83 – My (Rather Candid) Conversation with Brexitannia Director, Timothy George Kelly

There is something – many things, really – that can be said about having a conversation with Timothy George Kelly (dir., Brexitannia) on the current state of documentary film (or Brexit, for that matter). But you probably wouldn’t believe me if I tried to explain it here. The best thing to do, of course, would be to simply dive into the episode. But you should do so with some caution.

For this episode may provoke you. It may force you to think of your doc making in a different way. It may make you anxious. It could make you annoyed. Or it could make you jump for joy with happiness and exaltation. Whatever my conversation with Timothy does, if nothing else, you will be moved in some direction. This is not unlike, of course, what the whole Brexit referendum did a couple of years back. Which, by the way, Timothy thankfully covered in brilliant and black and white fashion with his stunning new film, Brexitannia.

Topics Discussed

• the importance of having conversations about how & when you screwed up as a filmmaker and why the industry is scared of those conversations
• why Timothy makes docs that deal in truth, and not the blurring of lines between fact and fiction
• how intentionally making strong creative decisions on Brexitannia practically ensure that it would not be seen on the tele
• how & why we can and should be making political docs that are interesting to an audience in an effort to engage them in political discourse

Related Sources

° Watch the trailer for Brexitannia

https://vimeo.com/210570776

° A great example of Timothy’s filmmaking where doc meets commercial. Made for Adidas Originals and Boiler Room.

https://vimeo.com/179881825

° The trailer for Timothy’s film that he hates, A City is An Island

https://vimeo.com/167117333

Journey to Kathmadu

If you are interested in watching TDL host, Chris G. Parkhurst’s personal documentary, you can check out Journey to Kathmandu, a film that follows the once-in-a-lifetime journey that goats make from their farmland lives of goats in Tibet to their sacrificial deaths in Kathmandu, during the Nepalese holiday, Dashain.

Purchase of the Deluxe Director’s & Goat’s Edition comes loaded with behind-the-scenes footage, director’s commentary, shorts, and deleted scenes. Regardless if you’re simply looking for more info on the making of J2K’or you’re a budding independent filmmaker (or just a fan of goats!), this is a must-have for anyone who enjoys gaining insight into what goes into the making of an independent documentary in a developing country.

Sponsors & Thank Yous

Free Music Archive – Special Thank You to recording artist, Dlay who supplied music for this week’s episode of TDL. You too can download his music or other artist’s music by going to Free Music Archive today!

SubscribeApple | Spotify | Stitcher |

Rate and Review

If you have found value in this podcast please leave a review so it can become more visible to others. Simply click the link and then click on the Ratings and Reviews tab to make your entry. Thank you for your support!