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

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Tiktok: @themanwiththehatmovie

Socials:

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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

1. 00:00:00 — Introduction: Jeffrey Roth’s filmmaking philosophy
2. 00:03:00 — Filming in Egypt: How Jeffrey connected with Dr. Zahi Hawass
3. 00:09:00 — The fixer system: Permits, crew, and equipment in Egypt
4. 00:15:00 — Self-funded filmmaking: Creative freedom vs. financial challenges
5. 00:21:00 — Character-driven documentary: Why no narration or talking heads
6. 00:27:00 — Shooting in tombs: One-hour windows and no scouting
7. 00:33:00 — The role of fixers: Language barriers and local crew
8. 00:39:00 — Unplanned magic: Discovering five mummies and the family photo moment
9. 00:45:00 — Filming during October 7th: 140 miles from Gaza
10. 00:51:00 — Making 41: How a screening led to three years with President George H.W. Bush
11. 00:57:00 — The Presidential Medal of Freedom: One camera, no audio, and a personal moment
12. 01:03:00 — Collaboration in filmmaking: Working with DPs and editors
13. 01:09:00 — The business of independent documentary distribution
14. 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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