Going against Showtime’s five-episode norm, Greg Barker’s Ghosts of Beirut decides to end the series one episode early, and it culminates with the CIA and Mossad closing in on Imad Mughniyeh for the final showdown. For three decades, Imad had been a ghost who struck from the shadows and left bodies as his handiwork, but in the previous episode, he’d revealed himself. His pride had been his folly, and now his face was no longer an enigma. Here’s what happens in the final episode of Showtime’s Ghosts of Beirut, as Imad Mughniyeh plans something catastrophic.
Spoilers Ahead
What Was Imad Planning?
After Imad’s face makes it to the CIA and Mossad’s HQ, the Father of Smoke is no longer a mystery but a man with a face and a family, and hence, a man with fears. However, even when the two parties meet,...
Spoilers Ahead
What Was Imad Planning?
After Imad’s face makes it to the CIA and Mossad’s HQ, the Father of Smoke is no longer a mystery but a man with a face and a family, and hence, a man with fears. However, even when the two parties meet,...
- 6/10/2023
- by Indrayudh Talukdar
- Film Fugitives
Imad Mughniyeh was responsible for more American deaths in terrorist attacks before the devastating 9/11 bombings and was able to outsmart not only the CIA but also the Mossad. Making matters even more difficult was the fact that no one knew what he looked like. By 2001, he was on the FBI’s Most Wanted Terrorist list with a $15 million bounty for information leading to his arrest. The reward was later bumped up to $25 million. He ultimately appeared on the most wanted list in 42 countries before he died was assassinated at the age of 45 in a car bombing in 2008.
Showtime’s new limited series “Ghosts of Beirut” shines the spotlight on the terrorist and the CIA and Mossad’s attempts to capture him. The Washington Post’s national security reporter Shane Harris recently conducted a Zoom conversation with co-creators Greg Barker and Avi Issacharoff and star Dina Shihabi.
“He’s one of...
Showtime’s new limited series “Ghosts of Beirut” shines the spotlight on the terrorist and the CIA and Mossad’s attempts to capture him. The Washington Post’s national security reporter Shane Harris recently conducted a Zoom conversation with co-creators Greg Barker and Avi Issacharoff and star Dina Shihabi.
“He’s one of...
- 5/19/2023
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Showtime has released an official trailer for Ghosts of Beirut, a four-part spy drama that revisits the true-life manhunt for the deadly Hezbollah mastermind Imad Mughniyeh, who killed more Americans than any other terrorist before 9/11 as he eluded the CIA and Mossad for over two decades.
“You push the button, and go to Paradise,” a voice-over in Arabic says at one point in the limited series trailer, as Mughniyeh, also known as the Ghost and played by Hisham Suleiman, sets up more deadly terrorist strikes.
The heart-pounding thriller comes from Fauda creators Avi Issacharoff and Lior Raz and will stream on Showtime May 19 before making its on-air debut May 21. The trailer has a pulsing score and explosive action sequences as Ghosts of Beirut spans decades and weaves in first-hand, real-life interviews with officials from the CIA and Mossad to connect the turmoil of 1980s Beirut with the spy games of the modern Middle East.
“You push the button, and go to Paradise,” a voice-over in Arabic says at one point in the limited series trailer, as Mughniyeh, also known as the Ghost and played by Hisham Suleiman, sets up more deadly terrorist strikes.
The heart-pounding thriller comes from Fauda creators Avi Issacharoff and Lior Raz and will stream on Showtime May 19 before making its on-air debut May 21. The trailer has a pulsing score and explosive action sequences as Ghosts of Beirut spans decades and weaves in first-hand, real-life interviews with officials from the CIA and Mossad to connect the turmoil of 1980s Beirut with the spy games of the modern Middle East.
- 4/19/2023
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Here is a wrap-up of all the news you need to know from Wednesday, April 5, 2023.
The Big Door Prize has landed an early renewal at Apple TV+.
The news of the Season 2 pickup comes a week after its series premiere.
Starring an ensemble cast led by Chris O'Dowd, the 10-episode half-hour comedy is now streaming on Apple TV+, and new episodes of The Big Door Prize premiere weekly, every Wednesday.
"We are so grateful to the audiences around the world who have already embraced the weird little hopes and dreams of our Deerfield residents, and we could not be more excited about where we plan to take them in season two," said creator David West Read.
Showtime announced today it will air Ghosts of Beirut, a four-part spy drama based on one of the greatest espionage stories of modern times: the manhunt for Imad Mughniyeh, the elusive Lebanese terrorist who...
The Big Door Prize has landed an early renewal at Apple TV+.
The news of the Season 2 pickup comes a week after its series premiere.
Starring an ensemble cast led by Chris O'Dowd, the 10-episode half-hour comedy is now streaming on Apple TV+, and new episodes of The Big Door Prize premiere weekly, every Wednesday.
"We are so grateful to the audiences around the world who have already embraced the weird little hopes and dreams of our Deerfield residents, and we could not be more excited about where we plan to take them in season two," said creator David West Read.
Showtime announced today it will air Ghosts of Beirut, a four-part spy drama based on one of the greatest espionage stories of modern times: the manhunt for Imad Mughniyeh, the elusive Lebanese terrorist who...
- 4/5/2023
- by Paul Dailly
- TVfanatic
Showtime has announced its forthcoming spy drama, “Ghosts of Beirut,” will make its debut on Friday, May 19, on Showtime’s streaming site and will air on linear on May 21 at 10 p.m. Et/Pt.
The four-part limited series tells the origin story of 21-year old Mughniyeh (who is also referred to as “The Ghost”), an elusive Lebanese terrorist who evaded capture from the CIA and Mossad for two decades. He was responsible for more American deaths than any other individual prior to 9/11.
“Told from the American, Israeli and Lebanese perspectives, the series traces Mughniyeh’s origins from the Shiite slums of South Beirut to his masterminding of the concept of suicide bombers, a deadly tactic that led to his swift rise as the world’s most dangerous terrorist. Based on extensive research of still-classified events, the drama spans decades and weaves in first-hand, real-life interviews with prominent officials from the CIA and Mossad,...
The four-part limited series tells the origin story of 21-year old Mughniyeh (who is also referred to as “The Ghost”), an elusive Lebanese terrorist who evaded capture from the CIA and Mossad for two decades. He was responsible for more American deaths than any other individual prior to 9/11.
“Told from the American, Israeli and Lebanese perspectives, the series traces Mughniyeh’s origins from the Shiite slums of South Beirut to his masterminding of the concept of suicide bombers, a deadly tactic that led to his swift rise as the world’s most dangerous terrorist. Based on extensive research of still-classified events, the drama spans decades and weaves in first-hand, real-life interviews with prominent officials from the CIA and Mossad,...
- 4/5/2023
- by BreAnna Bell
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Showtime has set Ghosts Of Beirut, a four-part spy drama based on the real-life espionage story of the manhunt for Imad Mughniyeh, the elusive Lebanese terrorist who outwitted his adversaries in the CIA and Mossad for over two decades. The limited series, from Fauda creators Avi Issacharoff and Lior Raz, features an international cast led by Dina Shihabi (Jack Ryan), Dermot Mulroney (My Best Friend’s Wedding), Garret Dillahunt (12 Years a Slave), Iddo Goldberg (Snowpiercer), Hisham Suleiman (Fauda), Amir Khoury (Image of Victory) and Rafi Gavron (A Star is Born).
Emmy winner Greg Barker (Manhunt: The Inside Story of the Hunt for Bin Laden), who directs all four episodes, and Daniel Dreifuss (All Quiet on the Western Front) executive produce Ghosts Of Beirut alongside Issacharoff and Raz. The series will debut on streaming and on demand May 19 for Showtime subscribers, before making its on-air debut on the network May 21.
Ghosts Of Beirut,...
Emmy winner Greg Barker (Manhunt: The Inside Story of the Hunt for Bin Laden), who directs all four episodes, and Daniel Dreifuss (All Quiet on the Western Front) executive produce Ghosts Of Beirut alongside Issacharoff and Raz. The series will debut on streaming and on demand May 19 for Showtime subscribers, before making its on-air debut on the network May 21.
Ghosts Of Beirut,...
