Documentary First Podcast

Latest Episode

Episode 269: Egyptian “Indiana Jones”, Zahi Hawass, Director Interview of “The Man With The Hat”

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

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)

Sponsor: Virgil Films http://www.virgilfilms.com/

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Our Hosts

Christian Taylor, Jason Rugg

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