🤖 AI Summary
Overview
This episode explores the evolving world of documentaries, from Ken Burns' latest work, The American Revolution, to the explosion of true crime, nature, and sports documentaries on streaming platforms. Film critics James Poniewozik and Alissa Wilkinson join Gilbert Cruz to discuss the state of the genre, its cultural significance, and their top documentary recommendations.
Notable Quotes
- What he is trying to do is sort of create a canon of American history... That it's gotten increasingly contentious over time.
- James Poniewozik, on Ken Burns' approach to documentary filmmaking.
- It's about the ethics of seeing and the act of seeing... what it means to look through a camera at people and to ask people to do that as they're chronicling the world's real horrors and beauty.
- Alissa Wilkinson, on Kirsten Johnson's Cameraperson.
- We all know we just want to watch a bunch of cool nature crap.
- James Poniewozik, on the enduring appeal of nature documentaries.
🎥 Ken Burns and the Evolution of Historical Documentaries
- Ken Burns' The American Revolution is a 12-hour series that broadens the traditional narrative by including perspectives of Native Americans, enslaved people, and loyalists.
- James Poniewozik notes that while Burns' style remains consistent, his work has grown more pointed and radical over time, engaging with contentious cultural debates about history.
- Alissa Wilkinson reflects on how Burns' documentaries shaped her early understanding of the genre, describing them as information delivery vehicles
that blend visuals, expert commentary, and historical accounts.
🕵️♀️ The True Crime Boom
- True crime documentaries like The Jinx and Making a Murderer sparked a massive wave in the genre, with Alissa Wilkinson noting that many now comment on the genre itself, such as The Perfect Neighbor.
- James Poniewozik emphasizes that the best true crime documentaries go beyond sensationalism, exploring societal reactions to crime and the human condition.
🌿 Nature Documentaries: Stunning Visuals and Timeless Appeal
- Advances in camera technology have elevated nature documentaries, offering unprecedented access to remote and rare natural phenomena.
- James Poniewozik describes them as screensavery in the best way,
while Alissa Wilkinson highlights their voyeuristic quality, allowing viewers to witness the inaccessible.
⚽ Sports Documentaries: Stories Beyond the Game
- Sports documentaries like The Last Dance and Copa 71 explore themes of human resilience, societal issues, and cultural moments.
- Alissa Wilkinson praises the genre for its ability to shape raw sports footage into compelling narratives about identity, politics, and perseverance.
🎬 Documentary Recommendations
- Pee-wee as Himself (2025): A layered exploration of Paul Reubens' life and the complexities of living under a persona (James Poniewozik).
- The Remarkable Life of Ibelin (2024): A moving story about connection and community through the lens of a young man's World of Warcraft interactions (Alissa Wilkinson).
- Camera Person (2016): A groundbreaking memoir-like documentary by Kirsten Johnson, exploring the ethics of witnessing and filming (Alissa Wilkinson).
- An American Family (1973): A landmark PBS series that captured the raw, unfiltered life of a California family, influencing modern reality TV (James Poniewozik).
- When We Were Kings (1996): A riveting account of the 1974 Rumble in the Jungle fight, blending sports, culture, and music (Gilbert Cruz).
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📋 Episode Description
There was once a time when documentaries could be found only on public television or in art-house cinemas. But today, documentaries are more popular and accessible than ever, with streaming services serving up true crime, celebrity documentaries, music documentaries and so much more.
On today’s Sunday Special, Gilbert is joined by The New York Times’s chief television critic, James Poniewozik, and Alissa Wilkinson, a Times film critic, to talk about the documentaries that are worth your viewing time.
On Today’s Episode:
James Poniewozik is the chief TV critic for The Times.
Alissa Wilkinson is a movie critic at The Times, and writes the Documentary Lens column.
Background Reading:
What ‘The American Revolution’ Says About Our Cultural Battles
‘Come See Me in the Good Light’: The Sweetness After a Terminal Diagnosis
Discussed on this episode:
“The American Revolution,” 2025, directed by Ken Burns
“The Alabama Solution,” 2025, directed by Andrew Jarecki and Charlotte Kaufman
“The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst,” 2015, directed by Andrew Jarecki
“Making a Murderer,” 2015, directed by Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos
“The Yogurt Shop Murders,” 2025, directed by Margaret Brown
“The Perfect Neighbor,” 2025, directed by Beet Gandbhir
“The Last Dance,” 2020, directed by Jason Hehir
“Copa 71,” 2023, directed by Rachel Ramsay and James Erkine
“Cheer,” 2020, created by Greg Whiteley
“Last Chance U,” 2016, directed by Greg Whiteley, Adam Ridley and Luke Lorentzen
“Pee-wee as Himself,” 2025, directed by Matt Wolf
“The Remarkable Life of Ibelin,” 2024, directed by Benjamin Ree
“Ladies & Gentlemen … 50 Years of SNL Music,” 2025, directed by Questlove
“Cameraperson,” 2016, directed by Kirsten Johnson
“An American Family,” 1973, created by Craig Gilbert
“Look Into My Eyes,” 2024, directed by Lana Wilson
“When We Were Kings,” 1996, directed by Leon Gast
Photo: Mike Doyle/American Revolution Film Project and Florentine Films
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