- 4/5/2023
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
It’s that time of year. Ahead of Sight & Sound’s once-a-decade poll launching later today, the 2022 lists are starting to arrive. One of our favorite annual traditions when it comes to the best-of-the-year movie list is a lineup that usually finds a more interesting path than all the various guilds and critics groups. The wonderfully eccentric director John Waters, whose eclectic tastes always includes a mix of the unexpected and underseen, hasn’t let us down this year with his top 10 films of 2022.
Published at Artforum, where one should click over to read his thoughts on each, his top 10 is topped by François Ozon’s Fassbinder reimagining and “Douglas Sirk perfect” Peter von Kant. Other selections include another film from François Ozon, Jerzy Skolimowski’s visually dazzling Eo, Luca Guadagnino’s Bones and All, starring Timothée Chalamet as a “butch twink,” and João Pedro Rodrigues’ Will-o’-the-Wisp, which “makes Titane seem tame.
Published at Artforum, where one should click over to read his thoughts on each, his top 10 is topped by François Ozon’s Fassbinder reimagining and “Douglas Sirk perfect” Peter von Kant. Other selections include another film from François Ozon, Jerzy Skolimowski’s visually dazzling Eo, Luca Guadagnino’s Bones and All, starring Timothée Chalamet as a “butch twink,” and João Pedro Rodrigues’ Will-o’-the-Wisp, which “makes Titane seem tame.
- 12/1/2022
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Candle Media, the Blackstone-backed company launched by former Disney executives Tom Staggs and Kevin Mayer, has confirmed its acquisition of Faraway Road Productions, the Israeli banner behind “Fauda” and “Hit And Run.”
Candle is rolling off three major deals. The next-gen company agreed last week to buy a minority stake in Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith’s Westbrook Inc. and previously acquired Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine for an estimated $900 million, as well as Moonbug Entertainment, whose credits include Netflix’s “CoComelon,” for roughly $3 billion.
Terms for the acquisition deal of Faraway Road Productions were not disclosed, but is believed to be south of $50 million, as previously reported. The company, founded by Lior Raz and Avi Issacharoff, is set to launch season 4 of “Fauda” on Israeli broadcaster Yes TV and Netflix later this year. Other projects on Faraway Road’s slate include the film “Siege of Bethlehem” which will be directed by Antoine Fuqua,...
Candle is rolling off three major deals. The next-gen company agreed last week to buy a minority stake in Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith’s Westbrook Inc. and previously acquired Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine for an estimated $900 million, as well as Moonbug Entertainment, whose credits include Netflix’s “CoComelon,” for roughly $3 billion.
Terms for the acquisition deal of Faraway Road Productions were not disclosed, but is believed to be south of $50 million, as previously reported. The company, founded by Lior Raz and Avi Issacharoff, is set to launch season 4 of “Fauda” on Israeli broadcaster Yes TV and Netflix later this year. Other projects on Faraway Road’s slate include the film “Siege of Bethlehem” which will be directed by Antoine Fuqua,...
- 1/12/2022
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Updated with official announcement: Kevin Mayer and Tom Staggs’ Blackstone-backed Candle Media has formally clinched its latest deal — for Faraway Road Productions, the company behind Fauda and Hit & Run.
The acquistion had been anticipated and marks the latest expansion of the company into content in a handful of deals in recent months that’s made it a major player in media M&a. Last week, it agreed to buy a minority stake in Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith’s Westbrook Inc., which followed acquisitions of Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine and Moonbug Entertainment, producer of Netflix runaway kids’ favorite CoComelon.
Founded by Lior Raz & Avi Issacharoff, Faraway Road Productions is set to premiere season four of Fauda later this year on Israel’s Yes TV and streaming worldwide on Netflix. Other current development projects include the film Siege of Bethlehem – to...
The acquistion had been anticipated and marks the latest expansion of the company into content in a handful of deals in recent months that’s made it a major player in media M&a. Last week, it agreed to buy a minority stake in Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith’s Westbrook Inc., which followed acquisitions of Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine and Moonbug Entertainment, producer of Netflix runaway kids’ favorite CoComelon.
Founded by Lior Raz & Avi Issacharoff, Faraway Road Productions is set to premiere season four of Fauda later this year on Israel’s Yes TV and streaming worldwide on Netflix. Other current development projects include the film Siege of Bethlehem – to...
- 1/11/2022
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
The roll-up media venture led by ex-Disney execs Tom Staggs and Kevin Mayer has set its next acquisition: Faraway Road Productions, the Israeli entertainment company behind Netflix series “Fauda” and “Hit & Run,” Variety has confirmed.
The deal for Tel Aviv, Israel-based Faraway — founded by and headed by Avi Issacharoff and Lior Raz (pictured above) — is the third for the still-unnamed company formed by Stagg and Mayer with the backing of private-equity company Blackstone. It’s a comparatively small tuck-in: The price tag for Faraway is under $50 million, according to a source familiar with the pact, compared with $3 billion for kids’ media company Moonbug Entertainment and $900 million for Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine.
Issacharoff and Raz first inked a deal with Netflix in 2017 for political thriller “Fauda,” in which Raz also stars, based on his and Issacharoff’s experience serving in the Israel Defense Forces‘ special forces unit. The duo...
The deal for Tel Aviv, Israel-based Faraway — founded by and headed by Avi Issacharoff and Lior Raz (pictured above) — is the third for the still-unnamed company formed by Stagg and Mayer with the backing of private-equity company Blackstone. It’s a comparatively small tuck-in: The price tag for Faraway is under $50 million, according to a source familiar with the pact, compared with $3 billion for kids’ media company Moonbug Entertainment and $900 million for Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine.
Issacharoff and Raz first inked a deal with Netflix in 2017 for political thriller “Fauda,” in which Raz also stars, based on his and Issacharoff’s experience serving in the Israel Defense Forces‘ special forces unit. The duo...
- 12/23/2021
- by Todd Spangler
- Variety Film + TV
Twenty years after the Twin Towers at Manhattan’s World Trade Center fell on September 11, 2001, Hollywood is still grappling with the repercussions — along with the rest of America. Stories and storytelling were changed both in the short and long term. The world was no longer seen in black and white, and filmmakers started down a long road toward reassessing the types of narratives to fit the rapid and profound changes in society. “We’re still grappling with how this era has changed us. And in some ways, probably the great films of the post-9/11 era possibly haven’t even been made yet,” filmmaker Greg Barker, director of the documentary “Detainee 001,” told TheWrap. “We’ll be living with this shock to our national psyche for some time.” TheWrap spoke with 20 filmmakers, industry executives and journalists who shared their memories of 9/11 and how they feel Hollywood and the media have evolved in the years since.
- 9/11/2021
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
With the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, Emmy Award-winning director Greg Barker and producer Tresha Mabile from Showtime’s upcoming doc Detainee 001 discussed the lessons they learned from John Walker Lindh’s story. The documentary will premiere on Sept. 10 at 9 p.m. Et/Pt.
“Watching the documentary now given what’s happened, John, in the great scheme of things, was on the winning side,” Barker said during the network’s TCA press day on Wednesday. “It’s hard to say what the lesson is right now given all that’s going on right now and how heart-wrenching it is for those of us who know people in Afghanistan.”
Mabile adds, “What I would’ve liked to have seen was a transition to a peacekeeping mission because 2,000 troops in Afghanistan is nothing—that’s why we have a military. I think the Afghan people wanted us to be there. [Donald] Trump...
“Watching the documentary now given what’s happened, John, in the great scheme of things, was on the winning side,” Barker said during the network’s TCA press day on Wednesday. “It’s hard to say what the lesson is right now given all that’s going on right now and how heart-wrenching it is for those of us who know people in Afghanistan.”
Mabile adds, “What I would’ve liked to have seen was a transition to a peacekeeping mission because 2,000 troops in Afghanistan is nothing—that’s why we have a military. I think the Afghan people wanted us to be there. [Donald] Trump...
- 8/25/2021
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Showtime Documentary Films reveals Detainee 001, from Emmy-winning director Greg Barker about the life of John Walker Lindh, will premiere on Sept. 10 at 9 p.m. Et/Pt.
The documentary dives into the mysteries that led a young American man, who became known as the “American Taliban,” to the battlefield in Afghanistan fighting alongside the people who were supposed to be his enemy.
Lindh pleaded guilty in 2002 for aiding the Taliban and his role in the uprising that led to the first American casualty of the war in Afghanistan, CIA officer Johnny Micheal Spann, and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. He was released on probation in 2019 after serving 17 years of his sentence.
