Movie Interviews

New documentary highlights the struggles of teenage farm workers in California

5:16pm October 04, 2021

Fruits of Labor is a new documentary from director Emily Cohen Ibañez. It follows a teenage farm worker Ashley Pavon as she navigates working long hours and tries to graduate from high school.

Arts

Remembering Melvin Van Peebles, the 'Godfather' of Black cinema

1:42pm October 01, 2021

by Terry Gross

Van Peebles, who died Sept. 21, was best known for his 1971 film, Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song. He spoke with Fresh Air in 1990. His son Mario, also an actor/director, was interviewed in 2004.

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Arts

'Dear Evan Hansen' Actor Ben Platt Escapes From Anxiety By Being In The Spotlight

2:27pm September 27, 2021

by Terry Gross

Platt frequently worries about the past and what's to come, but there's one place where his anxiety tends to subside. "Being on stage, for me, is kind of the antidote to that," he says.

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With 'Blue Bayou,' Filmmaker Justin Chon Asks: Who Decides Who Is American?

5:26pm September 26, 2021

by Alyssa Jeong Perry

Justin Chon's new film Blue Bayou is about a Korean-born, American-raised adoptee who faces deportation back to Korea. Many adoptees without U.S. citizenship face that same problem in real life.

Arts

Tom Skerritt Grapples With His Own Death In 'East Of The Mountains'

8:56am September 25, 2021

NPR's Scott Simon talks to Tom Skerritt, who stars in East of the Mountains, a film about a retired heart surgeon dying of cancer.

'A La Calle' Co-Director: Stories Of Venezuela's Humanitarian Crisis Are Universal

5:12pm September 19, 2021

NPR's Michel Martin speaks with Nelson G. Navarrete, co-director of the documentary A La Calle, and Leopoldo Lopez, one of the Venezuelan opposition leaders featured in the film.

Sports

Ken Burns On His New Docuseries 'Muhammad Ali'

5:12pm September 19, 2021

A new PBS series explores the life of the late American icon and boxing legend Muhammad Ali. NPR's Michel Martin speaks with series co-director, Ken Burns.

Jessica Chastain Finds Out Tammy Faye Bakker Was More Than A Punchline

5:21am September 17, 2021

NPR's Rachel Martin talks with actor Jessica Chastain, who plays televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker in the new movie: The Eyes of Tammy Faye.

'Storm Lake' Documentary Depicts The Triumph And Struggle Of A Local Newspaper

2:25pm September 16, 2021

by Dave Davies

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Art Cullen discusses the battle to keep print news alive in small-town America. Cullen runs Iowa's Storm Lake Times, along with his brother, the paper's publisher.

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'Worth' Director On Her Emotional 9/11 Drama

5:22pm September 05, 2021

NPR's Michel Martin speaks with Sara Colangelo, director of the new Netflix film Worth, which tells the story of the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund.