Permalink


EmailMore



Tribeca: 'Freakonomics' Dream Team Talks About the State of Documentary

by Christopher Campbell May 2nd 2010 // 3:03PM



Filed under: Documentary, Independent, Tribeca, Magnolia, Festival Reports, Politics, Cinematical Indie







The all-star directorial team behind Freakonomics stopped by the SoHo Apple Store in NYC Friday to talk with indieWIRE's Eugene Hernandez about the making of this new anthology documentary, which had it's world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival this weekend. Joined by author Stephen Dubner, whose same-named best-seller is the basis of the film, the six acclaimed documentarians and three producers also got into a discussion of the general state of non-fiction filmmaking in the first decade of the 21st century. This non-promotional part of the discussion caught my interest most, primarily because there could be no documentary "dream team" without the rise in popularity and esteem for documentary cinema that's occurred over the past ten years.

Without this surge, how else would Alex Gibney, Morgan Spurlock, Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady, Eugene Jarecki and Seth Gordon all be renowned enough to be specifically sought after by producer Chad Troutwine for a non-fiction compilation akin to his successful fiction anthology, Paris, Je T'Aime? And how is it that such a film becomes one of the hottest tickets of the fest, as the prestigious event's closing night film? The full reason may not be easily determined, but with so many brilliant representatives of non-fiction cinema together in one place, it couldn't hurt to start a conversation bent on unraveling this

Free market mayhem

While it was thought that the shut off devices that BP did have were more than adequate obviously they were not. Several different back up devices make sense for such an important function. Both Brazil and Norway think it is important enough to mandate their use.

There will be a huge price to pay for the spill now threating the gulf. It is much cheaper to purchace congressmen then to curtail production with safeguards or forethought. BP will not be barred from drilling for oil in the gulf. If previous behavior is to be a guide they will porably be granted more profitable leases.

Just Wrong

My friend Jonathan Koshi, who is Hawaiian, posted his recipe for Spam Musubi. Koshi says, "Over the last 30 years the Spam Musubi has indelibly stamped itself on the local Hawaii menu. They are great snacks, highly mobile, and filling." Here are the ingredients and equipment list, from Notes From The Zeitgeist