If you’re a true cinephile or someone who’s curious about the deep ins and outs of filmmaking, you’re going to want to carve out about two and a half hours to watch this year’s Directors Guild of America nominees interview about their process on their nominated films. Each year, the morning before the DGA Awards are handed out, a conversation between all five nominated filmmakers takes place and is recorded for the public’s viewing pleasure. This year was no different, asBradley Cooper(A Star Is Born),Alfonso Cuaron(Roma),Peter Farrelly(Green Book),Spike Lee(BlacKkKlansman), andAdam McKay(Vice) all appear in the video below, in which they offer unique insight into how their respective films were made.
Unlike a junket interview or an EPK bonus feature you might fight on a Blu-ray, the DGA interview goesincrediblydeep into the technical process of directing a movie, so it’s of particular interest to those with an interest in filmmaking. Here Cuaron goes deep on his groundbreaking technique forRoma, Lee talks about including footage from Charlottesville inBlacKkKlansman, and Farrelly even admits that a pair of African-American actors became uneasy when they learnedViggo Mortensen’s character was the protagonist ofGreen Book. Indeed an “Easter egg” of sorts in this interview is the clear dislike Lee has for Farrelly (and/or his film) onstage, and how little he tries to hide it.
Cuaron went on to win the DGA this year for his stunning work onRoma, but I’m particularly fascinated by what Cooper has to say here, as his work on his directorial debutA Star Is Bornis positively jaw-dropping. And before you go making jokes about McKay’s “special chair,” know that the filmmaker suffers from a neurological disorder, so the special chair is a necessity, not a luxury.
So whether you watch it in chunks or in one full go, enjoy the DGA interview below. Be aware there arespoilersfor these directors' films.
