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)
In this episode
3 storiesHollywood News Banter
Matt Belloni, Executive Editor of the Hollywood Reporter, joins Kim to discuss top entertainment news stories of the week. - Marvel announces their latest slate of superhero movies with dates and titles through 2019. - Interstellar has started screening, and critics are giving mixed reviews, which may shake up this year’s Oscar race.
Read the story6 minWhiplash
In the new movie Whiplash , Miles Teller plays drummer Andrew Nieman, a first-year student at an elite music conservatory , and J.K. Simmons transforms himself into the terrifying, abusive teacher, Fletcher.
Read the story17 minHow Jewish émigrés Impacted the Birth of Film Noir
In the 1930s, as the National Socialist Party gained power in Germany, people around the world did what they could to help Jews escape the Nazi threat. Jewish filmmakers and producers found refuge in Hollywood, and their contributions forever changed American cinema and culture.
Read the story5 min
