”American Symphony” with Matthew Heineman

Top Docs: Award-Winning Documentary Filmmakers

One is a beloved bandleader and soon-to-be Grammy nominee; the other, a “New York Times” bestselling author. But, as Matthew Heineman’s (“Retrograde”, “The First Wave”, “Cartel Land”) intimate and heartfelt new documentary “American Symphony” makes clear, life is not always so glittering for high-profile couple Jon Batiste and Suleika Jaouad. Batiste must consider the possibility that his ambitious “American Symphony” may be beyond his creative capabilities just as Jaouad confronts a life-threatening health crisis.

Joining Mike and Ken on the pod, Matthew returns to “Top Docs” to discuss the multitude of creative and logistical challenges that he faced during the making of the film. How did Matthew win Batiste’s trust only to find that access was far from assured? In what way did silence become one of the most impactful moments in the entire film? And how did Batiste’s climactic performance at Carnegie Hall almost not make it on camera? Clearly, in the life of this unscripted drama, improvisation was just as critical for the director as for his subjects.

“American Symphony” is streaming on Netflix.

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