Westdoc Online

Producers ANDREW JARECKI and CHARLOTTE KAUFMAN conversation Nov 2025. 31 mins
HBO documentary The Alabama Solution exposes the brutal realities of the Alabama prison system. What begins as an exploration of resilience turns into a harrowing investigation of corruption, forced labor, secrecy, and systemic human rights violations.

Craig Renaud and Juan Arredondo documentary short, recorded November 2025, 29 mins.
Documentary filmmaker Brent Renaud was the first American journalist to die while reporting on the war in Ukraine. His younger brother and collaborator, Craig Renaud, and producer Juan Arredondo recovered Brent's body and his final recordings from Ukraine and brought them back to their childhood home in Arkansas. As Brent's journey to his final resting place unfolds, this HBO film chronicles the years he and his brother spent covering some of the world's most dangerous conflicts.
 
 
 
 
 
 

First time director David Goldblum, doc short, recorded November 2025, 26 minutes.
The Palisades and Eaton fires swept through Los Angeles, destroying 16,000 homes, including 270 in Big Rock, a section of Malibu. Director David Goldblum’s film, Big Rock Burning, chronicles the horror of that event. Goldblum lived in Big Rock. He speaks to Westdoc about running for his life, the lack of water in the hydrants and the total absence of firefighters. He talks about being mentored, getting into UCLA Film School, struggling to release the film and looking for next projects.  This is a very personal story.

Experienced producer, first time director David Bushell creates their Last Movie. Recorded October, 2025, 30 minutes
 
David Bushell, whose credits include scripted films going back to “Sling Blade” and “Dallas Buyers Club,” talks to Westdoc about his first documentary, Cheech & Chong - The Last Movie, the status of independent docs, and lifting the veil on two legendary comics (the original stoners) who hold a unique place in American culture. He describes the movie-making process as “laying a line of firecrackers and running.” Don’t miss this revealing interview.

In this compelling new episode of Westdoc Online, Chuck Braverman sits down with award-winning director Geeta Gandbhir to discuss her powerful Netflix documentary The Perfect Neighbor. The film tells the tragic story of Ajike Owens, a young Black mother murdered by a white neighbor in Florida, through an unprecedented trove of police body-cam footage. Gandbhir shares how a personal connection to the victim led her to turn raw grief into a gripping, vérité-style film that exposes the dangers of “Stand Your Ground” laws and the systemic failures that allow racial violence to persist.

Director Jennifer Tiexiera and Co Director/DP Guy Mossman discuss the new documentary Speak with moderator Chuck Braverman.

An interview with the director producer of "It's Never Over, Jeff Buckley" a documentary about the fallen star of the 90s.

Director Matt Wolf takes us into the world of Pee-Wee as Himself in this episode of Westdoc Online. Host Chuck Braverman peels back the layers of Wolf’s journey—his battle for creative control with Paul Reubens, securing HBO’s backing, and collaborating with Hollywood heavyweights like producer Emma Tillinger Koskoff and the Safdie brothers.

Chuck Braverman speaks with filmmakers Michelle Walshe and Lindsay Utz about their extraordinary documentary chronicling the rise and leadership of the former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

Director Sean O'Malley on making his film Blue: The Art and Life of George Rodrigue and how it got on 200 PBS stations.