

1458
01:19:00,400 --> 01:19:02,599
Speaker 1: matching funds unless you release your tax returns, or you're

1459
01:19:02,640 --> 01:19:05,120
Speaker 1: not eligible unless you do this, so you could tie

1460
01:19:05,280 --> 01:19:09,240
Speaker 1: things to those matching funds. Now that no presidential candidate

1461
01:19:09,280 --> 01:19:11,160
Speaker 1: does it that way, right, all of our funding, you know,

1462
01:19:11,640 --> 01:19:15,080
Speaker 1: Bush was the first one to sort of piecemeal out

1463
01:19:15,160 --> 01:19:18,040
Speaker 1: of some of the funding. Then Obama went out of

1464
01:19:18,080 --> 01:19:21,280
Speaker 1: it completely. McCain is the last one that took some

1465
01:19:21,439 --> 01:19:23,840
Speaker 1: general election funding, and then after that twenty twelve, we

1466
01:19:23,880 --> 01:19:27,439
Speaker 1: didn't have it anymore. We haven't had it since, so

1467
01:19:28,320 --> 01:19:31,120
Speaker 1: if you although, I think Trump was tempted at one

1468
01:19:31,120 --> 01:19:33,679
Speaker 1: point because remember Trump is he loves using other people's money,

1469
01:19:33,680 --> 01:19:35,200
Speaker 1: and he thought, oh, I can use taxpayer money to

1470
01:19:35,200 --> 01:19:36,519
Speaker 1: pay for a general election. I don't have to put

1471
01:19:36,520 --> 01:19:38,640
Speaker 1: in my own money yet. But for the now, we

1472
01:19:39,200 --> 01:19:43,080
Speaker 1: were funding our elections with private money. There isn't I

1473
01:19:43,160 --> 01:19:47,960
Speaker 1: don't know if there's constitutional means to force these presidential like,

1474
01:19:48,040 --> 01:19:52,720
Speaker 1: what is your your hook other than tying it to

1475
01:19:52,840 --> 01:19:55,600
Speaker 1: ballot access and you probably have to put that in

1476
01:19:55,720 --> 01:19:59,479
Speaker 1: the constitution. So take the issue presidential pardons. I think

1477
01:20:00,040 --> 01:20:03,160
Speaker 1: the biggest mistakes the Founders made was giving this soul.

1478
01:20:03,840 --> 01:20:09,040
Speaker 1: You know, the was giving the presidency powers of a monarchy,

1479
01:20:09,400 --> 01:20:12,960
Speaker 1: right the sole decide or in a part if you

1480
01:20:13,080 --> 01:20:16,400
Speaker 1: said he was the chair of a pardon board, uh,

1481
01:20:16,640 --> 01:20:19,960
Speaker 1: and could be the deciding vote. You know, say you

1482
01:20:20,040 --> 01:20:22,439
Speaker 1: had the Justice Department had three members on it, and

1483
01:20:22,600 --> 01:20:25,120
Speaker 1: the Legislative branch had three members on it, and then

1484
01:20:25,160 --> 01:20:27,840
Speaker 1: he was the deciding and the president whoever the president was,

1485
01:20:27,880 --> 01:20:30,479
Speaker 1: he or she would be the deciding vote. You know,

1486
01:20:30,600 --> 01:20:34,599
Speaker 1: I could, I could at least understand that by the founders,

1487
01:20:34,640 --> 01:20:37,439
Speaker 1: But why they gave this individual individual power because it's

1488
01:20:37,439 --> 01:20:41,200
Speaker 1: such a corruptible power and now that clearly he's using

1489
01:20:41,240 --> 01:20:45,920
Speaker 1: it to just sell pardons at this point is showing

1490
01:20:46,080 --> 01:20:49,800
Speaker 1: how absurd this this is. But I do think it

1491
01:20:49,880 --> 01:20:52,639
Speaker 1: has to be a constitutional men, and I think that's

1492
01:20:52,720 --> 01:20:54,680
Speaker 1: the struggle, Mark is how can you do all of

1493
01:20:54,720 --> 01:20:57,840
Speaker 1: these I'm with you in the presidential reformat. How do

1494
01:20:57,920 --> 01:21:00,680
Speaker 1: you do this and make it constitutional because so far,

1495
01:21:00,840 --> 01:21:02,800
Speaker 1: everything that's been done to tie the hands of the

1496
01:21:02,840 --> 01:21:05,599
Speaker 1: executive branch works for everybody except the two that are elected.

