The Business
Damien Chazelle on 'Whiplash'; Jewish Émigrés & Film History
Director Damien Chazelle tells Kim Masters how he was able to turn a 15-minute short film into a full-length feature that was the darling of Sundance. Then, a look at the role of Jewish émigrés in the birth of film noir.
By Kim Masters • • 28m ListenThe new film Whiplash follows an ambitious young jazz drummer who encounters a relentless teacher who drives him to the brink. Filmmaker Damien Chazelle shares how he went from working as a horror script rewriter to directing the film that won the Audience and Grand Jury awards at this year’s Sundance film festival. Plus, Avishay Artsy reports on new exhibitions highlighting how some Jews fleeing Hitler found refuge in Hollywood and forever changed American cinema.
Photo: (L-R) J.K. Simmons and Director Damien Chazelle. (Daniel McFadden, Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics)
