Two-Time Academy Award Nominated Filmmaker of “The Tsunami and The Cherry Blossom” and “Wasteland,” Lucy Walker

Episode 12 : BYOD: Bring Your Own Doc

Episode Synopsis

It’s Oscar week and Vlad and Ondi are happy to sit around the table with Oscar nominee Lucy Walker. Having just been honored for her recent short film, “The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom,” Lucy let’s us in on the process that went into filming the aftermath of the biggest earthquake to ever hit Japan.
We also could not let her go without talking about “Wasteland,” “Blindsight,” and her seminal work, “The Devil’s Playground.” From studying at Oxford to filming outsiders and castaways in the midst of their harrowing struggles, Lucy exposes the essence of what inspires her film making.

Guest Bio

Lucy Walker is best known for directing four feature documentary films: Devil’s Playground (2002), Blindsight (2006), Waste Land (2010) and Countdown to Zero (2010), as well as one Oscar-nominated documentary short film The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom(2011).
Educated at Oxford and NYU film school, she has been an avid explorer of the human condition through her work and she is one of the most celebrated film makers of the documentary circuit.

Episode Breakdown

00:01 Welcome to BYOD
01:31 Introducing Lucy Walker.
02:23 “How does it feel to be nominated for two Oscars in two years?”
07:19 How Lucy came to film “The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom.”
13:40 “The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom,” Clip.
16:20 Forming the project as the earthquake developed-shooting in the disaster zone.
24:31 Footage of the tsunami, (Clip).
28:18 The duration of the shoot in Japan.
28:44 The metaphor of the Cherry Blossom.
30:57 Lucy’s consistent message through her work.
34:26 “The Devil’s Playground,” trailer.
36:18 “How did you get interested in the Amish story?”
42:14 Naming “The Devil’s Playground.”
42:54 “How did ‘Blindsight’ come to happen?” Lessons in Tibet.
47:21 The reason that Lucy makes documentaries.
48:43 “Blindsight,” Trailer.
51:12 Bearing witness to the transformation of your subjects.
56:21 “How did you decide to start making films?”
01:00:30 Ondi and Lucy cross paths in New York; Lucy’s past as a DJ.
01:04:35 “Wasteland,” trailer.
01:07:01 Where to see “Wasteland.”
01:08:23 The Daily Dig Down Doc News.
01:11:30 “Undefeated” wins the Oscar.
01:15:04 Wrap up.

Additional Links

http://thetsunamiandthecherryblossom.com/
http://www.wastelandmovie.com/lucy-walker.html
http://www.takepart.com/zero
http://www.blindsightthemovie.com/

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Hosted By

Ondi Timoner

Ondi Timoner is the only filmmaker to win Grand Jury Prize at Sundance twice. Born in Miami, Florida, Timoner graduated cum laude from Yale University, with a double major in American Studies (concentration in Film and Literature) and Theater Studies.

Vladimir Radovanov

Vladimir Radovanov is a musician, entrepreneur and entertainment attorney, and has represented numerous entities in the entertainment industry, including musical artists, record labels, independent filmmakers, and television and film production companies, including TV Guide and 20th Century Fox.