Interview: AJ Schnack and Nathan Truesdell (Caucus and We Always Lie To Strangers)

Director AJ Schnack and his producing partner Nathan Truesdell had an incredibly busy week at the 2013 Hot Docs Film Festival, peddling a pair of features in Caucus and We Always Lie To Strangers, which was co-directed by David Wilson. While the former follows the 2011-2012 Iowa Republican race a la Primary and The War Room, the former is a hands off portrait of four families in the stage based vacation destination, Branson, Missouri. Both reveal the hearts and souls of people who normally never reveal their true selves to the public they so urgently need to survive in their chosen fields.

Their films, though never stated explicitly, have been more about places rather than people. Prior to a special screening of The War Room moderated by Schnack himself, I had the opportunity to speak with the pair of filmmakers about why this is, as well as how the Ross bothers came on board to help out on Caucus and much else. Our conversation follows.