Barker did not interact with Lindh directly for the project but he did engage with members of his family during production. His current whereabouts are unknown.
“I’ve made a lot of films about our post-9/11 era, but for me,...
The documentary dives into the mysteries that led a young American man, who became known as the “American Taliban,” to the battlefield in Afghanistan fighting alongside the people who were supposed to be his enemy.
Lindh pleaded guilty in 2002 for aiding the Taliban and his role in the uprising that led to the first American casualty of the war in Afghanistan, CIA officer Johnny Micheal Spann, and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. He was released on probation in 2019 after serving 17 years of his sentence.
Barker did not interact with Lindh directly for the project but he did engage with members of his family during production. His current whereabouts are unknown.
“I’ve made a lot of films about our post-9/11 era, but for me,...
- 8/11/2021
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
Avi Issacharoff and Lior Raz, the creatives behind the critically acclaimed political thriller “Fauda,” have extended their existing creative pact with Netflix following the success of their new action thriller, “Hit & Run.” The show, starring Raz as Segev Azulai, premiered last Friday and made its debut in Netflix’s Top 10.
“Hit & Run” centers on a happily married man, whose life is turned upside down when his wife is killed in a mysterious hit-and-run accident in Tel Aviv. Grief-stricken and confused, he searches for his wife’s killers, who have fled to the U.S. With the help of ex-lover Naomi Hicks (Sanaa Lathan), he uncovers disturbing truths about his beloved wife and the secrets she kept from him. Other cast members include Kaelen Ohm, Moran Rosenblatt, Gregg Henry, Lior Ashkenazi, Gal Toren and Neta Orbach.
The series is co-created and executive produced by Issacharoff and Raz, founders and...
“Hit & Run” centers on a happily married man, whose life is turned upside down when his wife is killed in a mysterious hit-and-run accident in Tel Aviv. Grief-stricken and confused, he searches for his wife’s killers, who have fled to the U.S. With the help of ex-lover Naomi Hicks (Sanaa Lathan), he uncovers disturbing truths about his beloved wife and the secrets she kept from him. Other cast members include Kaelen Ohm, Moran Rosenblatt, Gregg Henry, Lior Ashkenazi, Gal Toren and Neta Orbach.
The series is co-created and executive produced by Issacharoff and Raz, founders and...
- 8/9/2021
- by Mónica Marie Zorrilla
- Variety Film + TV
Avi Issacharoff and Lior Raz’s Faraway Road Productions have renewed their overall television deal with Netflix and will work with the streamer to develop and produce original programming.
The re-upped deal extends the Fauda creators’ collaboration with Netflix. Issacharoff and Raz first worked with Netflix for Fauda, an acclaimed Israeli political thriller that debuted in 2015 and is currently in pre-production for Season 4. In 2017 Netflix then ordered two English-language drama projects from Issacharoff and Raz. The latest Netflix title from the creative duo is Hit & Run, which debuted on Friday, August 6.
Starring Raz, Hit & Run follows a happily married man whose life is turned upside down when his wife is killed in a mysterious hit and run accident in Tel Aviv. Grief-stricken and confused, he searches for his wife’s killers, who have fled to the U.S. With the help of an ex-lover, (Sanaa Lathan), he uncovers...
The re-upped deal extends the Fauda creators’ collaboration with Netflix. Issacharoff and Raz first worked with Netflix for Fauda, an acclaimed Israeli political thriller that debuted in 2015 and is currently in pre-production for Season 4. In 2017 Netflix then ordered two English-language drama projects from Issacharoff and Raz. The latest Netflix title from the creative duo is Hit & Run, which debuted on Friday, August 6.
Starring Raz, Hit & Run follows a happily married man whose life is turned upside down when his wife is killed in a mysterious hit and run accident in Tel Aviv. Grief-stricken and confused, he searches for his wife’s killers, who have fled to the U.S. With the help of an ex-lover, (Sanaa Lathan), he uncovers...
- 8/9/2021
- by Alexandra Del Rosario
- Deadline Film + TV
Lior Raz is ready to take Hollywood by storm. Over lunch at the Sunset Marquis, the Israeli actor-cum-co-creator of “Fauda,” the high-octane thriller focusing on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, is primed for what comes next. Most specifically he’s focused on his recently-launched Faraway Road Productions and nine-part crime drama “Hit and Run,” which bows Aug. 6 on Netflix.
The series, which follows a Tel Aviv-based tour guide whose wife is killed in a mysterious hit and run accident, was co-created with writer-journalist Avi Issacharoff, whom Raz met during their compulsory army duty and with whom Raz has not only developed and birthed “Fauda,” but also a steady parade of upcoming titles for both film and TV under their Faraway Road umbrella.
The focus, says Raz is “to make TV shows and stories that bring out new voices, different voices, foreign voices.”
Bridget Wiley, formerly executive vice president of current programming at CBS,...
The series, which follows a Tel Aviv-based tour guide whose wife is killed in a mysterious hit and run accident, was co-created with writer-journalist Avi Issacharoff, whom Raz met during their compulsory army duty and with whom Raz has not only developed and birthed “Fauda,” but also a steady parade of upcoming titles for both film and TV under their Faraway Road umbrella.
The focus, says Raz is “to make TV shows and stories that bring out new voices, different voices, foreign voices.”
Bridget Wiley, formerly executive vice president of current programming at CBS,...
- 8/6/2021
- by Malina Saval
- Variety Film + TV
Running June 22-27, the AFI Docs festival will bring a smorgasbord of nonfiction offerings to the greater Washington, D.C., area, screening 77 features in both the nation’s capital and nearby Silver Spring, Md. As with almost every festival making a provisional return to in-person events this summer, AFI Docs is approaching its 19th edition as a hybrid fest, with online components making up for the limitations on physical capacity.
But as AFI Festivals director of programming Sarah Harris points out, the American Film Institute, which puts on the event, finds itself in the unusual position of organizing its third virtual festival since the start of the pandemic. AFI Docs was one of the first to go fully virtual last summer, and then the organization also put on its flagship namesake festival online in the fall, so “we knew we could build on that experience and make this one great,...
But as AFI Festivals director of programming Sarah Harris points out, the American Film Institute, which puts on the event, finds itself in the unusual position of organizing its third virtual festival since the start of the pandemic. AFI Docs was one of the first to go fully virtual last summer, and then the organization also put on its flagship namesake festival online in the fall, so “we knew we could build on that experience and make this one great,...
- 6/21/2021
- by Andrew Barker
- Variety Film + TV
AFI Docs, the non-fiction film festival held each June in the D.C. area, announced a slate that includes four world premieres, including Obama: In Pursuit of a More Perfect Union.
Other feature film and series world premieres include The Slow Hustle, from director Sonja Sohn, focusing on a corruption scandal in the Baltimore police department; White Coat Rebels, from Greg Barker, looking at the outsized influence of Big Pharma and the medical professionals pushing back against it; and the previously announced Naomi Osaka, which will open the festival. Directed by Garrett Bradley, the project profiles the tennis star.
The festival runs from June 22-27, with a mixture of virtual and in-person screenings. The latter will be at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in Silver Spring, MD.
The festival will close with the previously announced close with Cusp, and the centerpiece screening will be Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain.
Other feature film and series world premieres include The Slow Hustle, from director Sonja Sohn, focusing on a corruption scandal in the Baltimore police department; White Coat Rebels, from Greg Barker, looking at the outsized influence of Big Pharma and the medical professionals pushing back against it; and the previously announced Naomi Osaka, which will open the festival. Directed by Garrett Bradley, the project profiles the tennis star.
The festival runs from June 22-27, with a mixture of virtual and in-person screenings. The latter will be at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in Silver Spring, MD.
The festival will close with the previously announced close with Cusp, and the centerpiece screening will be Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain.
- 5/26/2021
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
The 2021 summer film festival season is continuing forward, slightly off-kilter, with Tribeca in June and Cannes in July, before the fall season takes off with in Venice, Telluride, Toronto and New York. The American Film Institute’s AFI Docs 2021 (June 22-27), which is skewed toward the virtual, (much like the lockdown iteration of 2020), will screen 77 Films from 23 countries, opening with Garrett Bradley’s “Naomi Osaka”, a world premiere of the upcoming mini-series about the tennis champion, and closing with Isabel Bethencourt and Parker Hill’s Sundance 2021 premiere “Cusp.” Morgan Neville’s Tribeca 2021 debut “Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain” as the centerpiece gala.