1497
01:21:06,040 --> 01:21:08,559
Speaker 1: Because Supreme Court has made it essentially that the two

1498
01:21:08,720 --> 01:21:13,439
Speaker 1: that the that the separation of powers issue makes it

1499
01:21:13,560 --> 01:21:16,040
Speaker 1: so that the laws that Congress passes can't apply to

1500
01:21:16,120 --> 01:21:19,280
Speaker 1: the two top elected officials in the executive branch, which

1501
01:21:19,320 --> 01:21:21,960
Speaker 1: is the president and the vice president. You can you

1502
01:21:22,040 --> 01:21:23,920
Speaker 1: can pass laws that tie the hands to the Senate

1503
01:21:24,040 --> 01:21:28,280
Speaker 1: confirmed cabinet secretaries, and so they have mandatory disclosure, and

1504
01:21:28,320 --> 01:21:30,680
Speaker 1: they have mandatory tax returns. You can do all of

1505
01:21:30,720 --> 01:21:34,320
Speaker 1: those things for everybody other than the top two. So

1506
01:21:37,120 --> 01:21:39,160
Speaker 1: I don't know if you can do what you want

1507
01:21:39,200 --> 01:21:41,680
Speaker 1: to do without doing a constitutional amendment. But guess what,

1508
01:21:42,200 --> 01:21:45,160
Speaker 1: I think you can word a constitutional amendment in such

1509
01:21:45,160 --> 01:21:48,280
Speaker 1: a way that it would be it would it would

1510
01:21:48,320 --> 01:21:52,479
Speaker 1: be bad. Pop. You would explain to me State Legislator X,

1511
01:21:52,880 --> 01:21:55,920
Speaker 1: why you can't support releasing a tax returns, releasing a

1512
01:21:56,000 --> 01:21:59,560
Speaker 1: medical records, you know, et cetera, et cetera, putting the

1513
01:22:00,920 --> 01:22:03,679
Speaker 1: the pardon power into, you know, out of the hands

1514
01:22:03,680 --> 01:22:06,280
Speaker 1: of one individual, right you put all of these things together,

1515
01:22:06,400 --> 01:22:10,000
Speaker 1: I think politically it would be impossible to vote against that.

1516
01:22:10,120 --> 01:22:12,120
Speaker 1: It would really make you look like you were in

1517
01:22:12,240 --> 01:22:15,719
Speaker 1: favor of either some sort of corruptness of the situation.

1518
01:22:15,920 --> 01:22:20,639
Speaker 1: So I do think you could actually and it wouldn't

1519
01:22:20,720 --> 01:22:25,960
Speaker 1: look when you make massive changes. It isn't easy. And

1520
01:22:27,040 --> 01:22:28,840
Speaker 1: I think we've spent way too much time over the

1521
01:22:28,920 --> 01:22:31,320
Speaker 1: last fifty years looking for ways to go around the

1522
01:22:31,400 --> 01:22:34,479
Speaker 1: Constitution rather than looking for ways to amend it. If

1523
01:22:34,520 --> 01:22:38,679
Speaker 1: we really believe in an idea, and so I honestly

1524
01:22:38,760 --> 01:22:43,080
Speaker 1: believe that this should be something that is pursued as

1525
01:22:43,160 --> 01:22:46,800
Speaker 1: the twenty ninth Amendment, and then we can maybe have

1526
01:22:47,760 --> 01:22:51,080
Speaker 1: and you know, maybe you entice someon MAGA into this

1527
01:22:51,479 --> 01:22:54,040
Speaker 1: by saying, you know, it's not going to apply to

1528
01:22:54,120 --> 01:22:56,519
Speaker 1: this president, but we can, you know, open up the

