Podcast
Top Docs: Award-Winning Documentary Filmmakers
Hosted by michaellouismerrill · EN
Mike and Ken talk to award-winning documentary filmmakers about their art, their subjects, and their process.
18episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
“Trust Me: The False Prophet” with Rachel Dretzin
5d ago00:32:21Tap to summarizeWhen Warren Jeffs, the “prophet” of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FLDS), a Mormon fundamentalist group whose members practice polygamy, stopped communicating regularly from prison where he is serving a life sentence for child sexual assault, his followers were at a loss. But, as Rachel Dretzin depicts in her powerful, eye-opening four-part Netflix series “Trust Me: The False Prophet,” Jeffs’ silence created the opportunity for a new leader to fill the void. Enter Samuel Bateman, a seemingly unremarkable guy, who claimed that he was the new prophet. Rachel joins Ken on the podcast to talk about the consequences of Bateman’s rise within the FLDS, his influence over a handful of adults and girls in the community, and the tragic consequences of his actions. The centerpiece of “Trust Me” and the key to Bateman’s undoing is Dr. Christine Marie, a former Mormon who, along with her husband, the videographer Tolga Katas, grew close to the group with the intent of exposing Bateman’s crimes. Relying heavily on Tolga’s insider footage, as well as key interviews with women who eventually turned against Bateman, the series shows how far trust can take some people and a measure of justice that can occur when that trust is finally broken. “Trust Me: The False Prophet” is streaming on Netflix. The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix. Follow: @topdocspod on Instagram and X
Transcribe →"Sean Combs: The Reckoning" with Alexandria Stapleton
1w ago00:32:46Tap to summarizeLate in director Alexandria Stapleton’s 4-part Netflix series “Sean Combs: The Reckoning”, one of her subjects lays out what may be the documentary’s thesis: While it may seem like Combs “went bad” well into middle-age, the signs were there well before–”it was a slow build.” Stapleton deftly tracks Comb’s rise: The son of a murdered father, brought up with music, clothes, and fantasy. Starting out in the music business as a runner, dancer, and promoter. Then becoming “Puff Daddy” in the fallout of a tragically over-promoted show, he would go on to make a fortune as a promoter and producer, understanding the growing importance of both music as a visual medium, as well as the opportunities provided by corporate sponsorship. But Stapleton is as interested in the other side of Combs, the one that ended up with a Federal indictment for racketeering and more; charges that he may have ultimately eluded, but which still resulted in 40 months in Federal Prison. Stapleton presents those who say that were hurt by Combs–psychically, physically, financially, and sexually–with sensitivity, but allows them to tell their own stories with a specificity that at times can be harrowing. The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix. Follow: @topdocspod on Instagram and X
Transcribe →"My Mom Jayne" with Mariska Hargitay
2w ago00:33:49Tap to summarizeIn 1967, 3-year-old Mariska Hargitay — now, an Emmy-winning actor known to millions as Captain Olivia Benson on the long-running TV series “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit” — was in a terrible car accident. Her mother — the Hollywood icon Jayne Mansfield — and two others were killed instantly. The accident not only took the life of her mother but prevented Mariska from having any lasting memories of her. “My Mom Jayne” is Mariska’s touching and winding documentary journey to learn about her mother’s life and to confront some of the secrets of her own story as well. Mariska joins Ken on the podcast to talk about Jayne’s breakthrough as a young actress and the blonde bombshell image that prevented her mother from being treated as the serious actress she always aspired to be. Through difficult conversations with Mariska’s siblings and trips to a long neglected family storage facility, a more complete portrait of Jayne, the actress and mother, begins to emerge. At this point in the film, an even more deeply buried story — this one about Mariska’s father — takes over. The power of “My Mother Jayne” lies in Mariska’s willingness to reclaim her own story, wherever it may lead. “My Mom Jayne” is streaming on HBO Max. The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix. Follow: @therealmariskahargitay on Instagram @topdocspod on Instagram and X
Transcribe →Our most popular shows of Season 5
Apr 2900:38:53Tap to summarizeFor our 300th episode, we’re bringing you some of our favorite impactful moments from some of our most popular shows of Season 5: "Pee-wee as Himself" with Matt Wolf "Chef's Table: Legends" with David Gelb & Adam Bricker Anatomy of a Scene from "Martha" with R.J. Cutler "CHAOS: The Manson Murders" with Errol Morris "Yacht Rock: A DOCKumentary" with Garret Price See you in Season 6! The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix. Follow: @topdocspod on Instagram and X
Transcribe →“Everybody to Kenmure Street” with Felipe Bustos Sierra
Apr 700:22:22Tap to summarizeIn the early morning hours of a typical spring day, a van marked “Immigration Enforcement” stops on a quiet street in a residential neighborhood; two men of color are snatched up for alleged immigration violations and hustled into the van. No, the location is not the U.S., and this is not 2026... Felipe Bustos Sierra’s (“Nae Pasaran”) gripping new Sundance documentary “Everybody to Kenmure Street” depicts the dramatic events of May 13, 2021, when two Sikh men were apprehended in the Pollokshields suburb of Glasgow, Scotland, and the neighborhood spontaneously rallied to protect them. Felipe joined Ken for a warm, in-person conversation in Park City following the world premiere of his film in the Sundance World Cinema Documentary section. Beginning with the story of his personal journey as a Chilean Belgian filmmaker who made his way to Glasgow to live and make films, Felipe then delves into the city’s rich history of political activism and Pollokshields’ distinctive character. Felipe describes how he relied on footage shot by locals to tell this story and explains his creative decision to use actors Emma Thompson, Kate Dickie and Keira Lucchesi in the film. While this event no doubt has clear resonances with what is currently happening in the U.S., the circumstances, backstory and outcome are very specific to this time and place. The emotional impact, however, no doubt hits home. “Everybody to Kenmure Street” is being released by Icarus Films. The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix. Follow: @debasers on Instagram @topdocspod on Instagram and X