Like last year, all the films will be available to view online at Docs.AFI.com, plus in-person screenings at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in Silver Spring, Maryland. Select films will be available with closed captioning and descriptive audio. 52 percent of the films are directed by women,...
Like last year, all the films will be available to view online at Docs.AFI.com, plus in-person screenings at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in Silver Spring, Maryland. Select films will be available with closed captioning and descriptive audio. 52 percent of the films are directed by women,...
- 5/26/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
The 2021 summer film festival season is continuing forward, slightly off-kilter, with Tribeca in June and Cannes in July, before the fall season takes off with in Venice, Telluride, Toronto and New York. The American Film Institute’s AFI Docs 2021 (June 22-27), which is skewed toward the virtual, (much like the lockdown iteration of 2020), will screen 77 Films from 23 countries, opening with Garrett Bradley’s “Naomi Osaka”, a world premiere of the upcoming mini-series about the tennis champion, and closing with Isabel Bethencourt and Parker Hill’s Sundance 2021 premiere “Cusp.” Morgan Neville’s Tribeca 2021 debut “Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain” as the centerpiece gala.
Like last year, all the films will be available to view online at Docs.AFI.com, plus in-person screenings at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in Silver Spring, Maryland. Select films will be available with closed captioning and descriptive audio. 52 percent of the films are directed by women,...
Like last year, all the films will be available to view online at Docs.AFI.com, plus in-person screenings at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in Silver Spring, Maryland. Select films will be available with closed captioning and descriptive audio. 52 percent of the films are directed by women,...
- 5/26/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Fear the Walking Dead star Garret Dillahunt has signed with APA.
Dillahunt, who moves over to the Hollywood talent agency from rival UTA, also appears in Greg Barker’s Netflix Iraq drama Sergio, and will next be seen in writer-director Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead, opposite Dave Bautista, also for Netflix.
His other TV credits include playing two different characters on HBO’s Deadwood, Hand of God for Amazon, The Mindy Project for Hulu, the Fox comedy Raising Hope, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, John From Cincinnati, The Book of Daniel, ER, The 4400, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Criminal Minds and Burn Notice....
Dillahunt, who moves over to the Hollywood talent agency from rival UTA, also appears in Greg Barker’s Netflix Iraq drama Sergio, and will next be seen in writer-director Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead, opposite Dave Bautista, also for Netflix.
His other TV credits include playing two different characters on HBO’s Deadwood, Hand of God for Amazon, The Mindy Project for Hulu, the Fox comedy Raising Hope, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, John From Cincinnati, The Book of Daniel, ER, The 4400, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Criminal Minds and Burn Notice....
- 11/13/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Fear the Walking Dead star Garret Dillahunt has signed with APA.
Dillahunt, who moves over to the Hollywood talent agency from rival UTA, also appears in Greg Barker’s Netflix Iraq drama Sergio, and will next be seen in writer-director Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead, opposite Dave Bautista, also for Netflix.
His other TV credits include playing two different characters on HBO’s Deadwood, Hand of God for Amazon, The Mindy Project for Hulu, the Fox comedy Raising Hope, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, John From Cincinnati, The Book of Daniel, ER, The 4400, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Criminal Minds and Burn Notice....
Dillahunt, who moves over to the Hollywood talent agency from rival UTA, also appears in Greg Barker’s Netflix Iraq drama Sergio, and will next be seen in writer-director Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead, opposite Dave Bautista, also for Netflix.
His other TV credits include playing two different characters on HBO’s Deadwood, Hand of God for Amazon, The Mindy Project for Hulu, the Fox comedy Raising Hope, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, John From Cincinnati, The Book of Daniel, ER, The 4400, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Criminal Minds and Burn Notice....
- 11/13/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The director of Sergio and many docs talks about docs and movies taken from true stories.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Sergio (2009)
Sergio (2020)
Reds (1981)
The Two Popes (2019)
Rules Don’t Apply (2016)
Bulworth (1998)
Dick Tracy (1990)
Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)
Innerspace (1987)
Ishtar (1987)
The Thin Blue Line (1988)
Man On Wire (2008)
The Fog of War (2003)
American Dharma (2018)
Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru (2016)
The Killing Fields (1984)
The Year of Living Dangerously (1983)
Under Fire (1983)
Salvador (1986)
The Quiet American (2002)
The Quiet American (1958)
A Private War (2018)
The War Room (1993)
The Final Year (2017)
Independence Day (1996)
Citizen Kane (1941)
Bloodsport (1988)
Bloodsport II: The Next Kumite (1996)
When We Were Kings (1996)
Soul Power (2008)
High School (1968)
Hospital (1970)
Titicut Follies (1967)
The Diving Bell And The Butterfly (2007)
Before Night Falls (2000)
At Eternity’s Gate (2018)
American Factory (2019)
Dina (2017)
Honeyland (2019)
The Act of Killing (2012)
The English Patient (1996)
Truly, Madly, Deeply (1990)
The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
Purple Noon (1960)
Other Notable Items
Sergio Aragonés
Wagner Moura
Narcos TV...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Sergio (2009)
Sergio (2020)
Reds (1981)
The Two Popes (2019)
Rules Don’t Apply (2016)
Bulworth (1998)
Dick Tracy (1990)
Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)
Innerspace (1987)
Ishtar (1987)
The Thin Blue Line (1988)
Man On Wire (2008)
The Fog of War (2003)
American Dharma (2018)
Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru (2016)
The Killing Fields (1984)
The Year of Living Dangerously (1983)
Under Fire (1983)
Salvador (1986)
The Quiet American (2002)
The Quiet American (1958)
A Private War (2018)
The War Room (1993)
The Final Year (2017)
Independence Day (1996)
Citizen Kane (1941)
Bloodsport (1988)
Bloodsport II: The Next Kumite (1996)
When We Were Kings (1996)
Soul Power (2008)
High School (1968)
Hospital (1970)
Titicut Follies (1967)
The Diving Bell And The Butterfly (2007)
Before Night Falls (2000)
At Eternity’s Gate (2018)
American Factory (2019)
Dina (2017)
Honeyland (2019)
The Act of Killing (2012)
The English Patient (1996)
Truly, Madly, Deeply (1990)
The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
Purple Noon (1960)
Other Notable Items
Sergio Aragonés
Wagner Moura
Narcos TV...
- 7/14/2020
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
"Sergio" stars Brazilian ace Wagner Moura -- that's Pablo Escobar in "Narcos" for you -- with Cuban origin actress Ana de Armas. You've seen her knock on the doors of global stardom with "Knives Out" so far, and she is the next Bond girl in "No Time To Die". The mainstream marquee introduction would be enough for most to check out this biopic.
Those who dig deeper into international cinema, though, would perhaps want to check out the name of the director. Greg Barker's resume as a chronicler of contemporary human history includes brilliant documentary efforts as "Koran By Heart" and "The Longest War". That in itself gives this project added heft.
With "Sergio", Barker moves into feature film terrain. The film is a bio-pic of Brazilian United Nations diplomat Sergio Vieira de Mello, a titan of world socio-politics whose efforts at international harmony and security left a global impact.
Those who dig deeper into international cinema, though, would perhaps want to check out the name of the director. Greg Barker's resume as a chronicler of contemporary human history includes brilliant documentary efforts as "Koran By Heart" and "The Longest War". That in itself gives this project added heft.
With "Sergio", Barker moves into feature film terrain. The film is a bio-pic of Brazilian United Nations diplomat Sergio Vieira de Mello, a titan of world socio-politics whose efforts at international harmony and security left a global impact.
- 4/25/2020
- GlamSham
"Sergio" is the new biographical drama feature, about 'United Nations' diplomat 'Sérgio Vieira de Mello', directed by Greg Barker, starring Wagner Moura, Ana de Armas, Garret Dillahunt, Clemens Schick, Will Dalton, Bradley Whitford and Brían F. O'Byrne, now streaming on Netflix:
"...in 2003 the Un 'Special Rep' in Iraq 'Sérgio Vieira de Mello' is a victim of a bombing and becomes trapped in the basement of the hotel where he was working in Baghdad.