1529
01:22:56,600 --> 01:22:59,600
Speaker 1: non consecutive term argument if you will, that you can

1530
01:22:59,680 --> 01:23:04,120
Speaker 1: seek a third term if you you know, as long

1531
01:23:04,200 --> 01:23:07,760
Speaker 1: as your first two terms were not consecutive. If that's

1532
01:23:07,800 --> 01:23:10,000
Speaker 1: what it took to get everything else that you put

1533
01:23:10,040 --> 01:23:13,920
Speaker 1: in here, it's called a democracy, it's called compromise. I

1534
01:23:14,000 --> 01:23:16,360
Speaker 1: don't see a huge problem from that. As for Sunday voting,

1535
01:23:17,840 --> 01:23:20,840
Speaker 1: we kind of have it in some states with the

1536
01:23:21,080 --> 01:23:23,880
Speaker 1: in person early voting. I just voted in the Virginia

1537
01:23:23,960 --> 01:23:27,759
Speaker 1: primaries early. I did it on Saturday instead of Sunday,

1538
01:23:27,800 --> 01:23:31,360
Speaker 1: for what it's worth, but they did have it open

1539
01:23:31,920 --> 01:23:35,599
Speaker 1: on weekends. I think it's obvious every other democracy around

1540
01:23:35,640 --> 01:23:38,799
Speaker 1: the world votes Saturday since Sundays some only vote Sundays.

1541
01:23:39,280 --> 01:23:40,880
Speaker 1: We are the ones that say, hey, let's do it

1542
01:23:40,960 --> 01:23:46,839
Speaker 1: on a Tuesday, which again made sense in the eighteenth century,

1543
01:23:47,400 --> 01:23:50,960
Speaker 1: maybe made sense. I think in the modern era makes

1544
01:23:51,000 --> 01:23:54,280
Speaker 1: a hell of a lot less sense. So I you

1545
01:23:54,400 --> 01:23:57,840
Speaker 1: know why we're not at weekend voting. I'm not for

1546
01:23:57,920 --> 01:24:01,200
Speaker 1: compulsory voting, but we can voting makes a lot of sense.

1547
01:24:02,840 --> 01:24:06,559
Speaker 1: You know, you want to make it as voting should

1548
01:24:06,600 --> 01:24:10,280
Speaker 1: be as accessible as possible. All right, I went along

1549
01:24:10,320 --> 01:24:15,479
Speaker 1: with that one. Next question, all right, Oh it's Kurt.

1550
01:24:16,160 --> 01:24:18,640
Speaker 1: This one comes from Kurt said, Chuck, do you have

1551
01:24:18,680 --> 01:24:21,840
Speaker 1: any more book recommendations? Man, I got to keep reading

1552
01:24:21,920 --> 01:24:24,400
Speaker 1: here to keep this up, but I'm looking for worthwhile,

1553
01:24:24,479 --> 01:24:28,519
Speaker 1: illuminating books by national security professionals. Thanks. Ps. I'm a

1554
01:24:28,560 --> 01:24:30,960
Speaker 1: big fan since before the daily rundown. I appreciate that.

1555
01:24:31,080 --> 01:24:35,439
Speaker 1: That means you're an old hotliner perhaps, but really solidified there,

1556
01:24:35,680 --> 01:24:38,519
Speaker 1: meaning daily Rundown. Thanks for putting out the podcast. Appreciate

1557
01:24:38,560 --> 01:24:41,120
Speaker 1: it well. On national security front, let me, I'm going

1558
01:24:41,200 --> 01:24:45,240
Speaker 1: to give you two. That one i'm reading now, so

1559
01:24:45,320 --> 01:24:47,200
Speaker 1: I'll just tell you what i'm reading now. But the

1560
01:24:47,320 --> 01:24:49,920
Speaker 1: other that I did find to be very helpful and

1561
01:24:50,040 --> 01:24:53,880
Speaker 1: it's semi current. It's on the news if you will.

1562
01:24:53,920 --> 01:24:57,440
Speaker 1: It's called Lessons from the Edge of Memoir Marie Yovanovitch.

