An emotionally charged episode of BEHIND THE LENS covering two hot-button topics as we welcome writer/director JON KEAN talking about his latest documentary, the powerful and powerfully moving and insightful AFTER AUSCHWITZ, and BENJAMIN NOLOT talking the eye-opening, socially disturbing, and powerful LIBERATED. The importance of both of these films and discussions with these two filmmakers cannot be overstated.
First up is writer/director BENJAMIN NOLOT talking about his documentary LIBERATED. Set against the backdrop of Spring Break, Benjamin takes a look at today’s societal mores with sex, male and female perceptions and pressures, and how the perceived fun and frolic of Spring Break antics has become a playground for sexual harassment, abuse and as was seen in Florida, gang rape. Listen as he talks about what led him to the subject matter (and trust me when I say it was anything but a straight line), and then finding a story amidst several years of Spring Break footage.
AFTER AUSCHWITZ is easily one of the best films of 2018, and I can’t encourage you enough to see this documentary. Continuing on the journey he started over a decade ago with SWIMMING IN AUSCHWITZ, JON KEAN talks about taking this next storytelling step which focuses on six amazing women he met during “Swimming” who not only survived the Holocaust but thrived. As a director, Jon talks about the importance of building trust and establishing relationships with the documentary subjects, research, not only finding a through-line but, in this case, opening your eyes to the commonality among the women and using that as a structural stepping stone. And, of course, the historical significance of these stories and the need to tell them.
But before things turn serious, how about a listen to our exclusive interview with EUGENIO DERBEZ talking his new film – OVERBOARD!!
