For the month of August we’ve been running a series of interviews Bob has done over the years with documentary filmmakers. In the OTM office, the producers have been referring to the collection as “Bob’s Docs.” Over the past few weeks, we’ve gone through some of the themes of documentary film-making, from prurience to access to manipulation. This week we conclude with the personal journey. 

This episode features two interviews, and the first is actually a guest spot from Brooke Gladstone. Last year, Brooke spoke with James Solomon about his documentary, “The Witness”, about the story of Kitty Genovese — a young woman who was famously murdered on a New York City street in 1964. Her murder came to symbolize urban apathy and the “bystander effect”. Solomon documents Kitty’s brother Bill Genovese’s lengthy pursuit to discover the truth behind her life and murder. 

Then, Bob speaks with filmmaker Ken Dornstein about his three-part series on PBS’s Frontline called “My Brother’s Bomber” about his investigation into the 1988 Lockerbie airplane bombing. Dornstein’s brother died in the attack, and Dornstein spent years trying to locate other figures who were suspects.