1563
01:24:57,560 --> 01:25:00,840
Speaker 1: Marie Ivanovitch was the career foreign ser officer who was

1564
01:25:00,840 --> 01:25:03,960
Speaker 1: ambassador to Ukraine during at the start of the Russian

1565
01:25:04,680 --> 01:25:08,160
Speaker 1: UH at the start of the excuse me when when

1566
01:25:08,479 --> 01:25:12,040
Speaker 1: when they took Crimea UH and the first time and

1567
01:25:12,120 --> 01:25:15,120
Speaker 1: if the when Zelenski, you know, she was the fired

1568
01:25:15,200 --> 01:25:19,560
Speaker 1: ambassador UH that essentially kind of sort of triggered the

1569
01:25:19,600 --> 01:25:25,200
Speaker 1: first impeachment of Trump. But I think there's a good

1570
01:25:25,320 --> 01:25:27,160
Speaker 1: You'll learn a lot about the history of Russia and

1571
01:25:27,280 --> 01:25:32,720
Speaker 1: Ukraine in general, understanding the Ukraine political situation, which was

1572
01:25:32,840 --> 01:25:38,920
Speaker 1: not not the smoothest and most ethical situation. But again,

1573
01:25:39,000 --> 01:25:41,720
Speaker 1: I think as we're all learning what democracy is, right.

1574
01:25:42,920 --> 01:25:45,320
Speaker 1: But I think it's a worthwhile book and it is

1575
01:25:45,439 --> 01:25:48,040
Speaker 1: on Like I said, I feel like it is on

1576
01:25:48,320 --> 01:25:50,320
Speaker 1: the news, so I think it's worth. And I'll tell

1577
01:25:50,320 --> 01:25:52,920
Speaker 1: you a book that I am reading now, uh, and

1578
01:25:53,040 --> 01:25:55,439
Speaker 1: I'm if I like it, I'm going to be hopeful

1579
01:25:55,479 --> 01:25:58,200
Speaker 1: I will bring the author on to do it. Let

1580
01:25:58,240 --> 01:26:01,040
Speaker 1: me get the exact titlere here, because.

1581
01:26:03,160 --> 01:26:03,640
Speaker 4: And it is.

1582
01:26:06,000 --> 01:26:09,680
Speaker 1: The book is called The Party's Interests Come First. It

1583
01:26:09,880 --> 01:26:13,800
Speaker 1: is by Joseph Torrigian. I hope I got that right.

1584
01:26:14,680 --> 01:26:16,960
Speaker 1: I hope I pronounced his last name right. It is

1585
01:26:17,800 --> 01:26:22,120
Speaker 1: part of the Stanford Hoover Institute series on Authoritarianism. What

1586
01:26:22,280 --> 01:26:29,479
Speaker 1: this is is essentially a biography of She's father. She's

1587
01:26:29,560 --> 01:26:32,920
Speaker 1: father was considered a reformer inside the Chinese Communist Party,

1588
01:26:34,400 --> 01:26:37,560
Speaker 1: was somebody who was a bit let's just say the

1589
01:26:37,640 --> 01:26:39,880
Speaker 1: initial review. What got me interested in this is that

1590
01:26:40,000 --> 01:26:44,280
Speaker 1: the initial review is about how his father was somebody

1591
01:26:44,320 --> 01:26:47,360
Speaker 1: who was in favor of sort of opening things up

1592
01:26:47,400 --> 01:26:50,880
Speaker 1: a little bit more. That when you see how she

1593
01:26:51,120 --> 01:26:53,400
Speaker 1: is behaving, who's the most trying to be the most

1594
01:26:53,439 --> 01:26:56,720
Speaker 1: influential and perhaps authoritarian leader that the Chinese have had

1595
01:26:56,760 --> 01:27:00,800
Speaker 1: since Now. The implication of the review I read, and

1596
01:27:00,880 --> 01:27:02,920
Speaker 1: I'm just starting to read this book I'm just diving in,

1597
01:27:03,920 --> 01:27:08,479
Speaker 1: was that if you knew how she was brought up

