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Artwork for Pure Nonfiction: Inside Documentary Film

Pure Nonfiction: Inside Documentary Film

Pure Nonfiction
Documentary Filmmaking
Toronto International Film Festival
Black Box Diaries
Art
Anand Patwardhan
Documentary Films
Documentary Film
Moths
Daughters
William Kentridge
The World Is Family
Edna O'brien
Porcelain War
Eno
Netflix
Sundance Film Festival
Louis C.K.
Copa 71
Self-Portrait As a Coffee Pot
Martha Stewart

Hear the world's top storytellers talk all things documentary film. Host Thom Powers is as well-connected as it gets in this world as a documentary curator for TIFF and other renowned festivals. He wrote the book "Mondo Documentary" that is “required reading for fans of nonfiction cinema,” says Judd Apatow. Our podcast guests range from documentary legends to emerging talent. Follow us on Instagra... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes251Founded10 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
DocumentarySociety & CultureTV & Film

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Artwork for Pure Nonfiction: Inside Documentary Film

Latest Episodes

"Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World" profiles the Pulitzer-winning poet who died in 2019. The filmmaker Sasha Waters describes how she shaped this biography drawing upon the memories of Oliver's friends including filmmaker John Waters, poe... more

YouTube

Zayd Ayers Dohrn is the son of Bernardine Dohrn and Bill Ayers who were leaders in the Weather Underground, known for bombing the U.S. Capitol, the Pentagon, and other high profile targets. Zayd explores their complicated legacy in the podcast Mother... more

YouTube

Recorded live in New York, host Thom Powers interviews the directors of three new projects: Alexandria Stapleton (Sean Combs: The Reckoning), Zach Heinzerling (Rafa) and Trish Dalton (Reggae Girlz). The conversations took place as part of Documentary... more

YouTube

Recorded live in New York, host Thom Powers explores four new documentary projects interviewing director Rebecca Miller (Mr Scorsese), director Ally Pankiw (Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery), producer/editor Shane Reid (John Candy: I Like Me), and pro... more

YouTube

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Recent Guests

Sasha Waters
Director of Mary Oliver Saved by the Beauty of the World
Mary Oliver film project
Episode: 243: Sasha Waters on Mary Oliver
Zayd Ayers Dohrn
Author and creator of Mother Country Radicals; memoirist
Author of Dangerous, Dirty, Violent, and Young; producer of Mother Country Radicals
Episode: 242: Zayd Ayers Dohrn on the Weather Underground
Alexandria Stapleton
Director of Sean Combs The Reckoning
Sean Combs The Reckoning (documentary)
Episode: 241: Live from New York, part 2
Zach Heinzerling
Director of Rafa
Rafa (Netflix four-part series)
Episode: 241: Live from New York, part 2
Trish Dalton
Director of Reggae Girlz
Reggae Girlz (Reggae Girlz documentary)
Episode: 241: Live from New York, part 2
Charmine Obeid-Chenoy
Director (Reggae Girlz)
Reggae Girlz documentary team
Episode: 241: Live from New York, part 2
Sedella Marley
Executive Producer
Reggae Girlz
Episode: 241: Live from New York, part 2
Rebecca Miller
Author and filmmaker, five-part Apple TV series Mr. Scorsese
Apple TV+ / Rebecca Miller
Episode: 240: Live from New York, part 1
Ally Pankiw
Filmmaker; Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery director
Hulu
Episode: 240: Live from New York, part 1

Host

Thom Powers
Host with extensive connections in the documentary world, festival programming, and media partnerships.

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars from 256 ratings
  • The best interviewer!

    Thom knows so much and knows just what to ask to get the story behind the story. Awesome show.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    RFF_RFF
    United States4 years ago
  • Obsessed

    Thom is my hero. As well as the incredible filmmakers he artfully interviews.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    gabyown
    United Kingdom4 years ago
  • The best!

    The best documentary podcast. Love the stories. Would love to hear from less well known docs too including shorts. Thanks for your hard work!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    JJ8757686
    United States7 years ago
  • A must-listen for any doc enthusiast

    I like all kinds of films, and there are MANY film podcasts to choose from. But if you LOVE documentaries as I do, Thom Powers’ PURE NONFICTION is one of the few podcasts (the only one?) that focuses on documentary films. Powers interviews superb filmmakers, both new and familiar, and often highlights docs before they find distribution. This is an excellent show, and with documentaries appearing to be increasingly popular, here’s hoping PURE NONFICTION will increase in popularity, too.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    CDMatthew
    United States8 years ago
  • WOW

    I found this on new and noteworthy and listened because I like true crime and true crime documentaries. This was a really great look at the filmmaking side and I am going to keep listening even to the episodes that are about people who don't do true crime shows.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    AnsonPtson
    United States8 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

The host asks insightful questions and lets guests tell their stories.
Thoughtful, in-depth conversations with filmmakers behind-the-scenes craft.
Consistently high-quality production and compelling guest lineup.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#243
Ukraine/TV & Film

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

243: Sasha Waters on Mary Oliver
Q: Do I have that right, that the Gary Winogrand film collaboration with American Masters set a precedent for how this Mary Oliver project would be developed?
Yes, the Winogrand experience showed the importance of having a clear story thread and not getting lost in academic detail, which informed how we kept the Mary Oliver film accessible and story-forward, with a strong co-editor and a disciplined approach to structure.
240: Live from New York, part 1
Q: What were the biggest discoveries or realizations while making the five-part Scorsese series?
The guest shares that character, childhood, and family dynamics became the core focus, and that the structure allowed room for long conversations that revealed unexpected depths beyond what biographies offered.
240: Live from New York, part 1
Q: What was the prompt that started Rebecca Miller on the Scorsese project, and how did you pitch it?
Rebecca Miller explains that her approach began with a letter outlining a Cubist, multi-angled exploration of Scorsese, submitted to him after discussions with her team, and that the project evolved through a collaborative process.
242: Zayd Ayers Dohrn on the Weather Underground
Q: Can you elaborate on what motivated you to shift from a family archive to a journalistic memoir project?
He explains a gradual shift driven by a pandemic pause, new access to interviews, the potential of broader voices from the field, and a realization that the story demanded a larger audience and more public memory.
242: Zayd Ayers Dohrn on the Weather Underground
Q: And so I'm curious, when did you first see that film, and what did you make of it?
The guest recalls watching the 1975 Underground film as a child and again as a college student, framing it as a valuable artifact that grew more nuanced with time and research, while recognizing that later works offer a more complex, less comprehensive snapshot.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About Pure Nonfiction: Inside Documentary Film

What is Pure Nonfiction: Inside Documentary Film about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A deep-dive interview series that brings together top documentary filmmakers, producers, and journalists to discuss the craft, ethics, and storytelling behind nonfiction cinema. Conversations span archival scavenges, access and trust with subjects, interview techniques, and the evolving landscape of documentary production and distribution. Notable threads include balancing accessibility with scholarly rigor, the role of editors and collaborators, and how personal experiences shape documentary narratives. The show often highlights long-form investigations, festival and distribution dynamics, and the behind-the-scenes choices that define landmark docs, making it a valuable resource for practitioners, students, and industry listeners seeking p... more

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Pure Nonfiction: Inside Documentary Film launched 10 years ago and published 251 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Pure Nonfiction: Inside Documentary Film?

Recent guests on Pure Nonfiction: Inside Documentary Film include:

1. Sasha Waters
2. Zayd Ayers Dohrn
3. Alexandria Stapleton
4. Zach Heinzerling
5. Trish Dalton
6. Charmine Obeid-Chenoy
7. Sedella Marley
8. Rebecca Miller

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