The Smashing Machine with Benny Safdie and Christopher Nolan (Ep. 570)

The Director’s Cut - A DGA Podcast

Directors Guild of America

Tv & Film

4.6 • 806 Ratings

🗓️ 10 October 2025

⏱️ 34 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Director Benny Safdie discusses his new film, The Smashing Machine, with fellow Director Christopher Nolan in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses working with Actors Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt to summon the performances he wanted, collaborating with his composer to craft a jazz score that followed the film’s emotional beats, and how he used his cinematography to capture the interior emotions of his characters. The film tells the true story of, Mark Kerr, a former collegiate wrestler who became a mixed-martial artist and UFC champion during the early, unregulated days of MMA. As he contends with depression, a painkiller addiction, and a volatile relationship with his girlfriend, he continues his meteoric rise in the burgeoning sport.

Transcript

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0:00.0	I remember having the conversation with Dwayne where it was like, when I get upset, it's more that I get emotionally confused and I shut down.
0:09.4	And so I'm now watching him on the screen and his eyes are going back and forth.
0:14.2	And I'm seeing the process of his brain short-circuiting.
0:18.1	And the camera's right there.
0:20.6	And he turns around because he feels the camera
0:23.4	he doesn't address it but he feels it and he turns away from the camera it's like he's
0:28.1	creating this shell around himself Hello and welcome back to the director's cut, brought to you by the Directors Guild of America.
0:53.7	In this episode,
0:55.1	the turbulent life of an acclaimed MMA fighter plays out in director Benny Safdi's biographical
1:00.2	sports drama, The Smashing Machine. The film tells the true story of Mark Kerr, a former
1:06.7	collegiate wrestler who became a mixed martial artist and UFC champion during the early
1:11.5	unregulated days of MMA.
1:14.5	As he contends with depression, a painkiller addiction, and a volatile relationship with his girlfriend,
1:20.1	he continues his meteoric rise in the burgeoning sport.
1:25.0	The Smashing Machine is Safdi's solo directorial debut.
1:28.3	His other credits, co-directed with his brother Josh, include the feature films Uncut Gems, Good Time, Heaven Knows What, and Daddy Long Legs.
1:38.3	Following a screening of the film at the DGA Theatre in Los Angeles, Saffty spoke with director Christopher Nolan about filming the smashing machine.
1:48.3	Listen on for their spoiler-filled conversation.
1:54.6	Oh, man.
1:59.5	Congratulations.
2:00.7	What did you guys think of the movie amazing who knew that in addition to being
2:08.1	a talented actor in films like Oppenheimer and the upcoming the Odyssey he can actually
	...

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