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Jeffrey Roth has spent his career letting extraordinary people tell their own stories—Apollo astronauts, President George H.W. Bush, and now Dr. Zahi Hawass. In this episode, Christian Taylor inquires about the logistics of independent documentary filmmaking in Egypt: working with fixers, navigating permits, shooting in ancient tombs with one hour of access, and why he withholds narration. Plus: the personal moments that make his films unforgettable.
Links:
Trailer- The Man with the Hat – Official Trailer
The Man with the Hat
instagram.com/themanwiththehatmovie
tiktok: @themanwiththehatmovie
Socials:
instagram.com/themanwiththehatmovie
tiktok.com/@themanwiththehatmovie
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61585782550439
zahifilm.com
Dr. Zahi Hawass
“41”, 2021, 98 mins, Watch on HBO MAX, IMDB Link: 41 (2012) ⭐ 6.6 | Documentary, Biography
President in Waiting, 2020, 77 mins, Watch on Fawsome or Pluto TV or Roku Channel or Tube or Prime Video, IMDB Link: President in Waiting (2020) ⭐ 7.8 | Documentary, History
DocuView Déjà Vu:
“The Kid Stays In The Picture”, 2002, 93 mins, Watch on Amazon Prime, IMDB Link: The Kid Stays in the Picture (2002) ⭐ 7.3 | Documentary, Biography
Time Codes
00:00:00 — Introduction: Jeffrey Roth’s filmmaking philosophy
00:03:00 — Filming in Egypt: How Jeffrey connected with Dr. Zahi Hawass
00:09:00 — The fixer system: Permits, crew, and equipment in Egypt
00:15:00 — Self-funded filmmaking: Creative freedom vs. financial challenges
00:21:00 — Character-driven documentary: Why no narration or talking heads
00:27:00 — Shooting in tombs: One-hour windows and no scouting
00:33:00 — The role of fixers: Language barriers and local crew
00:39:00 — Unplanned magic: Discovering five mummies and the family photo moment
00:45:00 — Filming during October 7th: 140 miles from Gaza
00:51:00 — Making 41: How a screening led to three years with President George H.W. Bush
00:57:00 — The Presidential Medal of Freedom: One camera, no audio, and a personal moment
01:03:00 — Collaboration in filmmaking: Working with DPs and editors
01:09:00 — The business of independent documentary distribution
01:17:00 — DocuView Déjà Vu: Jeffrey’s documentary recommendation (The Kid Stays in the Picture)