1598
01:27:09,280 --> 01:27:15,040
Speaker 1: and living under his father, that these moves by she

1599
01:27:15,360 --> 01:27:18,719
Speaker 1: are now actually surprising giving his background. So I wanted

1600
01:27:18,720 --> 01:27:20,519
Speaker 1: to learn more about his background because I can tell you,

1601
01:27:20,680 --> 01:27:24,080
Speaker 1: I fully admit that I feel like I have a

1602
01:27:24,200 --> 01:27:29,080
Speaker 1: deficit on Chinese history in general. I think Western education

1603
01:27:29,560 --> 01:27:32,080
Speaker 1: does that. I think we do a horrendous job. Think

1604
01:27:32,120 --> 01:27:35,080
Speaker 1: about all the ways we are taught Western civilization history,

1605
01:27:35,120 --> 01:27:38,920
Speaker 1: Western Europe, all the European Wars. We do a terrible

1606
01:27:39,000 --> 01:27:41,880
Speaker 1: job of teaching the history of Asia. We certainly did

1607
01:27:41,960 --> 01:27:45,760
Speaker 1: when I went to school. You really weren't going to

1608
01:27:45,920 --> 01:27:49,559
Speaker 1: get any sort of rundown on the Chinese dynasties until

1609
01:27:49,560 --> 01:27:53,320
Speaker 1: you got to college. It was not something. It felt

1610
01:27:53,360 --> 01:27:55,639
Speaker 1: like you spent about three days on it in high

1611
01:27:55,640 --> 01:27:59,200
Speaker 1: school and that was about it. But compared to how

1612
01:27:59,320 --> 01:28:01,120
Speaker 1: much And you know, part of that also is our

1613
01:28:01,120 --> 01:28:03,760
Speaker 1: own culture, right there's historical movies, more of them are

1614
01:28:03,800 --> 01:28:06,680
Speaker 1: based in Europe. Now is this changing? I think it is.

1615
01:28:06,760 --> 01:28:08,679
Speaker 1: I feel like over the last ten to fifteen years

1616
01:28:09,080 --> 01:28:12,120
Speaker 1: we've seen an influx of Asian culture in general into

1617
01:28:12,760 --> 01:28:18,360
Speaker 1: sort of American movie making and certainly American zeitgeist, and

1618
01:28:18,479 --> 01:28:21,080
Speaker 1: I think that has triggered a little more interest in history.

1619
01:28:21,439 --> 01:28:24,120
Speaker 1: I mean, some of the coolest archaeological finds are taking

1620
01:28:24,160 --> 01:28:27,599
Speaker 1: place in China, in the continent of Asia. We've seen

1621
01:28:27,640 --> 01:28:38,720
Speaker 1: some fascinating paleontology discoveries by paleontologists in China. So I

1622
01:28:38,800 --> 01:28:42,360
Speaker 1: will admit reading this review made me say, and this

1623
01:28:43,080 --> 01:28:46,320
Speaker 1: is something I need to know better, and this might

1624
01:28:46,400 --> 01:28:49,680
Speaker 1: be as good of a place to start. So I'm

1625
01:28:49,680 --> 01:28:51,920
Speaker 1: going to give you those two recommendations for now, because

1626
01:28:52,320 --> 01:28:55,920
Speaker 1: I will tell you this, this book on She's father's

1627
01:28:56,960 --> 01:29:01,439
Speaker 1: you know, it's not a tough ree, but you had

1628
01:29:01,439 --> 01:29:05,080
Speaker 1: to focus. So hit me up in about sixty days

1629
01:29:05,160 --> 01:29:07,920
Speaker 1: and we'll do some more book recommendations. All right. Final

1630
01:29:08,080 --> 01:29:14,720
Speaker 1: question for this episode. All right, and this one comes

1631
01:29:14,720 --> 01:29:17,240
Speaker 1: from Jimmy from Pennsylvania, and he says this. I keep

1632
01:29:17,280 --> 01:29:19,519
Speaker 1: hearing Republican House members saying along the lines of if

