The Director’s Cut – A DGA Podcast

Director Michael Gracey discusses his new film, Better Man, with fellow Director Jason Reitman in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses his intentions behind using a monkey as the lead to tell Williams’ story, his process for conceptualizing scenes that mix fantasy with reality, and the hurdles and successes behind pulling off the Regent Street musical number.

Narrated by Williams, the film follows the singer from childhood outcast to music sensation, battling the demons of fame while finding his true voice as an artist. Soaring to new heights, Williams reaches stardom but never feels truly evolved from his younger self.

See photos and a summary of this event below:

https://dga.org/en/Events/2025/February2025/BetterMan_QnA_0125

Director Gia Coppola discusses her new film, The Last Showgirl, with fellow Director Francis Ford Coppola in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, she discusses how she approached Actor Pamela Anderson to take on the lead role, the method she used to have her Actors become familiar with one another, and working with her cinematographer to define a visual style that channels the Las Vegas aesthetic.

The film tells the story of Shelly, a Las Vegas showgirl who’s performed with the same act for much of her career. When she’s told the show will be closing in the coming weeks, she struggles to cope with the impending change and her place in life.

See photos and a summary of this event below:

https://dga.org/Events/2025/February2025/TheLastShowgirl_QnA_1224

Director Shira Piven discusses her new film, The Performance, with fellow Director Jade Jenise Dixon in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, she discusses working with her brother as the lead Actor to capture authentic tap dancing performances, making a period piece movie on an independent film budget and mixing 8mm film and real footage from the era to capture a 1930s Berlin time period.

The film tells the story of Harold, an accomplished tap dancer touring Europe with his troupe in the late 1930s. When they are scouted by a Nazi attache for an exclusive performance, he realizes they don’t know about his Jewish identity and is faced with the dangerous dilemma of performing in secret or staying true to himself.

See photos and a summary of this event below:

https://dga.org/Events/2025/February2025/ThePerformance_QnA_1224

Director Barry Jenkins discusses his new film, Mufasa: The Lion King, with fellow Director Ben Affleck in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses employing the VFX team from the Avatar films to create the world, working with both the Actors and Animators to realize his characters while filming in real time, and reaching out to artists and conservationists from various African countries for real references to the locations in the film.

The film tells the story of Mufasa, an orphaned cub who befriends a lion destined as heir to a royal bloodline. The two become allies on a journey of adventure and self discovery as they seek to start a kingdom of their own.

See photos and a summary of this event below:

https://dga.org/Events/2025/February2025/Mufasa_QnA_1224

Director Tyler Perry discusses his new film, The Six Triple Eight, with fellow Director J.C. Chandor in a Q&A at the DGA theater in New York. In the conversation, he discusses the serendipitous moment when casting Actor Kerry Washington, enlisting Debbie Allen to help choreograph the marching scenes, and shooting at his own film studio which was formerly a military base.

Inspired by the real-life story, the film recounts how the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, an all-Black, all-woman unit, joined the war to fix a three-year backlog of undelivered mail for U.S. service members. Aiming to sort more than 17 million pieces of mail to their rightful servicemen, they work tirelessly in the face of discrimination and a country devastated by war.

See photos and a summary of this event below:

https://dga.org/Events/2025/February2025/SixTripleEight_QnA_1224

Director Robert Eggers discusses his new film, Nosferatu, with fellow Director Chris Columbus in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses shooting in the real-world castle from the original story as well as channeling his Production Design team to create meticulous replicas of its interior, working with a Romanian folklore expert to bring out specific details that would authenticate the creature, and how he and Actor Bill Skarsgård worked together to find the exact presence that would bring the title creature to life.

A remake of the 1922 classic, the film follows Ellen and Thomas Hutter, a young couple in 1860s Germany who contend with Ellen’s continuing nightmares of a ghoulish being. As Ellen is haunted by these dreams, Thomas sets out to Romania on business with a mysterious client- the enigmatic Count Orlok.

See photos and a summary of this event below:

https://dga.org/Events/2025/February2025/Nosferatu_QnA_1224

Director Rachel Morrison discusses her new film, The Fire Inside, with fellow Director Elizabeth Banks in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, she discusses working with her lead to make the fights look authentic on camera, balancing pace and visual variety in the boxing matches to make each encounter entertaining, and crafting a fight film with an atypical structure that puts the focus on a previously unseen conflict.