"Three months earlier against the advice of his girlfriend and co-worker 'Carolina' (Ana de Armas), Sergio decides to go to Baghdad after the 2003 invasion of Iraq in order to help Iraqis achieve independence and negotiate the withdrawal of American troops. He soon comes to a disagreement with American diplomat 'Paul Bremer' who disagrees with his methods..."
Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Sergio"...
"...in 2003 the Un 'Special Rep' in Iraq 'Sérgio Vieira de Mello' is a victim of a bombing and becomes trapped in the basement of the hotel where he was working in Baghdad.
"Three months earlier against the advice of his girlfriend and co-worker 'Carolina' (Ana de Armas), Sergio decides to go to Baghdad after the 2003 invasion of Iraq in order to help Iraqis achieve independence and negotiate the withdrawal of American troops. He soon comes to a disagreement with American diplomat 'Paul Bremer' who disagrees with his methods..."
Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Sergio"...
- 4/20/2020
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
Just five days after the creation of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq, a lone suicide bomber drove an explosive-filled truck onto the grounds of Baghdad’s Canal Hotel, long used as the Iraq headquarters of the Un, and detonated its payload. Nearly two dozen people died in the bombing, and the lasting impact of the attack changed the course of Un diplomacy forever. It also ended the life of the beloved Un diplomat Sergio Vieira de Mello, who had undertaken the job in Iraq as a likely send-off to a storied career, the final stop in a life spent in service to others.
All that is not immediately clear in the opening of Greg Barker’s unfocused “Sergio,” which follows Vieira de Mello (Wagner Moura) through One moment, Sergio is screaming for help, the next, he’s back swimming in the warm waters of his native Rio. The...
All that is not immediately clear in the opening of Greg Barker’s unfocused “Sergio,” which follows Vieira de Mello (Wagner Moura) through One moment, Sergio is screaming for help, the next, he’s back swimming in the warm waters of his native Rio. The...
- 4/17/2020
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
The Last Thing He Wanted: Barker Resurrects Martyred Diplomat in Feature Debut
Documentarian Greg Barker returns to the subject of U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Sergio Vieira de Mello for his narrative debut Sergio, retaining the same name of his 2009 documentary about the political figure who was killed in the 2003 bombing of the U.N. Headquarters in Baghdad upon the orders of Abu Masab al-Zarqawi.
Said bombing provides the bookends for Barker’s latest examination of de Mello, whose accomplishments pepper what’s basically an elongated montage of his budding romance with Carolina Larriera via flashback as he lies in the rubble.…...
Documentarian Greg Barker returns to the subject of U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Sergio Vieira de Mello for his narrative debut Sergio, retaining the same name of his 2009 documentary about the political figure who was killed in the 2003 bombing of the U.N. Headquarters in Baghdad upon the orders of Abu Masab al-Zarqawi.
Said bombing provides the bookends for Barker’s latest examination of de Mello, whose accomplishments pepper what’s basically an elongated montage of his budding romance with Carolina Larriera via flashback as he lies in the rubble.…...
- 4/17/2020
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
You might recognize Wagner Moura starring as the late United Nations diplomat Sérgio Vieira de Mello in Netflix’s new film “Sergio.” Or maybe not. Moura looked a lot different when he earned a Golden Globe nomination in 2016 for his work as Pablo Escobar in the first two seasons of the streamer’s “Narcos.”
He packed on 40 pounds for his portrayal of the notorious Colombian drug kingpin. “I was hanging out with [my kids] and eating whatever they were having — pizzas and burgers,” the Brazilian actor says during an appearance on this week’s episode of the Variety and iHeart podcast “The Big Ticket.” “But there was a point when that started to make me feel really bad because that wasn’t my body and I was just eating junk food.”
Fortunately, playing Vieira de Mello — who spent more than three decades as the U.N. diplomat from Brazil brokering peace...
He packed on 40 pounds for his portrayal of the notorious Colombian drug kingpin. “I was hanging out with [my kids] and eating whatever they were having — pizzas and burgers,” the Brazilian actor says during an appearance on this week’s episode of the Variety and iHeart podcast “The Big Ticket.” “But there was a point when that started to make me feel really bad because that wasn’t my body and I was just eating junk food.”
Fortunately, playing Vieira de Mello — who spent more than three decades as the U.N. diplomat from Brazil brokering peace...
- 4/16/2020
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety Film + TV
Wagner Moura and Ana de Armas give strong performances in a mostly effective retelling of the life and tragic death of a celebrated Brazilian diplomat
There’s an old school charm to Sergio, documentarian Greg Barker’s narrative portrait of Un diplomat Sérgio Vieira de Mello, a dramatic retelling of a life he already brought to the screen in a 2009 documentary of the same name. Barker’s knowledge of Sérgio’s life and accomplishments is backgrounded by a clear respect for who he was and so while the film is factually detailed, as one would expect, it’s also rooted in a desire to showcase his humanity, both in and out of work, with Barker deciding to lean into full-tilt romantic tragedy, perhaps also as a way of differentiating his two Sergios.
Related: Love Wedding Repeat review – laboured Netflix romcom farce...
There’s an old school charm to Sergio, documentarian Greg Barker’s narrative portrait of Un diplomat Sérgio Vieira de Mello, a dramatic retelling of a life he already brought to the screen in a 2009 documentary of the same name. Barker’s knowledge of Sérgio’s life and accomplishments is backgrounded by a clear respect for who he was and so while the film is factually detailed, as one would expect, it’s also rooted in a desire to showcase his humanity, both in and out of work, with Barker deciding to lean into full-tilt romantic tragedy, perhaps also as a way of differentiating his two Sergios.
Related: Love Wedding Repeat review – laboured Netflix romcom farce...
- 4/16/2020
- by Benjamin Lee
- The Guardian - Film News
Director Greg Barker doesn’t quite have the track record or the mystique of Werner Herzog, but he enters Herzogian territory with “Sergio,” his drama about United Nations diplomat Sergio Vieira de Mello that premieres on Netflix on Friday.
Barker’s new “Sergio,” which stars “Narcos” star Wagner Moura as the celebrated Brazilian who worked for peace around the world for more than 30 years, is the second “Sergio” that the director has made, the first being his 2009 documentary. That puts Barker in the company of a small group of directors who’ve made a documentary about a subject, and then later adapted the same story into a narrative feature – among them Herzog with his 1997 documentary “Little Dieter Needs to Fly,” about Vietnam War Pow Dieter Dengler, and his 2006 feature “Rescue Dawn, which starred Christian Bale as Dengler; Dan Krauss with the 2013 doc and 2019 narrative features “The Kill Team”; and Fenton Bailey...
Barker’s new “Sergio,” which stars “Narcos” star Wagner Moura as the celebrated Brazilian who worked for peace around the world for more than 30 years, is the second “Sergio” that the director has made, the first being his 2009 documentary. That puts Barker in the company of a small group of directors who’ve made a documentary about a subject, and then later adapted the same story into a narrative feature – among them Herzog with his 1997 documentary “Little Dieter Needs to Fly,” about Vietnam War Pow Dieter Dengler, and his 2006 feature “Rescue Dawn, which starred Christian Bale as Dengler; Dan Krauss with the 2013 doc and 2019 narrative features “The Kill Team”; and Fenton Bailey...
- 4/15/2020
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
If a movie about geopolitics centered around the true story of “Sergio” Vieira de Mello, a United Nations diplomat from Brazil, doesn’t strike you as must-viewing during a pandemic, you couldn’t be more wrong. What better time to celebrate a man who put human rights above politics as usual? Sergio, a Sundance sleeper debuting on Netflix on April 17th, is history brought to life, with a few extra bells, whistles, and caveats. Director Greg Barker, working from a frustratingly soft script by Craig Borten, takes dramatic license with...
- 4/15/2020
- by Peter Travers
- Rollingstone.com
If you’re looking for some old-fashioned nonpartisan outrage, where anger or sadness isn’t dependent on political leanings or party affiliation, you can find it in “The Longest War,” the sobering Afghanistan documentary by Greg Barker that premieres Sunday on Showtime.
The film is a dissection of U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan, the longest running war in U.S. history and a morass with enough blame to go around to leaders of all affiliations. That much is made clear in the first few minutes of the film, when a reverse timeline shows the last seven presidents – Trump, Obama, Bush, Clinton, Bush, Reagan and Carter – all promising things that didn’t happen.
