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| With Hollywood Productions on Hold, Documentary Filmmakers Keep Going | With Hollywood Productions on Hold, Documentary Filmmakers Keep Going |
| (3 days later) | |
| Jehane Noujaim and Karim Amer know about putting themselves at risk for their work. While they were shooting thousands of hours of footage for “The Square,” the 2013 documentary directed by Ms. Noujaim and produced by Mr. Amer on the popular uprising in Cairo, they were often in the middle of the action in Tahrir Square, where the military shot protesters and dispersed crowds with tear gas. Some of their footage was confiscated, and Ms. Noujaim was arrested and held for 36 hours. | Jehane Noujaim and Karim Amer know about putting themselves at risk for their work. While they were shooting thousands of hours of footage for “The Square,” the 2013 documentary directed by Ms. Noujaim and produced by Mr. Amer on the popular uprising in Cairo, they were often in the middle of the action in Tahrir Square, where the military shot protesters and dispersed crowds with tear gas. Some of their footage was confiscated, and Ms. Noujaim was arrested and held for 36 hours. |
| Now, amid the coronavirus pandemic, conditions are arguably more difficult, they said. | Now, amid the coronavirus pandemic, conditions are arguably more difficult, they said. |
| “At the height of the revolution, things got pretty chaotic and our office was raided,” Mr. Amer said. “That was a visible threat. You knew when the army was coming for you. This is not like anything we’ve seen before. This is an invisible threat that’s affecting every single member of the production team.” | “At the height of the revolution, things got pretty chaotic and our office was raided,” Mr. Amer said. “That was a visible threat. You knew when the army was coming for you. This is not like anything we’ve seen before. This is an invisible threat that’s affecting every single member of the production team.” |
| Still, Ms. Noujaim and Mr. Amer have managed to keep going at a time when Hollywood has closed down film and television productions. | Still, Ms. Noujaim and Mr. Amer have managed to keep going at a time when Hollywood has closed down film and television productions. |
| After shuttering their 35-person office in Brooklyn, the married couple decamped to a house in the Berkshires, where they have made progress on six projects in various stages of production, including an HBO documentary series on Nxivm, a secretive self-help organization that has been depicted as a sex cult. And they’ve been working while watching over their three children, all under the age of five. | After shuttering their 35-person office in Brooklyn, the married couple decamped to a house in the Berkshires, where they have made progress on six projects in various stages of production, including an HBO documentary series on Nxivm, a secretive self-help organization that has been depicted as a sex cult. And they’ve been working while watching over their three children, all under the age of five. |
| “It’s a complete juggling act for everybody,” Ms. Noujaim said. | “It’s a complete juggling act for everybody,” Ms. Noujaim said. |
| For a project they’re working on with filmmakers around the world on the pandemic’s effects, Mr. Amer visited the U.S. epicenter with a small crew to film one of their subjects, an employee of the Gerard J. Neufeld funeral home in Queens, N.Y., where mortuaries have been overrun. | For a project they’re working on with filmmakers around the world on the pandemic’s effects, Mr. Amer visited the U.S. epicenter with a small crew to film one of their subjects, an employee of the Gerard J. Neufeld funeral home in Queens, N.Y., where mortuaries have been overrun. |
| Mr. Amer and Ms. Noujaim are not the only documentary filmmakers who have managed to keep busy at a time when nonfiction programming — Netflix’s “Tiger King,” ESPN’s “The Last Dance,” Apple TV Plus’s “Beastie Boys Story” — has been all the rage for people stuck at home. Unlike directors of dramas and comedies, who are dependent on film sets where social distancing is all but impossible, documentarians can more easily make adjustments. | Mr. Amer and Ms. Noujaim are not the only documentary filmmakers who have managed to keep busy at a time when nonfiction programming — Netflix’s “Tiger King,” ESPN’s “The Last Dance,” Apple TV Plus’s “Beastie Boys Story” — has been all the rage for people stuck at home. Unlike directors of dramas and comedies, who are dependent on film sets where social distancing is all but impossible, documentarians can more easily make adjustments. |
| R.J. Cutler, the director of the 2009 documentary “The September Issue” and an upcoming Showtime film on John Belushi, has been collaborating with his editors on Zoom as they complete postproduction work on a documentary for Apple TV Plus about the teenage singer-songwriter Billie Eilish. | R.J. Cutler, the director of the 2009 documentary “The September Issue” and an upcoming Showtime film on John Belushi, has been collaborating with his editors on Zoom as they complete postproduction work on a documentary for Apple TV Plus about the teenage singer-songwriter Billie Eilish. |
| “We doc filmmakers are an adaptable bunch,” Mr. Cutler said. “We are going to do our best to not be slowed down.” | “We doc filmmakers are an adaptable bunch,” Mr. Cutler said. “We are going to do our best to not be slowed down.” |
| Joe Berlinger, who made the acclaimed 1992 documentary “Brother’s Keeper,” has been racing to complete the first docu-series on Jeffrey Epstein, the billionaire who committed suicide last year in a Manhattan jail cell after he was arrested on sex trafficking charges. | Joe Berlinger, who made the acclaimed 1992 documentary “Brother’s Keeper,” has been racing to complete the first docu-series on Jeffrey Epstein, the billionaire who committed suicide last year in a Manhattan jail cell after he was arrested on sex trafficking charges. |
| Mr. Berlinger, the producer of the Epstein series, has been working remotely with the director Lisa Bryant ever since New York officials enacted stay-at-home orders in March. His team took what they needed from the RadicalMedia office in Manhattan and got to work on color correction, graphics, sound mixing and scoring in their apartments. The series, “Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich,” will be available on Netflix this month. | Mr. Berlinger, the producer of the Epstein series, has been working remotely with the director Lisa Bryant ever since New York officials enacted stay-at-home orders in March. His team took what they needed from the RadicalMedia office in Manhattan and got to work on color correction, graphics, sound mixing and scoring in their apartments. The series, “Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich,” will be available on Netflix this month. |
