This week we welcome old friends and new with our special guests TYLER Q. ROSEN and JOAN CARR-WIGGIN as they talk about their latest films, DOIN’ MY DRUGS and GETTING TO KNOW YOU, respectively.
First up, writer/director/cinematographer/editor/producer TYLER Q. ROSEN joins us live to talk about his feature documentary directorial debut – DOIN’ MY DRUGS. Now, I bet you’re thinking this documentary has something to do with drug abuse. If you are, then you’d be wrong. DOIN’ MY DRUGS is an inspiring documentary that tells the story of musician Thomas Muchimba Buttenschon and how is using his music to help wipe out HIV/AIDS in his native Zambia. Born in 1985 and diagnosed with HIV/AIDS as an infant, Thomas’ parents both had the disease and moved the family to Denmark where they could receive proper medical care. Although Thomas’ parents both succumbed to the disease, Thomas has been healthy for decades thanks to an antiretoviral (ARV) treatment and has gone on to be a husband and father and have a successful music career. Tyler and Thomas join forces with the making of this documentary as Thomas hopes to use music as a means to encourage Zambians to get tested and get treatment. Listen as Tyler talks about the impetus and development of the documentary, the run and gun guerilla-style lensing in Zambia, the course correction of the documentary throughline based on interviews and meeting the Zambian people, the lengthy editing process, incorporation of original music not only by Thomas but other Zambian artists, and so much more. This is one of those up close and personal documentaries you need to see, want to see, and hearing Tyler and his passion for the project, makes a watch even more of a must. And for more information on Thomas Muchimba and his efforts, check out the Muchimba Music Foundation website: https://www.muchimba.org/.
Then writer/director JOAN CARR-WIGGIN is on hand to talk about her latest dramedy/rom-com, GETTING TO KNOW YOU. Joan is an extraordinary filmmaker and storyteller and someone whom I have had the privilege and pleasure to know for the past 12 years. She has an incredible grasp of the “everyday” and what makes it and “everyday” people special and in that, she finds her greatest stories and characters; the “what if” moments, the characters who you think will do one thing but do something else. Her films are grounded, emotionally tangible, with high production values and exemplary casting. GETTING TO KNOW YOU is no different. This is a story about Luke, a man returning to his small hometown for a high school class reunion (which doesn’t go quite the way he envisioned) where gets into an uncomfortable jam thanks to his old girlfriend, Kayla. Enter Abby Sorenson who just happens to be staying at the same hotel as Luke. Abby has left her husband and children at home in London while she makes quick arrangements for the funeral of her brother who just passed and to empty out his home. When Luke finds himself in a predicament with Kayla, Abby comes to his rescue and pretends to be his wife for what should only have been a few minutes, but turns into a couple of days as Kayla decides she wants Luke all these 25 years later but Luke now finds himself falling for the very married Abby. Listen as Joan talks about GETTING TO KNOW YOU from casting the wonderful Rupert Penry-Jones, Natasha Little, and Rachel Blanchard, to the supporting characters and importance of making them as full-bodied and three-dimensional as the main leads, reteaming with cinematographer Bruce Worrall, production design, delightful scoring by Kenneth Harrison and more.
