I think one of the things I always say, whether it's Carteland or City of Ghosts or this

film I just made about COVID, is if we can at least attempt to allow audience members to

feel what we felt in that room, in that stadium, in that shootout, in that meth lab, in

wherever you are, if we can put you on the ground

there and make you feel those emotions, then we've, you know, somewhat succeeded.

Hello, and welcome back to the director's cut, brought to you by the Directors Guild of America.

In this episode, Director Matthew Heineman takes us behind the scenes of his

new documentary, The Boy from Medellin. The film provides an immersive look at a dramatic week

in the life of international superstar Jay Balvin. As he prepares for his sold-out stadium concert

in his hometown of Medellin, Colombia, public pressure and political unrest grow around him,

forcing him to reflect on how he will use his voice.

The Boy from Medellin was screened as part of the DGA's documentary series,

which aims to spotlight groundbreaking nonfiction films

by presenting screenings of documentaries,

as well as conversations with their directors. In addition to the

boy from Medellin, Mr. Heinman's filmography includes the documentary feature, Escape Fire,

the Fight to Rescue American Healthcare, and episodes of the television documentary miniseries

Tiger and The Trade. He is a two-time winner of the DGA's Documentary Award for 2017's City of Ghosts and 2015's Cartel Land,

and was nominated for the DGA's first-time feature film award for his 2018 debut narrative feature, A Private War.

Following the documentary series screening of the film at the DGA Theatre in Los Angeles, Mr. Heineman spoke with director Andi Tomonar about filming the boy from Medellin. Listen on for their spoiler-filled conversation.

I think it's one of that I just, I guess it's your first time ever seeing it projected because of COVID.

Is that right?

...