top of page

EPISODE 119 - NAVALNY



Director Daniel Roher-

OscarĀ® WINNER Doc Feature-

"NAVALNY"

Feb 17, 2023.

30 Minutes.


In a recent interview, director Daniel Roher discusses the making of his documentary about Russian politician Alexei Navalny, who was poisoned while challenging President Vladimir Putin. Roher explains how the success of the film has changed his life but also admits to feeling guilty as Navalny is currently in solitary confinement and being tortured. The director shares the challenges of making the film and the loss of his production company, as well as the dangers faced by Navalny as a journalist speaking truth to power in Russia. Roher hopes that the film's Oscar nomination will bring attention to Navalny's cause and eventually allow him to see the film.

ā€‹

  • 00:00:00Ā In this section, Chuck Braverman introduces the director, Daniel Rohr, and talks briefly about the Real Screen Summit before going into his previous work with the band documentary, Once Were Brothers. Chuck praises the film as one of the best overall and musical documentaries of all time, and asks how Daniel managed to get famous names such as Martin Scorsese, Brian Grazer, and Ron Howard to sign on as executive producers. Daniel attributes this to Robbie Robertson calling up his friend Scorsese and asking for his help, followed by being one of the first documentaries under Brian Grazer and Ron Howard's new company, Imagine Documentaries.

  • 00:05:00Ā In this section, the interviewer discusses the director's background history and how they got involved in film. The director explains that he is a Jew from Canada, and that he studied at an art school in Toronto before leaving to pursue his passion for making documentaries. The director mentions that they made a few short films that got some attention in Canada before securing their breakthrough by making the Robbie Robertson project, which led to the creation of Navalny and changed their life. The interviewer then shows the trailer of Navalny, a documentary about Russian politician Alexei Navalny being poisoned while challenging the Russian president, Vladimir Putin.

  • 00:10:00Ā In this section, the director of the "Navalny" documentary discusses how the film's success has changed his life and allowed him to have more options for his next film, but he also feels guilty as Alexey Navalny is currently in solitary confinement and being tortured in prison. The director talks about how Navalny wanted to go back to Russia despite the risks and that it wouldn't have been a good idea to try to talk him out of it. He also discusses his relationship with Navalny's wife and the challenges they are facing with his imprisonment and torture.

  • 00:15:00Ā In this section, the director Daniel Roher shares how he got involved in the film about Alexei Navalny. Roher and his producers were in Vienna after being asked to leave Ukraine while working on another film when they found themselves interested in the poisoning of Navalny. They reached out to him and were able to pitch a film project that he agreed to. The filmmaker also shares how CNN got involved with the project, explaining that they were the only ones with the courage to take on the government when others were too afraid. This fear from the big industry players is also what the Russian government wants to happen, he adds.

  • 00:20:00Ā In this section, director Daniel Roher discusses the loss of the production company, Intrepid investigative films, which was a crucial part of making the film. He praises the executives at CNN Films for their smart and supportive notes. Roher then talks about the post-production process, which included editing the film in secrecy and using encrypted hard drives. He highlights the excellent work done by the film's editors and discusses the lesson he learned about accepting other people's ideas. Roher admits that he worries for his colleagues' safety and acknowledges that the Russian government is targeting some of the film's subjects. However, he takes solace in the fact that the Russian Security Services are not as competent as one might expect.

  • 00:25:00Ā In this section, director Daniel Roher discusses the danger that Alexei Navalny faces as a journalist speaking truth to power in Russia and the disappointment of not being able to attend the BAFTA ceremony due to security risks. He expresses mixed feelings about the excitement surrounding the Oscar nomination, as it is tied to Navalny's suffering in a gulag. Roher sees the nomination as an opportunity to bring attention to Navalny's cause and hopes that he can eventually see the film.

0 views

Recent Posts

See All

Comentarios


bottom of page