Transcribe →"Ask E. Jean" with Ivy Meeropol
Mar 3000:25:29Tap to summarizeYou may only know her from those few minutes in a dressing room where she was assaulted by Donald Trump, who has himself relentlessly lied about what happened there and slandered the woman who, after years of telling only those closest to her of his crime, finally sought justice–and won. Repeatedly. But Ivy Meeropol, in her new documentary, “Ask E. Jean” provides a much fuller story: How E. Jean, after years on a Montana ranch, trying to place her writing, finally arrived in New York at nearly 40 years of age, and then successfully pursued a journalistic career: writing for some of the dominant magazines in an age of magazines; hosting a call-in television show awarded her by Roger Ailes(!); and even serving a season as a writer on SNL. Ultimately, we see a woman who over the course of decades, emboldened by the me too movement, learns to redefine what constitutes “courage.” “Ask E. Jean” has recently been acquired by Abramorama. The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix. Follow: @ivmeeropol on Instagram @topdocspod on Instagram and X
Transcribe →"Birds of War" with Janay Boulos & Abd Alkader Habak
Mar 400:26:23Tap to summarizeWhat started out as a transactional exchange between Janay Boulos, a BBC journalist, and Abd Alkader Habak, a local activist and cameraperson in Aleppo during the Syrian war, later evolved into a mutual curiosity. Over time, texting, voice memos and phone calls became the currency of a deepening relationship... and eventually the two married and became film partners living in London. In their intense and gripping new Sundance documentary “Birds of War,” Janay and Habak create a moving assemblage of personal archival material and devastating wartime news footage that tells a universal story of war and love through a unique personal lens. Following their film’s world premiere in the Sundance World Cinema Documentary section, Janay and Habak joined Ken in his Sundance Park City podcast studio (i.e. condo) for a lively in-person conversation. From the trauma of Habak’s last days in Syria to Janay’s emotional return to Lebanon to cover a burgeoning rebellion, the twists and turns of their individual journeys are just as unpredictable as the love that brought them together. The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix. Follow: @janayboulos and abd_alkader_habak on Instagram @topdocspod on Instagram and X
Transcribe →Academy Awards Breakdown 2026 with Clayton Davis
Feb 2500:50:28Tap to summarizeJoining us for the 5th year in a row, Variety’s Chief Awards Editor Clayton Davis is back on “Top Docs” to break down this year’s Oscar races for Best Documentary Feature and Best Documentary Short and to offer his predictions for who will walk away victorious on March 15th. With another close race on our hands, you don’t want to miss Clayton’s analysis and final picks. And be sure to catch up on all of the Oscar-nominated films in the documentary feature and shorts categories by listening to our “Top Docs” interviews with all ten of the nominees. Clayton Davis is Variety’s Chief Awards Editor. He is also host of Variety Studio: Actors on Actors and the Variety Awards Circuit podcast. He's been an awards, film and television analyst and critic for more than 15 years and has co-hosted the Oscars Pre-Show on ABC. Clayton is also co-founder and president of the Latino Entertainment Journalists Association and is a board member of the Critics Choice Association. The Presenting Sponsor of “Top Docs” is Netflix. Follow: @ByClaytonDavis on Instagram and X @topdocspod on Instagram and X
Transcribe →“Children No More: Were and are Gone” with Hilla Medalia
Feb 2300:21:48Tap to summarizeProtestors silently bearing the pictures of children killed in Gaza: they hold no other signs, chant no slogans. Hilla Medalia ("Leftover Women", "Prisoner X") speaks to Mike about her Oscar-nominated short documentary, “Children No More: Were and are Gone”, explaining how this act held weekly in Tel Aviv–where the images of the dead in Gaza are not regularly shown in the mainstream media–is intended less as sheer defiance than it is a call for opening a dialog. The film’s culminating images of the mute participants buffeted with abuse, as well experiencing the heartfelt anguish of their opponents’ own losses and traumas, can be read both tragically as well as hopefully. The Presenting Sponsor of “Top Docs” is Netflix. Follow: @hillamedalia on Instagram @topdocspod on Instagram and X
Transcribe →“Armed Only With a Camera" with Craig Renaud
Feb 2000:27:29Tap to summarizeWhile covering the devastating effects of the Russian bombing of Ukraine, documentary filmmaker/journalist Brent Renaud was shot and killed by Russian forces on March 22, 2022. He was the first foreign-born journalist killed in the war. Now, Brent’s filmmaking partner and younger brother Craig has made the harrowing documentary “Armed Only With a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud.” Craig joins Ken on the pod to discuss Brent’s extraordinary career, the lasting impacts that Brent had on those he encountered while shooting in hot zones and other places of trauma around the world, and how he chose to honor Brent by picking up a camera in the aftermath of personal tragedy. With this remarkable film, Renaud Brothers Films lives on as a powerful reminder of all that can be accomplished when journalists and filmmakers do their incredibly valuable and dangerous work — and all that can be lost in a fleeting moment. “Armed Only With a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud” is nominated for an Oscar for Best Documentary Short. It can be streamed on HBO MAX. The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix. Follow: @RenaudBrothers on Instagram and X @topdocspod on Instagram and X
Transcribe →