Factual America examines America through the lens of documentary filmmaking. Guests include Academy Award, Emmy and Grammy-winning documentary filmmakers and producers, their subjects, as well as experts on the American experience. Find out more about the current and upcoming documentaries on Netflix, HBO, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Apple TV+, Sky Documentaries and other platforms directly from the creators. Whether we discuss true crime, music, burning social and political topics, history, or arts, Factual America is your #1 documentary film podcast. Factual America is produced by Alamo Pictures, a London- and Austin-based production company that makes documentaries about the US from a European perspective for international audiences.
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episode 16: Natalie Wood: Cinema Icon
Natalie Wood was an iconic American actress, featuring in many influential Hollywood movies in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. Her life was tragically cut short when she drowned at the age of 43.
Today we talk with Laurent Bouzereau, the director and producer of the recently released HBO documentary Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind (2020). The film explores Natalie’s life and career through the unique perspective of her daughter, Natasha Gregson Wagner, and others who knew her best.
Had she lived, Natalie Wood would have undoubtedly become one of the most influential Hollywood figures of our time.
The impact she left on the industry she loved so much is nothing short of remarkable. She was an incredible woman, glamorous and relatable, who was ahead of her time, and tragically died far too young.
“If you don’t like Natalie Wood, you don’t like cinema. If you don’t know Natalie Wood, you don’t know cinema.” – Laurent Bouzereau
Time Stamps:02:48 – Introduction to the film ‘Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind’.
03:20 – Meeting our guest, the director Laurent Bouzereau.
04:44 – Who Natalie Wood was, and the autobiographical nature of her films.
09:55 – How well her films have aged.
11:46 – How Natalie still influences people today.
14:04 – How she helped Robert Redford’s career take off.
17:43 – Why it doesn’t matter that Natalie never won an Oscar.
19:57 – Our first clip from the film, showing how Natalie got to choose some of her roles.
21:31 – Reflecting on how relatable and ‘normal’ Natalie’s personal life was.
27:50 – The love Natalie had for her work.
33:26 – Our second clip of the film, showing how normal Natalie’s home life was.
34:47 – Why this movie matters today.
39:23 – How Laurent got involved with the project and the hardships he encountered.
47:55 – The controversies that surrounded Natalie’s death.
49:41 – The theme of ‘triumph over loss’ in the film.
51:59 – The reason why Laurent was never seen as an outsider in the US.
55:46 – The new projects Laurent is now focusing on.
Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind
Brainstorm
Actor Robert Redford
Alamo Pictures
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