1633
01:29:19,560 --> 01:29:21,000
Speaker 1: I knew this was in the bill, I wouldn't have

1634
01:29:21,080 --> 01:29:23,639
Speaker 1: voted for it, which brings me to the question who

1635
01:29:23,720 --> 01:29:27,520
Speaker 1: actually authors the text in these extensive bills? Is it congressman,

1636
01:29:27,640 --> 01:29:30,920
Speaker 1: staff of congressman, lobbyist, lawyers for the executive branch? Thanks,

1637
01:29:31,720 --> 01:29:37,280
Speaker 1: So it's mostly staffers, Okay? On the key committees, you

1638
01:29:37,520 --> 01:29:41,280
Speaker 1: have staffers on ways and means, you have staffers on appropriations.

1639
01:29:42,320 --> 01:29:45,759
Speaker 1: They are probably the most dominant staffers in the Commerce Committee.

1640
01:29:46,760 --> 01:29:48,439
Speaker 1: The Commerce Committee, by the way, in both the House

1641
01:29:48,479 --> 01:29:51,040
Speaker 1: and the Senate, always the most powerful committee because what

1642
01:29:51,240 --> 01:29:56,880
Speaker 1: falls under commerce everything, Okay, technically right, you can make

1643
01:29:56,920 --> 01:30:01,120
Speaker 1: a case that everything is commerce in some one in

1644
01:30:01,200 --> 01:30:05,360
Speaker 1: one form or another. So those three committees in general

1645
01:30:06,080 --> 01:30:10,040
Speaker 1: have probably the largest staves that actually do a lot

1646
01:30:10,120 --> 01:30:16,320
Speaker 1: of the writing of the bills. You know, it's always

1647
01:30:16,320 --> 01:30:22,640
Speaker 1: astonishing to me how many members look when we were

1648
01:30:22,680 --> 01:30:26,120
Speaker 1: in college, right, and I'm going to assume you know,

1649
01:30:26,439 --> 01:30:29,240
Speaker 1: when we were to any sort of education that we've gotten,

1650
01:30:30,080 --> 01:30:33,320
Speaker 1: we always knew what we had to read versus which

1651
01:30:33,360 --> 01:30:36,799
Speaker 1: you didn't have to read. So let's apply this to Congress.

1652
01:30:38,200 --> 01:30:40,600
Speaker 1: I'm not asking you to read every bill. Now, some

1653
01:30:40,760 --> 01:30:42,519
Speaker 1: of you might say, no, we just elect them Congress,

1654
01:30:42,520 --> 01:30:45,360
Speaker 1: paying them taxpayers. I'm not asking you to read every bill,

1655
01:30:45,560 --> 01:30:48,479
Speaker 1: but I am asking you to read this bill. Okay,

1656
01:30:49,200 --> 01:30:53,000
Speaker 1: the biggest bill, anything called big beautiful bill, anything that

1657
01:30:53,160 --> 01:30:55,720
Speaker 1: is the biggest bill you're going to pass all year.

1658
01:30:57,120 --> 01:31:01,120
Speaker 1: Sit your ass down and read the goddamn bill. I'm

1659
01:31:01,160 --> 01:31:03,479
Speaker 1: not asking you to read every Post Office naming bill.

1660
01:31:03,720 --> 01:31:09,360
Speaker 1: I'm not asking you to read every every FAA reauthorization bill.

1661
01:31:09,760 --> 01:31:15,080
Speaker 1: You should, it is your job. But the biggest bill

1662
01:31:15,560 --> 01:31:19,200
Speaker 1: you better read. Now you want to know my real concern.

1663
01:31:19,520 --> 01:31:21,439
Speaker 1: I think some of these folks read the bill and

1664
01:31:21,600 --> 01:31:25,599
Speaker 1: don't know what they're reading. They're not They're confused between

1665
01:31:25,680 --> 01:31:30,200
Speaker 1: the words shall and may, because guess what may versus

1666
01:31:30,320 --> 01:31:34,439
Speaker 1: shall are really important. If it shall be, it has

1667
01:31:34,560 --> 01:31:37,040
Speaker 1: to be. If it may be, then it's up to

1668
01:31:37,200 --> 01:31:39,840
Speaker 1: the executive branch to decide how to implement a bill.