Comprehensive and clear, the film tells a story of U.S. involvement that is infuriating at times, befuddling at others and mostly just sad. “My heart hurts for these people,” says CIA “targeter” Lisa Maddox of the Afghans at one point,...
The film is a dissection of U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan, the longest running war in U.S. history and a morass with enough blame to go around to leaders of all affiliations. That much is made clear in the first few minutes of the film, when a reverse timeline shows the last seven presidents – Trump, Obama, Bush, Clinton, Bush, Reagan and Carter – all promising things that didn’t happen.
Comprehensive and clear, the film tells a story of U.S. involvement that is infuriating at times, befuddling at others and mostly just sad. “My heart hurts for these people,” says CIA “targeter” Lisa Maddox of the Afghans at one point,...
- 4/13/2020
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
“Sergio” actor/producer Wagner Moura and the filmmakers behind the film dropped by TheWrap Studio at Sundance to discuss the film’s subject — Brazilian United Nations diplomat Sergio Vieira de Mello. Moura, who hails from Brazil like Vieira de Mello, opened up about his ambition to produce films about Latins.
“I have this ambition, this dream, of producing films about Latin people that don’t bring forth stereotypes,” Moura told TheWrap’s Steve Pond. “This film is kind of based on a book about Sergio and for me that was the best way to start that kind of dream.”
“Sergio is a Brazilian, and I’m Brazilian, and it’s very important, especially considering the moment of Brazil is going through now to have him as an example of a man who had empathy which is something that I feel many world leaders nowadays would benefit a lot from,” added Moura.
“I have this ambition, this dream, of producing films about Latin people that don’t bring forth stereotypes,” Moura told TheWrap’s Steve Pond. “This film is kind of based on a book about Sergio and for me that was the best way to start that kind of dream.”
“Sergio is a Brazilian, and I’m Brazilian, and it’s very important, especially considering the moment of Brazil is going through now to have him as an example of a man who had empathy which is something that I feel many world leaders nowadays would benefit a lot from,” added Moura.
- 2/8/2020
- by Umberto Gonzalez
- The Wrap
There is a Robert Frost poem called “Escapist – Never” which provides a frequent refrain in Greg Barker’s deeply admiring but drawn-out biopic of Brazilian diplomat and U.N. leading light Sergio Vieira de Mello. “It is the future that creates his present,” runs the penultimate line, and the handsome, heroic, charismatic de Mello (played with persuasive charm by Wagner Moura) certainly does seem like a man whose present was shaped by the future — specifically by the better, brighter, freer global future he believed the U.N. could be instrumental in achieving and that he personally could help midwife into being.
Such noble intentions and such impact on world affairs does render understandable Barker’s rather starry-eyed approach, but in its unnecessary length and sentimental emphasis on the man’s romantic life, “Sergio” more often, intentionally and otherwise, evokes the “interminable chain of longing” of the poem’s celebrated last line.
Such noble intentions and such impact on world affairs does render understandable Barker’s rather starry-eyed approach, but in its unnecessary length and sentimental emphasis on the man’s romantic life, “Sergio” more often, intentionally and otherwise, evokes the “interminable chain of longing” of the poem’s celebrated last line.
- 1/30/2020
- by Jessica Kiang
- Variety Film + TV
On 19 August 2003, a car bomb exploded outside the United Nations Headquarters in Baghdad. As a result, Un High Commissioner for Human Rights Sérgio Vieira de Mello and Gil Loescher were pinned under tons of rubble after the blast. Six years later, in 2009, Greg Barker released a documentary covering the events that transpired. And now, more than a decade after the doc, Barker returns with a feature-length adaption of the tragedy and the man at the story’s center.
Continue reading ‘Sergio’: Wagner Moura & Ana De Armas Elevate An Otherwise Messy, Sluggish Biopic [Sundance Review] at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Sergio’: Wagner Moura & Ana De Armas Elevate An Otherwise Messy, Sluggish Biopic [Sundance Review] at The Playlist.
- 1/29/2020
- by Robert Daniels
- The Playlist
Starting next week, the 2020 Sundance Film Festival gives us a first glimpse at the year in cinema, but even if you won’t be at Park City, we’re rounding up an initial glimpse at the premieres.
Ahead of our coverage, bookmark this page for a continually-updated round-up of trailers and clips, kicking off with Sergio, Charm City Kings, Impetigore, Wendy, Downhill, Promising Young Woman, and more.
Check out the trailers (and clips) below thus far in alphabetical order and we’ll be posting reviews from Park City soon, so follow along here.
And Then We Danced (Levan Akin)
The Assistant (Kitty Green)
Charm City Kings (Angel Manuel Soto)
The Climb (Michael Angelo Covino)
Downhill (Nat Faxon & Jim Rash)
The Earth Is Blue as an Orange (Iryna Tsilyk)
Ema (Pablo Larraín)
Hillary (Nanette Burstein)
Horse Girl (Jeff Baena)
Impetigore (Joko Anwar)
La Llorona (Jayro Bustamante)
Lost Girls (Liz Garbus)
Never Rarely Sometimes Always...
Ahead of our coverage, bookmark this page for a continually-updated round-up of trailers and clips, kicking off with Sergio, Charm City Kings, Impetigore, Wendy, Downhill, Promising Young Woman, and more.
Check out the trailers (and clips) below thus far in alphabetical order and we’ll be posting reviews from Park City soon, so follow along here.
And Then We Danced (Levan Akin)
The Assistant (Kitty Green)
Charm City Kings (Angel Manuel Soto)
The Climb (Michael Angelo Covino)
Downhill (Nat Faxon & Jim Rash)
The Earth Is Blue as an Orange (Iryna Tsilyk)
Ema (Pablo Larraín)
Hillary (Nanette Burstein)
Horse Girl (Jeff Baena)
Impetigore (Joko Anwar)
La Llorona (Jayro Bustamante)
Lost Girls (Liz Garbus)
Never Rarely Sometimes Always...
- 1/16/2020
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Netflix is taking over the world. They had 24 Oscar nominations this year, the most of any film studio or streaming outlet, and their domination is not stopping anytime soon. Up next: Sundance domination. The streaming service has many, many major films making world premieres at the Sundance Film Festival next week. One of them is “Sergio,” filmmaker Greg Barker’s first narrative film and essentially dramatic remake of his own 2009 documentary also called “Sergio.”
Read More: The 100 Best Films Of The Decade [2010s]
A sweeping drama set in the chaotic aftermath of the Us invasion of Iraq, “Sergio” centers on top Un diplomat Sergio Vieira de Mello whose life hangs in the balance during the most treacherous mission of his career.
Continue reading ‘Sergio’ Trailer: Ana de Armas & Wagner Moura Star In A Iraq War Un Biopic Coming To Sundance at The Playlist.
Read More: The 100 Best Films Of The Decade [2010s]
A sweeping drama set in the chaotic aftermath of the Us invasion of Iraq, “Sergio” centers on top Un diplomat Sergio Vieira de Mello whose life hangs in the balance during the most treacherous mission of his career.
Continue reading ‘Sergio’ Trailer: Ana de Armas & Wagner Moura Star In A Iraq War Un Biopic Coming To Sundance at The Playlist.
- 1/15/2020
- by Edward Davis
- The Playlist
Showtime has set its latest documentary slate with projects from the likes of Jesus Camp directors Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing, A Private War director Matthew Heineman, Homeland’s Alex Gansa and Howard Gordon, Generation Wealth director Lauren Greenfield and Dirty War director Rick Rowley.
The 2020 slate was revealed by Gary Levine, President of Entertainment, Showtime Networks at the Winter TCA press tour.
Grady and Ewing are making their first foray into episodic television with Love Fraud, which will launch at the Sundance Film Festival, the first time a TV series will run on day one of the festival. The project follows the search for one man, Richard Scott Smith, who over the past 20 years used the internet and his dubious charms to prey upon unsuspecting women in search of love – conning them out of their money and dignity. It will launch on May 8 and is directed and exec produced...
The 2020 slate was revealed by Gary Levine, President of Entertainment, Showtime Networks at the Winter TCA press tour.
Grady and Ewing are making their first foray into episodic television with Love Fraud, which will launch at the Sundance Film Festival, the first time a TV series will run on day one of the festival. The project follows the search for one man, Richard Scott Smith, who over the past 20 years used the internet and his dubious charms to prey upon unsuspecting women in search of love – conning them out of their money and dignity. It will launch on May 8 and is directed and exec produced...
