Paul Simon: Faith, Mortality & Music – with Alex Gibney
In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon surveys the studio as Paul records his new album Seven Psalms while reflecting on his six-decade career and wrestling with the issues of faith and mortality.
Joining Matthew Sherwood on Factual America is Oscar-winning director Alex Gibney, who discusses the impact Paul Simon had on American culture and music, the inspiration behind Paul’s album Seven Psalms, and the challenges of making a documentary about a musical icon.
Alex explains his own creative process, the lessons he’s learned from a career in film, and his upcoming film on Elon Musk. We learn what he looks for when choosing to get involved in a project and the skills you need to be a successful documentary filmmaker.
“He’s one of the greatest songwriters ever in terms of rock music. He’s always been driven to the sounds at the limit of what he can hear, intriguing sounds that are completely different to his tradition or experience.” – Alex Gibney
“I started out making documentaries that I thought I knew what was important early on and I discovered that was a terrible way to make films, because if you weren’t exploring and open to the things in front of you that you didn't expect then you were making a boring film. So you have to be open to the idea that things are going to explode.” – Alex Gibney
“It’s a magical part of the movie because it’s rare in a set that an audience loves a song so much that they make you play it again right away.” – Alex Gibney
Time Stamps
00:00 - A synopsis of In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon.
03:02 - The impact Paul Simon had on American culture and music.
05:30 - Where the title In Restless Dreams originates from.
08:00 - How much Alex knew about Paul’s creative process before making the film.
09:20 - Why Alex made a film about Paul Simon.
10:55 - The inspiration behind Paul’s new album Seven Psalms.
15:15 - What it was like for Paul when he moved to London.
19:12 - The breakup of Simon and Garfunkel.
23:38 - The biggest challenge of making a documentary about a musical icon.
25:45 - The materials that Paul had in his archive.
27:31 - What Alex learned about himself through making the film.
32:03 - The ear for the irritant you need in documentary filmmaking.
33:50 - What to look for in a creative project before getting involved with it.
35:17 - Advice for new documentary filmmakers.
36:49 - The production of a new documentary film about Elon Musk.
Resources:
In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon
The Crime of the Century: Pharma and the US Opioid Crisis
God Save Texas: Life in the Land of Oil and Gas
Seven Psalms
Innersound Audio
Alamo Pictures
Connect with Alex Gibney
More from Factual America:
Carlos Santana: Discovering the Spirit of the Man.
Wayne Shorter: Visionary, Innovator, Icon and Human Being
Jason Isbell: Portrait of the Musician as a Young Man