| “We felt it was important to be the first one out of the gate,” Mr. Berlinger said. | “We felt it was important to be the first one out of the gate,” Mr. Berlinger said. |
| For other projects, Mr. Berlinger started the editing process before filming was done. That unconventional approach has allowed him to stay on schedule. | For other projects, Mr. Berlinger started the editing process before filming was done. That unconventional approach has allowed him to stay on schedule. |
| “When you start editing before you finish shooting, it’s not always ideal,” he said. “But we have several series where we shot enough material that we came up with a game plan to keep working.” | “When you start editing before you finish shooting, it’s not always ideal,” he said. “But we have several series where we shot enough material that we came up with a game plan to keep working.” |
| RadicalMedia is also producing “In This Together,” which captures life during the pandemic. It includes video shot by a nurse and a pregnant Covid-19 patient and will air Friday as part of the nonfiction PBS series “American Portrait.” | RadicalMedia is also producing “In This Together,” which captures life during the pandemic. It includes video shot by a nurse and a pregnant Covid-19 patient and will air Friday as part of the nonfiction PBS series “American Portrait.” |
| Long before a national emergency was declared in March, Ron Howard, who made documentaries like “Pavarotti” in addition to features like “A Beautiful Mind,” took on a project that has turned out to be suited to the current crisis: a profile of the chef José Andrés and his World Central Kitchen, a nonprofit that delivers meals to victims of natural disasters. Mr. Andrés has served millions of Americans across the country during the pandemic, which has wiped out over 33 million jobs in the United States. | Long before a national emergency was declared in March, Ron Howard, who made documentaries like “Pavarotti” in addition to features like “A Beautiful Mind,” took on a project that has turned out to be suited to the current crisis: a profile of the chef José Andrés and his World Central Kitchen, a nonprofit that delivers meals to victims of natural disasters. Mr. Andrés has served millions of Americans across the country during the pandemic, which has wiped out over 33 million jobs in the United States. |
| Now at home in Connecticut, Mr. Howard has asked World Central Kitchen staff members to chronicle the experience with iPhones and other cameras. He watches their work daily and advises the ad hoc crew from afar. | Now at home in Connecticut, Mr. Howard has asked World Central Kitchen staff members to chronicle the experience with iPhones and other cameras. He watches their work daily and advises the ad hoc crew from afar. |
| Updated June 5, 2020 | Updated June 5, 2020 |
| A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. | |
| The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. | The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. |
| Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission. | Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission. |
| Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home. | Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home. |
| States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. | States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. |
| Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. | Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. |
| Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. | Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. |
| If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) | If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) |
| Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications. | Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications. |
| The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing. | The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing. |
| If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. | If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. |
| If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. | If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. |
| “Right now we are just lucky to be getting footage,” Mr. Howard said. “I’m just trying to deputize them a little bit.” | “Right now we are just lucky to be getting footage,” Mr. Howard said. “I’m just trying to deputize them a little bit.” |
| “They don’t work for me, but I’m trying to get them to not only cover the moments but to ask a couple of questions,” he added, “whether it’s to someone receiving food or to understand what the volunteers are going through.” | “They don’t work for me, but I’m trying to get them to not only cover the moments but to ask a couple of questions,” he added, “whether it’s to someone receiving food or to understand what the volunteers are going through.” |
| Rudy Valdez had planned to be filming Carlos Santana during a concert tour right now. Instead, the director is doing what he can: conducting audio interviews with his 72-year-old subject for the documentary, which will tell the story of the musician’s life and career. The film is being produced by Imagine Documentaries, a division of Imagine Entertainment, the studio founded by Mr. Howard and Brian Grazer. Imagine Documentaries is also producing “The Day Sports Stood Still,” centered on how pro athletes have been dealing with the crisis. | Rudy Valdez had planned to be filming Carlos Santana during a concert tour right now. Instead, the director is doing what he can: conducting audio interviews with his 72-year-old subject for the documentary, which will tell the story of the musician’s life and career. The film is being produced by Imagine Documentaries, a division of Imagine Entertainment, the studio founded by Mr. Howard and Brian Grazer. Imagine Documentaries is also producing “The Day Sports Stood Still,” centered on how pro athletes have been dealing with the crisis. |
| As they work toward completing their latest projects, documentarians are wondering what’s next for them and nonfiction film in general. | As they work toward completing their latest projects, documentarians are wondering what’s next for them and nonfiction film in general. |
| “I think the most fascinating thing is, we don’t really know where it ends,” Mr. Amer said. “Does this change the way we make films for right now? Or does this change the way we make films forever?” | “I think the most fascinating thing is, we don’t really know where it ends,” Mr. Amer said. “Does this change the way we make films for right now? Or does this change the way we make films forever?” |