- 1/13/2020
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Showtime’s upcoming Documentary Films slate includes “Kingdom of Silence,” “The Kingmaker,” “The Longest War” and “Love Fraud,” “The Trade” the premium cabler announced Monday.
“The Kingmaker,” which comes from Lauren Greenfield, explores the disturbing legacy of the Marcos regime in the Philippines, and chronicles Imelda’s present-day push to help her son, Bongbong, win the vice presidency. It had a theatrical run last year, which culminated in a WGA Award for documentary screenplay. It will premiere Feb. 28 at 9 p.m. on Showtime. “The Kingmaker” is produced by Frank Evers and Greenfield of Evergreen Pictures. Julie Parker Benello, Dan Cogan, R.J. Cutler, Geralyn Dreyfous, Bill Haney, Lilly Hartley, Patricia Lambrecht, Nion McEvoy, Patty Quillin, Regina K. Scully and Jamie Wolf also serve as executive producers.
“The Trade” Season 2 is directed by Matthew Heineman and is an Ida winner itself. This season, the four-part series follows some Central Americans on an odyssey to the United States,...
“The Kingmaker,” which comes from Lauren Greenfield, explores the disturbing legacy of the Marcos regime in the Philippines, and chronicles Imelda’s present-day push to help her son, Bongbong, win the vice presidency. It had a theatrical run last year, which culminated in a WGA Award for documentary screenplay. It will premiere Feb. 28 at 9 p.m. on Showtime. “The Kingmaker” is produced by Frank Evers and Greenfield of Evergreen Pictures. Julie Parker Benello, Dan Cogan, R.J. Cutler, Geralyn Dreyfous, Bill Haney, Lilly Hartley, Patricia Lambrecht, Nion McEvoy, Patty Quillin, Regina K. Scully and Jamie Wolf also serve as executive producers.
“The Trade” Season 2 is directed by Matthew Heineman and is an Ida winner itself. This season, the four-part series follows some Central Americans on an odyssey to the United States,...
- 1/13/2020
- by Danielle Turchiano
- Variety Film + TV
Showtime on Thursday announced the production of a documentary on John Walker Lindh, the man known widely as “The American Taliban,” on the same day that Lindh was released from prison after 17 years.
Lindh, sentenced to a 20-years in prison in 2002 for providing support to the Taliban, was released Thursday on probation. The film, which has been in production since 2017, is called “Detainee 001.”
Per Showtime, the film “gives the definitive account of Lindh’s story with never-before-revealed details from his legal case and unpacks challenging truths and shifting allegiances behind one of the most compelling and unresolved mysteries of the post-9/11 age. Lindh’s case set a precedent for how Americans caught up in the War on Terror were prosecuted, and the film examines how American military and justice systems have grappled with the two decades since his detention.
Also Read: Roger Ailes' Secrets Come Out of the Vault...
Lindh, sentenced to a 20-years in prison in 2002 for providing support to the Taliban, was released Thursday on probation. The film, which has been in production since 2017, is called “Detainee 001.”
Per Showtime, the film “gives the definitive account of Lindh’s story with never-before-revealed details from his legal case and unpacks challenging truths and shifting allegiances behind one of the most compelling and unresolved mysteries of the post-9/11 age. Lindh’s case set a precedent for how Americans caught up in the War on Terror were prosecuted, and the film examines how American military and justice systems have grappled with the two decades since his detention.
Also Read: Roger Ailes' Secrets Come Out of the Vault...
- 5/23/2019
- by Tim Baysinger
- The Wrap
With the release from prison today of John Walker Lindh, Showtime Documentary Films announced the two-years-in-production Detainee 001, director Greg Barker’s account of the case.
Barker will draw on “unique access to the world of intelligence and special operations,” Showtime says, with Detainee 001 “piecing together the defining yet almost-forgotten origin story of post-9/11 America.”
“From the battlefield to the courtroom, Barker’s film confronts the unresolved issues at the heart of Lindh’s case, including his role in the uprising that led to the first casualty of the war in Afghanistan, CIA officer Johnny Micheal Spann,” according to Showtime. “Even after nearly 20 years, clarity on justice remains elusive, leaving a nagging open sore at the heart of the American soul.”
The film has been in production since 2017, and is being trumpeted by the premium cable channel as the definitive account of Lindh’s story,...
Barker will draw on “unique access to the world of intelligence and special operations,” Showtime says, with Detainee 001 “piecing together the defining yet almost-forgotten origin story of post-9/11 America.”
“From the battlefield to the courtroom, Barker’s film confronts the unresolved issues at the heart of Lindh’s case, including his role in the uprising that led to the first casualty of the war in Afghanistan, CIA officer Johnny Micheal Spann,” according to Showtime. “Even after nearly 20 years, clarity on justice remains elusive, leaving a nagging open sore at the heart of the American soul.”
The film has been in production since 2017, and is being trumpeted by the premium cable channel as the definitive account of Lindh’s story,...
- 5/23/2019
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
“Free Solo,” “Quincy,” “Minding the Gap,” “Rbg,” “Three identical Strangers” and “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” are among the films nominated for the Audience Choice Prize at the 2018 Cinema Eye Honors, an awards show devoted to all facts of nonfiction filmmaking.
“Bathtubs Over Broadway,” “Matangi/Maya/M.I.A.,” “On Her Shoulders” and “Shirkers” were also nominated in the Audience Choice category, which can be voted on by members of the public at the Cinema Eye website.
The bulk of the Cinema Eye Honors nominees will be announced on Thursday, Nov. 8, and the winners will be announced on Thursday, Jan. 10 at the Museum of the Moving Image in New York City.
Also Read: 'Free Solo,' 'Minding the Gap,' 'Won't You Be My Neighbor?' Land Ida Documentary Nominations
In the Broadcast Film category, the nominees were four docs from HBO – “Baltimore Rising,” “Believer,” “The Final Year” and...
“Bathtubs Over Broadway,” “Matangi/Maya/M.I.A.,” “On Her Shoulders” and “Shirkers” were also nominated in the Audience Choice category, which can be voted on by members of the public at the Cinema Eye website.
The bulk of the Cinema Eye Honors nominees will be announced on Thursday, Nov. 8, and the winners will be announced on Thursday, Jan. 10 at the Museum of the Moving Image in New York City.
Also Read: 'Free Solo,' 'Minding the Gap,' 'Won't You Be My Neighbor?' Land Ida Documentary Nominations
In the Broadcast Film category, the nominees were four docs from HBO – “Baltimore Rising,” “Believer,” “The Final Year” and...
- 10/25/2018
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
DNA Films and Passion Pictures are partnering for a feature-length documentary about legendary Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson, the two companies announced Tuesday. The British production companies, whose credits include Oscar-winning narrative features “The Last King of Scotland” and “Ex Machina” and Oscar-winning documentaries “One Day in September” and “Searching for Sugarman,” will co-produce the new project, which is directed by the soccer legend’s son, Jason Ferguson.
The documentary will have exclusive and unrestricted access to Alex Ferguson, his family and friends, offering fans a deeply personal and revealing account of Ferguson’s life from his working-class roots in Glasgow through to his 26-year tenure as the longest-serving manager of world-renowned British soccer team Manchester United. It is scheduled to begin production in October.
“I don’t see this as a [soccer] film,” said Jason Ferguson. “What really appeals to me is to approach the story from a uniquely intimate...
The documentary will have exclusive and unrestricted access to Alex Ferguson, his family and friends, offering fans a deeply personal and revealing account of Ferguson’s life from his working-class roots in Glasgow through to his 26-year tenure as the longest-serving manager of world-renowned British soccer team Manchester United. It is scheduled to begin production in October.
“I don’t see this as a [soccer] film,” said Jason Ferguson. “What really appeals to me is to approach the story from a uniquely intimate...
- 8/28/2018
- by Robert Mitchell
- Variety Film + TV
There was a time in America when an immigrant was allowed to hold a key position in U.S. foreign policy, a time when another woman—wearing a hijab—was granted daily access to classified information in the White House.
That time was two years ago.
Just how dramatically American political norms have changed since President Obama left office becomes apparent in the HBO documentary The Final Year, directed by Greg Barker. The film, now in contention for Emmy nominations, tracks the last 12 months of Obama’s term.