The film tells the story of Claressa Shields, a boxer from Flint, Michigan, who pushes past all limitations to become the first American woman to win the Olympic gold in boxing. But even at the pinnacle of success, Claressa has to reconcile with the fact that not all dreams are created equal, and her real fight has only just begun.

See photos and a summary of this event below:

https://dga.org/en/Events/2025/January2025/TheFireInside_QnA_1224

Director Paul Schrader discusses his new film, Oh, Canada, with fellow Director Alex Ross Perry in a Q&A at the DGA theater in New York. In the conversation, he discusses casting multiple Actors in roles across timelines and how he played with this element visually, how as both the Writer and Director, he works to include nothing that will make it to the cutting room floor so he can shoot economically, and how he chose to film in a variety of colors and aspect ratios to portray a story taking place over a long timespan.

The film follows the Miller siblings, a former musician, a writer and an artist, who all contend with challenging shifts in their marriages. As their lives change, their relationships are put to the test, bringing them closer to their partners or pushing them further apart.

See photos and a summary of this event below:

https://dga.org/en/Events/2025/January2025/Oh_Canada_QnA_1224

Director Halina Reijn discusses her new film, Babygirl, with fellow Director Spike Jonze in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, she discusses finding a tone for what she describes as “a comedy of manners”, working with her Composer to create a soundtrack that follows the seduction over the drama, and finding Actors that could inhabit seductive roles with comedic turns.

The film follows a high powered businesswoman who begins a taboo relationship with a much younger intern at her company. As the secret affair deepens, she puts her career and family on the line.

See photos and a summary of this event below:

https://dga.org/en/Events/2025/February2025/Babygirl_QnA_1224

Director Edward Burns discusses his new film, Millers in Marriage, with fellow Director Doug Atchison in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses how he works as a Director while being one of the central Actors to the film, how he artfully utilizes locations and resources to work effectively on small budgets, and collaborating with his Actors to discover more authentic arcs from his characters.

The film follows the Miller siblings, a former musician, a writer and an artist, who all contend with challenging shifts in their marriages. As their lives change, their relationships are put to the test, bringing them closer to their partners or pushing them further apart.

See photos and a summary of this event below:

https://dga.org/Events/2025/February2025/MillersInMarriage_QnA_1224

Director James Mangold discusses his new film, A Complete Unknown, with fellow Director Guillermo del Toro in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses how he intended on making the songs integral scenes instead of separating the drama from the action, how he sought to bring out the impact of Dylan through the figures around him, and the musical and acting performances of his ensemble Cast.

The film follows a young Bob Dylan as he arrives in New York City, performing and forging relationships with his folk contemporaries of Greenwich Village. As he begins his meteoric rise, he strives to break free of his folk identity, culminating in a groundbreaking and controversial performance that reverberates worldwide.

See photos and a summary of this event below:

https://dga.org/Events/2025/February2025/ACompleteUnknown_QnA_1224

Director William Goldenberg discusses his new film, Unstoppable, with fellow Director Ben Affleck in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses coming into directing a feature for the first time after working as an editor, seeking to make the wrestling scenes as authentic as he could, and having the real Anthony Robles advise and even wrestle in some scenes of the film.

The film tells the inspiring true story of competitive athlete Anthony Robles, who was born with one leg. With the unwavering support of his mother, the encouragement of his coaches, and his own indomitable spirit, Anthony fights through adversity and defies the odds to become an NCAA division 1 champion wrestler.

See photos and a summary of this event below:

https://dga.org/Events/2025/January2025/Unstoppable_QnA_1224

Director Pablo Larraín discusses his new film, Maria, with fellow Director Mike Mills in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses his process of finding the little details in his film worlds, the importance of architecture in the cinematography of his films, and how he worked with Actor Angelina Jolie to establish the presence of the titular character.

The film follows the famed soprano as she retreats to Paris after a glamorous and tumultuous life in the public eye. With time to settle and reflect, she reckons with both her legacy and her identity.

See photos and a summary of this event below:

https://dga.org/Events/2025/January2025/Maria_QnA_1224

Director Marielle Heller discusses her new film, Nightbitch, with fellow Director Ritesh Batra in a Q&A at the DGA theater in New York. In the conversation, she discusses her unique approach to casting the child Actors in search of a more authentic onscreen relationship with their parents, finding filming locations that say a lot about her characters without delving into their backgrounds within the film’s story, and how she sought to achieve a deliberate level of ambiguity through her deconstruction of the traditional motherhood myth.

