It used to be that making documentary films meant taking a vow of poverty (and obscurity). The streaming revolution changed that. Award-winning filmmaker R.J. Cutler talks to Stephen Dubner about capturing Billie Eilish’s musical genius and Martha Stewart’s vulnerability — and why he really, really, really needs to make a film about the New York Mets.
Yesterday
677. Can Backgammon Save Us from Ourselves?
It brings strangers together. It teaches probability, strategy, and emotional control. It has even helped N.F.L. teams win the Super Bowl. Stephen Dubner explores why this ancient game is having a renaissance. (Part two of a series, “We Are All Gamers Now.”) SOURCES: Remington Da ... Show More
59m 19s
Jun 10
This Is Your Brain on Pollution (Update)
As the Trump administration rolls back environmental regulations, we revisit a 2022 episode that explored the hidden cost of an invisible threat: air pollution. SOURCES: Angela Duckworth, psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania. Michael Greenstone, economist at the Univers ... Show More
47m 24s
Mar 2025
Lights, camera, connection: how film shapes our world
How does film shape global narratives and foster understanding? And how can filmmakers navigate the challenges of representation?Whether it’s an iconic sci-fi opening that transports us to a galaxy far, far away or a documentary that reshapes the way we see the world, storytellin ... Show More
33m 28s
Mar 2020
JON RONSON - THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT: How FREE PORN Ruined The Lives Of Sex-Workers | TRAILER
<p>Jon Ronson, is an award-winning author, screenwriter, and documentary filmmaker.</p> <p>His work includes "The Men Who Stare at Goats", "The Psychopath Test" and "So You've Been Publicly Shamed", with several of these books becoming major Hollywood movies that featured actors ... Show More
1m 51s
Aug 2024
How “The Truman Show” Explains Life in 2024
Jon Lovett and Erin Ryan join Max to discuss how “The Truman Show,” predicted our current era of continuous surveillance and content mining. The movie may be from 1998, but its insights are just as applicable 25 years later—from cults of celebrity, to Fox News, to Instagram. Is E ... Show More
1h 15m
May 2022
Introducing HBO Docs Club
HBO presents HBO Docs club, a podcast that pulls back the curtain on a wide variety of titles from the HBO Documentary Films unit. We wanted to give you access to the fourth episode, where hosts Brittany Luse (For Colored Nerds) and Ronald Young, Jr. (Solvable) discuss 'Mommy Dea ... Show More
50m 39s