“Personally it was extraordinary to see the government at work at that level, up close,” Barker tells Deadline. “I don’t think I’ll ever have a professional experience that parallels what it was like to make that film.”
Barker persuaded some key players in the administration to participate in The Final Year: Secretary of State John Kerry; National Security Advisor Susan Rice; Samantha Power,...
That time was two years ago.
Just how dramatically American political norms have changed since President Obama left office becomes apparent in the HBO documentary The Final Year, directed by Greg Barker. The film, now in contention for Emmy nominations, tracks the last 12 months of Obama’s term.
“Personally it was extraordinary to see the government at work at that level, up close,” Barker tells Deadline. “I don’t think I’ll ever have a professional experience that parallels what it was like to make that film.”
Barker persuaded some key players in the administration to participate in The Final Year: Secretary of State John Kerry; National Security Advisor Susan Rice; Samantha Power,...
- 6/1/2018
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Author: Competitions
To mark the release of The Final Year on 5th March, we’ve been given 3 copies to give away on DVD.
Directed by Greg Barker, The Final Year is a unique insiders’ account of President Barack Obama’s foreign policy team during their last year in office. Featuring unprecedented access inside the White House and State Department, The Final Year offers an uncompromising view of the inner workings of the Obama Administration as they prepare to leave power after eight years. The film revolves around a foreign policy team assembled by Barack Obama nearly a decade ago, during his first presidential campaign: Secretary of State John Kerry, Un Ambassador Samantha Power, Deputy National Security Advisor and presidential confidant Ben Rhodes, as well National Security Advisor Susan Rice and President Obama himself. The film tracks this team over the course of 2016, as they travel the world attempting to solidify...
To mark the release of The Final Year on 5th March, we’ve been given 3 copies to give away on DVD.
Directed by Greg Barker, The Final Year is a unique insiders’ account of President Barack Obama’s foreign policy team during their last year in office. Featuring unprecedented access inside the White House and State Department, The Final Year offers an uncompromising view of the inner workings of the Obama Administration as they prepare to leave power after eight years. The film revolves around a foreign policy team assembled by Barack Obama nearly a decade ago, during his first presidential campaign: Secretary of State John Kerry, Un Ambassador Samantha Power, Deputy National Security Advisor and presidential confidant Ben Rhodes, as well National Security Advisor Susan Rice and President Obama himself. The film tracks this team over the course of 2016, as they travel the world attempting to solidify...
- 2/26/2018
- by Competitions
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Slate includes The Gospel According To André, The Final Year, Lucky.
Magnolia International heads to the Efm with Sundance acquisition Rbg, the documentary about the life and career of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and new footage from Body At Brighton Rock.
Lorna Lee Sagebiel-Torres and her team will kick off sales in Berlin on Rbg (pictured), the acclaimed documentary that charts Ginsburg’s trailblazing legal career, poignant lifelong romance, and late emergence as a pop culture icon. Magnolia will release Rbg theatrically in the Us this year and acquired global rights in Sundance with Participant Media.
Betsy West and Julie Cohen of Storyville Films directed Rbg, while Storyville Films and CNN Films produced.
Head of international sales Sagebiel-Torres will also debut footage from Magnet Releasing’s thriller Body At Brighton Rock, which is in production and is based on an original screenplay by Xx and Southbound writer-director acclaimed Roxanne Benjamin. Karina Fontes stars as an inexperienced...
Magnolia International heads to the Efm with Sundance acquisition Rbg, the documentary about the life and career of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and new footage from Body At Brighton Rock.
Lorna Lee Sagebiel-Torres and her team will kick off sales in Berlin on Rbg (pictured), the acclaimed documentary that charts Ginsburg’s trailblazing legal career, poignant lifelong romance, and late emergence as a pop culture icon. Magnolia will release Rbg theatrically in the Us this year and acquired global rights in Sundance with Participant Media.
Betsy West and Julie Cohen of Storyville Films directed Rbg, while Storyville Films and CNN Films produced.
Head of international sales Sagebiel-Torres will also debut footage from Magnet Releasing’s thriller Body At Brighton Rock, which is in production and is based on an original screenplay by Xx and Southbound writer-director acclaimed Roxanne Benjamin. Karina Fontes stars as an inexperienced...
- 2/11/2018
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Secretary of State John Kerry and President Barack Obama on the White House in The Final Year, a Magnolia Pictures release. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures.
The Final Year is a documentary look at the last year of the Obama administration, or least the foreign policy side of it, as it takes one last shot at leaving a legacy and sets the stage for the hand-over to the next administration. That is an admiring look should come as no surprise but one gets the feeling it was made with an unspoken assumption that Hillary Clinton would be that next president. That may be the case, which actually makes this a more interesting film than it otherwise might have been, one now filled with ironic moments, given how the election actually turned out..
Director Greg Barker turns his camera mainly on three people, Secretary of State John Kerry, Un Ambassador Samantha Power,...
The Final Year is a documentary look at the last year of the Obama administration, or least the foreign policy side of it, as it takes one last shot at leaving a legacy and sets the stage for the hand-over to the next administration. That is an admiring look should come as no surprise but one gets the feeling it was made with an unspoken assumption that Hillary Clinton would be that next president. That may be the case, which actually makes this a more interesting film than it otherwise might have been, one now filled with ironic moments, given how the election actually turned out..
Director Greg Barker turns his camera mainly on three people, Secretary of State John Kerry, Un Ambassador Samantha Power,...
- 1/19/2018
- by Cate Marquis
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Greg Barker’s respectful film, shot behind the scenes at the White House, documents the end of an era – and the shock of what happened next
There is an unintentional sadness to this film from Greg Barker. It’s a respectful documentary about Barack Obama’s final year in the Us presidency, and everyone in front of and behind the camera clearly assumes that the baton is about to be euphorically passed on to Hillary Clinton. This feels like a feature-length season finale to The West Wing.
The title reminded me a little of Ta-Nehisi Coates’s essay collection We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy – yet that sense of an ending is very different. The mood here is not complacency exactly, but with hindsight we can see a kind of innocence, or even naivety, as everyone earnestly goes about their legacy-defining projects as the hour of Hillary’s coronation draws near.
There is an unintentional sadness to this film from Greg Barker. It’s a respectful documentary about Barack Obama’s final year in the Us presidency, and everyone in front of and behind the camera clearly assumes that the baton is about to be euphorically passed on to Hillary Clinton. This feels like a feature-length season finale to The West Wing.
The title reminded me a little of Ta-Nehisi Coates’s essay collection We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy – yet that sense of an ending is very different. The mood here is not complacency exactly, but with hindsight we can see a kind of innocence, or even naivety, as everyone earnestly goes about their legacy-defining projects as the hour of Hillary’s coronation draws near.
- 1/17/2018
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Remember the last months of the Obama administration, when diplomacy was still a preferred form of negotiation? If so, you're likely to lose your mind watching The Final Year, a hindsight-is-20/20 documentary in which we watch a government crumble. Fully expecting a Democratic victory in the 2016 elections, the White House gave director Greg Barker an unprecedented 90 days to follow President Obama's foreign policy team to 21 countries as they chased peace in Syria, a climate accord in Paris and a nuclear arms deal in Iran. Cementing relationships with Vietnam and opening...
- 1/16/2018
- Rollingstone.com
by Glenn Dunks
There is a pall that lingers over The Final Year. And rightfully so considering how everything turned out within the 2016 American presidential elections. And yet, that emotional baggage is brought to the film more by viewers and less so by director Greg Barker. The Emmy-winning director of Manhunt: The Inside Story of the Hunt for Bin Laden makes odd choices throughout this otherwise straight-forward documentary, not least of which is barely referencing the elephant in the room for the majority of its (brief) 90 minutes...
There is a pall that lingers over The Final Year. And rightfully so considering how everything turned out within the 2016 American presidential elections. And yet, that emotional baggage is brought to the film more by viewers and less so by director Greg Barker. The Emmy-winning director of Manhunt: The Inside Story of the Hunt for Bin Laden makes odd choices throughout this otherwise straight-forward documentary, not least of which is barely referencing the elephant in the room for the majority of its (brief) 90 minutes...
- 1/16/2018
- by Glenn Dunks
- FilmExperience
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