AMERICA TO ME – Interview with Filmmaker Steve James

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uNhmWJ4l5k

In the multi part unscripted documentary series “America to Me,” Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Steve James (Hoop Dreams, Life Itself) and his team follow a diverse selection of the school’s 3,400 students, including artists, athletes, scholars, underachievers and iconoclasts, to present an indelible account of their dreams, fears, triumphs and aspirations.
AMERICA TO ME.

Click through for our interview with award-winning documentary filmmaker Steve James.

In my chat with filmmaker Steve James one of my questions was about who chose the title.  I was familiar with the Langston Hughes poem and about Steve's diverse filmmaking choices.  He indeed backed up my thought.  I hope you'll take the chance to read Langston Hughes powerful poem.  And now to the honest documentary series that looks at a high school in walking distance from Steve James home in Chicago.  His children went to this high school and this film marks the first time, since HOOP DREAMS, that Steve tackled such young subjects.  His clout in the documentary world and his familiarity with the school went a long way into this project being possible.  The series has a solid shooting team with three talented documentary filmmakers joining Steve on this journey.  In our chat we discuss these elements, the enjoyment in shooting this age group, why discussing diversity is only the beginning, and even some fun stuff like what Steve does to unwind and I asked about his four-legged friend Dodger.

Here is one of the best documentary filmmakers ever, Steve James.

 

For more information on the documentary series and filmmaker Steve James:

AMERICA TO ME

Kartemquin Films

 

Written By
More from Gadi Elkon
UNCHARTED – Review By Gadi Elkon
After multiple incarnations and directors attached we finally get UNCHARTED.  Does it...
Read More
0 replies on “AMERICA TO ME – Interview with Filmmaker Steve James”