All Episodes
Wisdom in the Shadows of Dementia
What is it like having a mother who is suffering from dementia? The answer, for Rea Tajiri, lies in Wisdom Gone Wild. Her mother, Rose Tajiri, was diagnosed with dementia in 1999. As the years passed and the disease worsened, Rea became her caregiver. At the same time, however, the dementia opened the door to a series of encounters between Rea and her mother that take place both in Rose’s past and the present. In this episode of Factual America, Rea reflects on these encounters, and the ‘wisdoms’ that came from them. She discusses the ups and downs of caring for her mother, and how the film has helped others in similar situations.
Carlos Santana: Discovering the Spirit of the Man.
In a career lasting over fifty years, Carlos Santana has reached the heights of brilliance as a musician, yet still remains thoroughly grounded as a man. In Carlos, director Rudy Valdez finds out how Santana has managed this seemingly impossible feat as he explores Carlos’s life, art, and spiritual journey. Rudy joins Matthew Sherwood to share what it was like making the film and working with a true rock legend.
Sylvester Stallone: Portrait of a Son, Icon, and Man
Sylvester Stallone is an American icon, one whose most famous films, Rocky and Rambo, captured the zeitgeist not just once but again and again. Sly, a documentary film by Thom Zimny, starts where the films end. We all know Stallone’s tough guy on screen persona, but what about Stallone the director, writer, and even painter? In this episode of Factual America, Thom joins Matthew Sherwood to discuss his film and its star. Their conversation takes them to the very heart of Sylvester Stallone’s being: his relationship with his father, a relationship that, for Thom, wasn’t just influential on Stallone’s work but redefined it.