From the director of "Leaving Neverland", Dan Reed, on the art of exposing truth in documentary filmmaking

The DocFix Documentary Storytelling Podcast

What if the most impactful stories aren't about the events themselves but the human experiences they evoke?

Dan Reed’s documentaries have earned 22 major nominations and 18 wins—for good reason. In this episode, I talk to Dan, the director whose hugely important films include the Emmy-winning Leaving Neverland, which investigates the sexual abuse allegations against Michael Jackson, and his Terror In… series, which explores the experiences of victims of terrorism. His body of work also includes numerous other acclaimed and award-winning documentaries that never fail to capture attention.

He does this by creating compelling narratives through firsthand experiences, motivated by the importance of authenticity and empathy in storytelling.

This episode focuses on the subjective lens of storytelling, revealing the disjunction between life before and after catastrophic events and the emotional depth it brings to the viewer experience. We also delve into the wider skills of documentary filmmaking, where we discuss the portrayal of complex characters and the narratives they create to justify their actions, shedding light on their motivations and emotions.
Dan also talks about the power of collaboration between filmmakers and editors and how their broader interests and perspectives significantly enhance storytelling's emotional depth. Learn about the challenges and aspirations faced in documentary filmmaking and how building trust with subjects ensures truthful narratives. Our discussions also touched upon the broader impact of long-form documentaries in providing verifiable truth-telling in an era of commoditised information.
From capturing the raw experiences of individuals during the tragic events of October 7th - One Day in October - to the ethical considerations of documentaries like Leaving Neverland this episode sheds light on the complexities of crafting impactful stories.

This is a fascinating conversation with someone who has created his own documentary style, driven by a clear mission and purpose. Please have a look at the chapter markers to dig deeper into the lessons this episode provides.

Dan Reed on IMDB

Dan's 18 wins and 22 nominations

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Incidental music composed by Birger Clausen

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1. From the director of "Leaving Neverland", Dan Reed, on the art of exposing truth in documentary filmmaking (00:00:00)

2. Introduction (00:00:02)

3. Chosing a story and using the subject matter to deliver meaning (00:01:16)

4. Subjectivity and identifying with 'evil' characters - with South African Criminal gangs (00:10:26)

5. One Day in October - The Importance of Emotional Context and the response (00:19:45)

6. Long Form documentary as the last refuge of truth telling (00:27:53)

7. Drama Directing and its impact on his Documentary storytelling (00:31:25)

8. The Director-Editor Collaboration (00:34:59)

9. The Michael Jackson documentary and trusting his victims - Leaving Neverland (00:44:17)

10. The Truth and reputation (00:50:18)

11. The Power of Listening (00:53:39)