Based on the novel by Rachel Yoder, the film tells the story of a woman who has paused her career to be a stay-at-home mom for her new baby. As she becomes increasingly overburdened with the stress of her new responsibilities, her maternal instincts begin to manifest in canine form.

See photos and a summary of this event below:

https://dga.org/Events/2025/January2025/Nightbitch_QnA_1124

Directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods discusses their new film, Heretic, with fellow Director Michael Mohan in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, they discuss working with Actor Hugh Grant to establish the look, presence and psychology of the antagonist, making every shot intentional in order to mimic the theme of control in the film, and using sound and atmosphere to craft a horror movie that prioritizes dread over jump scares.

The film follows two young women ensnared in a deadly game of cat and mouse when they knock on the door of the diabolical Mr. Reed. Trapped in his home, they must turn to their faith if they want to make it out alive.

See photos and a summary of this event below:

https://dga.org/Events/2025/January2025/Heretic_QnA_1124

Director Christine Swanson discusses her new film, Albany Road, with fellow Director Shaz Bennett in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, she discusses favoring snowy locations for a setting not typical for the story she wanted to tell, progressively adding color to the film’s palette to indicate the growth of the two leads, and how she aimed to tell a story featuring unsung character types she’s known in her life.

The film tells the story of Celeste Simmons, a New York executive on her way to the most important meeting of her career. Forced to share a rental car with her ex-fiancé’s mother, she discovers that the mother is hiding a major secret about her ex.

See photos and a summary of this event below:

https://dga.org/Events/2025/January2025/AlbanyRoad_QnA_1124

Director Jack Huston discusses his new film, Day of the Fight, with fellow Director Gus Van Sant in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses how he aimed to turn a typical fight story on its head, how he worked with his Cinematographer to capture the black and white look of the film, and finding an Actor that could convey the range of pathos between fighting and interpersonal melodrama that the role demanded.

The film shows a day in the life of Mikey “Irish Mike” Flanigan, a champion boxer getting ready for his first fight since leaving prison. As he prepares for the most important fight of his life, he reconnects with the people he was closest to and tries to make things right.

See photos and a summary of this event below:

https://dga.org/en/Events/2025/January2025/DayOfTheFight_QnA_1124

Director Luca Guadagnino discusses his new film, Queer, with fellow Director Daniel Scheinert in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses how he and Actor Daniel Craig worked together to discover the lead character, the importance of choreography in this and all of his projects, and how he worked with Composers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross to create a soundtrack with layers of meaning.

Based on the novella by William S. Burroughs, the film follows William Lee, who recounts his life in 1950s Mexico City among American expatriate college students and bar owners. After he becomes infatuated with a younger man, they both set out to find a hallucinogenic drug in the amazon that will bring them closer together.

See photos and a summary of this event below:

https://dga.org/en/Events/2024/Dec2024/Queer_QnA_1124

Director Andrew Boodhoo Kightlinger discusses his new film, Lost on a Mountain in Maine, with fellow Director Laurie Collyer in a Q&A at the DGA theater in New York. In the conversation, he discusses taking influence from 80s and 90s backwoods films such as Homeward Bound and Stand By Me, emphasizing a use of practical effects and real locations for a tactile experience, and the process of casting the young lead with wilderness experience.

The film tells the inspiring true story of 12-year-old Donn Fendler, who becomes trapped on a treacherous mountain when a fast-moving storm separates him from his family. With no food or proper clothing, he begins a desperate fight for survival in the unforgiving wilderness of northern Maine.

See photos and a summary of this event below:

https://dga.org/en/Events/2025/January2025/LostOnAMountainInMaine_QnA_1124

Director Edward Berger discusses his new film, Conclave, with fellow Director Jay Roach in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses casting his Actors in roles playing in extremes from one another, how he collaborated with his Cinematographer to closely convey the protagonist’s point of view, and working with his Costume Designer to craft authentic and eye-catching designs reflective of their real-world influence.

The film follows Cardinal Lawrence, who is tasked with leading one of the world’s most ancient events: the selection of a new Pope. Surrounded by powerful religious leaders in the halls of the Vatican, he soon uncovers a trail of deep secrets that could shake the very foundation of the Roman Catholic Church.

See photos and a summary of this event below:

https://dga.org/en/Events/2025/January2025/Conclave_QnA_1124