American Winter, the acclaimed HBO documentary showing the lives of families struggling to survive in America, is shown and talked about with directors, Joe and Harry Gantz. They go into the “great recession,” and the process of filming the stories of families that are honorably struggling.
The Gantz brothers also talk about their work on Taxicab Confessions, and its impact on reality tv, plus their intensely intimate doc, “Couples Arguing,” which they filmed in France.
Watch new episodes of BYOD live each week on Tuesdays at noon on TheLip.TV, or tune in for the archived replay starting here on the following Thursday.
ABOUT BYOD:
BYOD is hosted by Ondi Timoner, director of “DIG!,” “JOIN US” and “WE LIVE IN PUBLIC,” and has the rare distinction of winning the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance twice. Each week the show explores a different documentary filmmaker or aspect of filmmaking, with special guests and a live Q&A– diving deep into creative process and the business realities of producing and distributing films. Ondi shares her insider views, opinions, and personal stories, welcoming audience participation. BYOD aims to entertain, inform, and elevate documentaries in general by bringing attention to films and film makers that deserve exposure.
GUEST BIO:
Joe and Harry Gantz are the Emmy Award winning producers behind the production company View Film. Their work has been both critically and commercially acclaimed for its exploration of the most intimate aspects of people’s lives and relationships. Their first feature documentary “Couples Arguing”, showed real couples in the midst of actual arguments filmed in progress in their own homes. It was broadcast in the U.S and around the world, and was honored at the Edinburgh Television Festival.
The Gantz Brothers are also the creators of the HBO documentary series “Taxicab Confessions,” now in its sixteenth season. This popular and highly rated show featuring real life interactions between cab drivers and their passengers won an Emmy in its first year and has been nominated three times.
Recently, Joe and Harry Gantz were Executive Producers of the CBS drama series “The Defenders,” starring Jim Belushi, based on a documentary pilot they created about the lives of two Las Vegas defense attorneys and the cases they defend. In addition to their most recent work on HBO and CBS, they have produced critically acclaimed documentary series for Showtime and The Sundance Channel, and for Channels 4 and 5 in the UK. They most recently completed a documentary film entitled “Destination: Change Our World,” for Amnesty International. Their most recent effort is the film “American Winter.” “American Winter” premiered on HBO this past March and earned awards from the Portland International Film Festival and the Sidney Hillman Foundation.
ADD’L LINKS:
http://www.americanwinterfilm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/AmericanWinterFilm
To host a screening or order the film:
http://www.americanwinterfilm.com/dvd-order-form
http://www.facebook.com/thelip.tv
http://www.facebook.com/BYODOC
https://twitter.com/#!/onditimoner
EPISODE BREAKDOWN:
00:01 Welcome to BYOD.
00:24 Introducing Joe and Harry Gantz.
02:10 Joe and Harry’s background in film.
03:40 COUPLES ARGUING and being on-call for lover’s quarrels.
06:24 TAXICAB CONFESSIONS, trailer.
07:10 Shooting TAXICAB CONFESSIONS and where the idea came from.
12:23 The idea for COUPLES ARGUING, “A couple that never argues is almost sure to break up.”
19:42 Shedding a light on homelessness in America for AMERICAN WINTER.
22:32 AMERICAN WINTER, clip: Pam and Brandon.
23:52 How eviction leads to a cycle of homelessness.
27:09 Poverty levels in America.
27:57 AMERICAN WINTER, clip: Getting help from Dad.
29:28 “Too young to retire, too old to hire.”
31:09 Putting the human face on the economy.
34:55 AMERICAN WINTER, clip: Bad mortgage advice.
37:56 Screening the film.
