Podcast

Spike Lee’s Documentaries

Lest we forget: Amy Taubin and Ina Archer join to discuss the filmmaker's sprawling new NYC Epicenters 9/11→2021½ and more

In a 2007 Film Comment essay, Amy Taubin wrote in praise of Spike Lee’s When the Levees Broke, a documentary about the Hurricane Katrina disaster and the communities that bore its brunt. For Amy, “Lee makes it possible for their stories to be inscribed in history. It is left to us not to forget them.”

The same could be said of Lee’s epic new miniseries NYC Epicenters 9/11→2021½, a deep-dive into New York City’s recent history of trauma and resilience, from the September 11 attacks to the COVID-19 pandemic. On today’s podcast, FC editors Clinton Krute and Devika Girish sat down with Amy as well as critic, artist, and archivist Ina Archer to discuss the fascinating sprawl of the show, a highly personal tribute to the spirit of Lee’s hometown.

Links & Things:

4 Little Girls (Spike Lee, 1997)
25th Hour (Spike Lee, 2002)
When the Levees Broke (Spike Lee, 2006)
NYC Epicenters 9/11→2021½ (Spike Lee, 2021)

 

This story is part of the Summer 2021 issue of Film Comment.

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