Paul Simon: Faith, Mortality & Music – with Alex Gibney

Factual America

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.

Watch the episode at https://factualamerica.com

“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