1669
01:31:40,120 --> 01:31:43,840
Speaker 1: The words may versus shell so I but the point

1670
01:31:43,960 --> 01:31:47,839
Speaker 1: is you're the elected member of Congress and you actually

1671
01:31:48,000 --> 01:31:52,880
Speaker 1: have to learn what those words mean. Right, So I

1672
01:31:53,040 --> 01:31:56,639
Speaker 1: have a little bit of grace on reading every bill.

1673
01:31:57,200 --> 01:32:02,360
Speaker 1: I have no grace. I'm not reading this frickin' forkin' bill,

1674
01:32:03,320 --> 01:32:07,720
Speaker 1: all right, it is. It is indefensible, and to me,

1675
01:32:08,720 --> 01:32:11,080
Speaker 1: any member of Congress that has gone out there on

1676
01:32:11,320 --> 01:32:14,320
Speaker 1: record saying, boy, if I had known this was in there,

1677
01:32:14,320 --> 01:32:16,600
Speaker 1: I wouldn't have voted for it. And this was in

1678
01:32:16,680 --> 01:32:19,880
Speaker 1: there has to do with taking away the rights of

1679
01:32:20,080 --> 01:32:25,360
Speaker 1: states to do regulating of artificial intelligence, which is just

1680
01:32:25,520 --> 01:32:29,600
Speaker 1: a crazy notion. The only entity that wanted this was

1681
01:32:29,720 --> 01:32:32,200
Speaker 1: the industry because they didn't want to have to deal

1682
01:32:33,040 --> 01:32:36,000
Speaker 1: with you know how God, we have to have lobbyists

1683
01:32:36,040 --> 01:32:38,600
Speaker 1: in fifty state capitals and Washington. We don't want to

1684
01:32:38,600 --> 01:32:40,000
Speaker 1: have to do that. We just want to be able

1685
01:32:40,040 --> 01:32:44,559
Speaker 1: to do it more efficiently and just worry about federal regulation. Well, look,

1686
01:32:44,800 --> 01:32:49,120
Speaker 1: the states have rights for a reason. And guess what,

1687
01:32:49,479 --> 01:32:51,800
Speaker 1: there might be better ways to regulate AI that come

1688
01:32:51,840 --> 01:32:54,280
Speaker 1: out of the states than are written by the lobbyists

1689
01:32:54,320 --> 01:32:56,519
Speaker 1: that are paid for by the five big tech companies

1690
01:32:56,520 --> 01:33:00,560
Speaker 1: that give a shit about this right now, so I

1691
01:33:01,280 --> 01:33:03,160
Speaker 1: don't have any I mean, you're right. I think if

1692
01:33:03,200 --> 01:33:05,960
Speaker 1: you haven't read this bill, you're disqualified to be a

1693
01:33:06,040 --> 01:33:08,720
Speaker 1: member of Congress. And if you've admitted this, I hope

1694
01:33:08,760 --> 01:33:12,080
Speaker 1: your political opponent runs this on a loop and just

1695
01:33:12,120 --> 01:33:14,760
Speaker 1: say I'm not asking to read every bill. Like I said,

1696
01:33:15,600 --> 01:33:17,840
Speaker 1: don't have to read the Post office naming bills. You

1697
01:33:17,880 --> 01:33:21,840
Speaker 1: don't have to read the reauthorization bills. But the one

1698
01:33:22,120 --> 01:33:24,560
Speaker 1: the bill that the President of the United States or

1699
01:33:24,560 --> 01:33:26,000
Speaker 1: the leader of your party. And I, by the way,

1700
01:33:26,040 --> 01:33:29,840
Speaker 1: either side of the op everybody, every member of Congress

1701
01:33:29,840 --> 01:33:33,000
Speaker 1: should have read every piece of Biden's bill. And every

1702
01:33:33,080 --> 01:33:35,760
Speaker 1: member of Congress D and R alike should be reading

1703
01:33:35,800 --> 01:33:41,080
Speaker 1: this big, beautiful bill by Trump or you have no

1704
01:33:41,240 --> 01:33:45,320
Speaker 1: credibility to criticize it, and you certainly might learn a

1705
01:33:45,400 --> 01:33:47,960
Speaker 1: thing or two about what should or shouldn't be in

1706
01:33:48,000 --> 01:33:48,360
Speaker 1: this bill.

