DEBRA GRANIK - Director

Team Deakins

James Ellis Deakins

Tv & Film, Filmlighting, Deakins, Movies, Filmmaking, Production, Film, Cinematography, Film Interviews

4.8 • 1.4K Ratings

🗓️ 10 September 2025

⏱️ 89 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

SEASON 2 - EPISODE 158 - Debra Granik - Director

In this extended episode of the Team Deakins Podcast, we speak with director Debra Granik (LEAVE NO TRACE, WINTER’S BONE, DOWN TO THE BONE). Debra’s films carry the traditions of social realism into the 21st century, and throughout our conversation we discuss the movement’s place in the United States and around the world, her approach to the work, and why she’s faced difficulty finding the means to shoot and distribute films that direct attention towards American poverty with clear and empathetic eyes. We also learn about the college professor and the films he screened that influenced her attitude towards filmmaking the most, and she reflects on being further inspired by the spirit of Dogme 95, a filmmaking movement co-founded by director Thomas Vinterberg (Season 1, Episode 101). We later discuss her extensive use of non-actors in her films, and she shares how the local community featured in WINTER’S BONE helped improve the film. We also reflect on the legacy and genius of Charles Dickens, and Debra answers the question, “What is the scariest four letter word in American storytelling?”

Recommended Viewing: LEAVE NO TRACE, WINTER’S BONE, DOWN TO THE BONE

This episode is sponsored by Barco & Aputure

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi and welcome to season two of the Team Deacons podcast, a collection of informal conversations between Roger and James Deacons and a guest.
0:13.7	We never know where the conversation will take us, so listen in and see where it goes.
0:21.5	This episode is sponsored by HDR by Barco, where the magic of cinema reaches
0:28.5	breathtaking heights with cutting-edge, high dynamic range, HDR, laser projection.
0:36.2	Don't miss the opportunity to immerse yourself in a spectacular world of deep shadows,
0:42.1	dazzling highlights, and vibrant colors at select theaters near you.
0:46.9	Buy your tickets, learn more, and experience extraordinary today.
0:51.8	Visit hDR by barco.com.
0:58.0	This episode is sponsored by Aperture and its new Storm XT52,
1:04.4	the industry's most powerful LED point source light.
1:08.6	Brighter than a 6K HMI empowered by Aperture's revolutionary Blair light engine,
1:15.2	the Storm XT-52 is both a tunable white light
1:18.8	and also the brightest ever adjustable color LED.
1:23.3	Storm XT-52, unrivaled output, only from Aperture.
1:32.1	Today we're speaking to a director.
1:34.8	Among her credits are Down to the Bone, Winter's Bone, and Leave No Trace.
1:40.1	We're pleased to welcome Deborah Grenick.
1:43.1	Deborah, thank you for doing this. Oh, I'm so happy to be
1:46.3	talking to you both. Thank you. We'd love to start with our normal question, which is, how did you get to
1:53.3	where you are today? Was this something you knew as a kid that you wanted to do? Or was it something
1:59.0	that you found out, found later? Where did you grow up?
2:02.8	What's your story? I grew up in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. And I think documentation of
	...

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