BACKSTAGE INTERVIEW
CATEGORY: Best documentary feature
INTERVIEW WITH: Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs
FILM: "Inside Job"
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Q. Congratulations. I was wondering, when you made your speech at the very start of it about the what sort of response you felt that you got from the audience?
A. [Ferguson] Well, I think the audience I think it's responsible for itself. People applauded, and I think there's a great deal of disappointment and anger in America that nothing has been done about this.
Q. Congratulations to you both. Terrific movie. Why do you think nothing has been done about this?
A. [Ferguson] Unfortunately, I think that the reason is predominately that the financial industry has become so politically powerful that it is able to inhibit the normal processes of justice and law enforcement. And I am sure also that personal decisions were made by President Obama and high level members of the administration about this question as well.
Q. Do you think anything will ever be done?
A. [Ferguson] I think that something will be done, if and only if, the American people get angry enough.
Q. I'm sure you've answered this question a couple times. What happened along the way making this film? Did you get any threats? Did you were there situations that you stepped into that you expected possibly or not expected?
A. [Ferguson] We did not receive any threats. There were some surprises. I would say that the biggest surprise to me personally and biggest disappointment was that nobody in the Obama Administration would speak with me, even off the record, including people that I had known for many, many years.
Q. Congratulations. I think this is the best film of the year of any kind of documentary or narrative film. What would you like to see an angry electorate do if you could wave your magic wand, and you can't, because it's a big problem and the problems are structural and systemic, but ideally what would you like to see changed?
A. [Ferguson] Well, I think the the policy measures that should be taken are fairly clear, although technically complicated. I think the principal question is whether it's possible for us to elect leaders who are determined to really do something about this in the face of what would obviously be extremely serious and determined opposition from the financial services industry and its lobby.
Q. Hi, congratulations.
A. [Ferguson] Thank you.
Q. I was wondering what your take in there's a lot of talk about Banksy and all that stuff. What were your thoughts on that? Did it draw away from the documentary or were you happy that people were talking about the film?
A. [Marrs] I would never question the integrity of another filmmaker, and I appreciate the fact that there was a film that was fun and funny, and I don't think documentarians should necessarily feel obligated to make films about these really heavy subjects. Although, in some ways, I guess making a film about art is, but I appreciated there was one like that in the mix because I think documentarians should be able to make films about whatever they want.
A. [Ferguson] I thought the Banksy film was lovely. It was a beautiful film.
A. [Marrs] Me too.
Q. Thank you so much, and congratulations.
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