1707
01:33:50,000 --> 01:33:51,040
Speaker 3: All right, I.

1708
01:33:51,120 --> 01:33:53,439
Speaker 1: Realized as I was talking there, I don't you know,

1709
01:33:53,520 --> 01:33:54,720
Speaker 1: it's like the more you sit there and you're like,

1710
01:33:54,800 --> 01:33:57,160
Speaker 1: come ah, right, it's like I feel this way as

1711
01:33:57,200 --> 01:34:00,160
Speaker 1: a as a part time teacher. It's like, look, I

1712
01:34:00,240 --> 01:34:02,160
Speaker 1: didn't ask you to read every book. I just asked

1713
01:34:02,200 --> 01:34:04,720
Speaker 1: you to read one. And if you can't even show

1714
01:34:04,720 --> 01:34:07,280
Speaker 1: you can read one, this memory, I'm just asking to

1715
01:34:07,400 --> 01:34:10,040
Speaker 1: read one bill a year, the most important bill of

1716
01:34:10,080 --> 01:34:13,719
Speaker 1: the year. And you can't read that, get out of Congress.

1717
01:34:14,160 --> 01:34:16,560
Speaker 1: And I hope the voters throw you out if you

1718
01:34:16,680 --> 01:34:19,360
Speaker 1: can't bring yourself to read that one bill. All right,

1719
01:34:20,479 --> 01:34:26,120
Speaker 1: With that, I've got for what it's worth, I've now

1720
01:34:26,200 --> 01:34:31,840
Speaker 1: got a nest that is emptying out. I've got a

1721
01:34:32,320 --> 01:34:35,280
Speaker 1: I've now got no more kids in high school. I

1722
01:34:35,400 --> 01:34:39,479
Speaker 1: got two grown adult children. I don't feel like I've

1723
01:34:39,520 --> 01:34:41,719
Speaker 1: grown up enough yet to have two grown adult children.

1724
01:34:42,080 --> 01:34:50,400
Speaker 1: But I you know, it's a it's every emotion that

1725
01:34:50,479 --> 01:34:52,280
Speaker 1: they tell you you're going to have, I've been having.

1726
01:34:52,800 --> 01:34:54,439
Speaker 1: I'm not going to share every emotion with you, but

1727
01:34:54,760 --> 01:34:59,120
Speaker 1: it is all there. But I will tell you I'm

1728
01:34:59,160 --> 01:35:02,360
Speaker 1: super proud of my kids. And with that, I'll see

1729
01:35:02,400 --> 01:35:05,080
Speaker 1: and uh, we're gonna have more episodes this week. It's exciting.

1730
01:35:05,160 --> 01:35:07,679
Speaker 1: And more importantly, I hope you did catch I hope

1731
01:35:07,680 --> 01:35:10,640
Speaker 1: you've signed up for a free trial for Newsphere n

1732
01:35:10,720 --> 01:35:13,240
Speaker 1: O O S P h E R E. I hope

1733
01:35:13,240 --> 01:35:16,120
Speaker 1: you got a chance to catch my Bannon sit down.

1734
01:35:16,240 --> 01:35:18,040
Speaker 1: And it's a friend of mine. Just put it to me.

1735
01:35:18,120 --> 01:35:24,479
Speaker 1: He goes, that was one wild interview. Steve Bannon never

1736
01:35:24,600 --> 01:35:26,640
Speaker 1: fails to provoke, and I will leave it at that.

1737
01:35:27,400 --> 01:35:29,080
Speaker 1: So I do hope you give that a chance, and

1738
01:35:29,160 --> 01:35:30,559
Speaker 1: with that until we upload again.