This week on TIFF Long Take, Rob and Geoff sit down with filmmaker Boots Riley. Although he is perhaps better known as an activist and the front man for the popular political hip-hop group The Coup, Riley has recently focused his talents on filmmaking, writing, and directing the critically adored 'Sorry to Bother You', starring Lakeith Stanfield, Tessa Thompson, and Armie Hammer.
Riley talks about the six-year battle to get Sorry to Bother You made, why he wanted the screenplay to read more like a novel than a film script, and how a previous job working at a call centre helped to inspire the film’s plot.
He also discusses how he reconciles his socialist beliefs with working in the inherently capitalist film business, how he assembled such a phenomenal cast for his debut film, and his talent for directing grounded performances within absurdist plot-lines.
Ep. 103: Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson on the Life and Legacy of ‘Broad City’
Ep. 102: How is France Keeping its Arthouse Cinemas Packed?
Ep. 101: Bing Liu on the Making of ‘Minding the Gap’
Ep. 100: Can a Film Preserve an Endangered Language?
Ep. 99: How the Oscars Addressed its Diversity Problem
Ep. 98: What We’re Looking Forward to in 2019
Ep. 97: Year in Review (Part 2)
Ep. 96: Year in Review (Part 1)
Ep. 95: How Will Blockchain Transform the Film Industry?
Ep. 94: Why Netflix Set Its Sights on Cinemas
Ep. 93: What is the State of Independent Film in 2018?
Ep. 92: Zoe Kazan on Writing, Westerns, and Working With The Coen Brothers
Ep. 91: How ‘Bodied’ Director Joseph Kahn Made This Year’s Most Subversive Film
Ep. 90: How Sam Esmail Took ‘Homecoming’ From a Hit Podcast to a Hit TV Show
Ep. 89: Why It’s Finally Time to Take Horror Seriously
Ep. 88: How Dee Rees Went From Film School to Oscar Nominee in a Decade
Ep. 87: How David Gelb Revolutionized Food Documentary
Ep. 86: How to Build a Career in an Emerging Film Market
Ep. 85: What are the Biggest Challenges Facing African Cinema?
Ep. 84: Facebook Enters the World of Prestige TV With ‘Sorry For Your Loss’
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