January 04, 2024

Volume 170

A Conduit For Stories

Curated by Matt Ogens

Academy Award nominated director/Filmmaker

Matt Ogens is an Academy Award® nominated director known for capturing authentic human stories through an evocative visual and narrative aesthetic.

Matt’s Netflix Original AUDIBLE was nominated for an Oscar® last year. The documentary is an immersive coming-of-age story told from the perspective of Deaf high school students and communicated through sign language. His new film MADU, a Disney Original Documentary, premiering next year, follows Anthony Madu, a Nigerian boy who became a viral sensation after a video showed him dancing ballet barefoot on a rainy street outside Lagos, won hearts around the world and led to Madu earning a scholarship to study at the 100-year-old prestigious Elmhurst Ballet School in the U.K. Matt’s recent feature doc “Home + Away”, which follows high school athletes living on the US/Mexico border, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. Ogens collaborates with top brands, helming major campaigns that have earned Cannes Lions, Clios, One Show, D&AD, Webby Awards, and the SXSW Interactive Award.

What's been keeping you grounded?

I am finding myself at this place where my work and life are at a convergence. Not that that means things suddenly become perfect, far from it, but I find my career and my soul to be relatively in alignment, and that’s a good feeling. A film I made for Netflix, “Audible,” was nominated for Best Documentary Short at the Oscars last year. I found that to be a profoundly humbling experience because, though I consider myself a filmmaker, the art and the beauty of documentary storytelling comes from the subjects. It comes from the kids on the football team at the Maryland School for the Deaf that I profiled in “Audible.” It comes from the subject of my upcoming feature documentary, “Madu” - a young Nigerian boy whose viral video clip of him dancing in the streets outside Lagos paved the way for him to earn a scholarship at one of the top ballet schools in the world. I see my primary job as being curious, which allows me to become a conduit for their stories.

WHAT IM ROCKIN'

The craft of filmmaking is such an important part of my life - it's one of those mediums where the beauty is really in the details. I think that's why I dig Imperfects, I appreciate the level of craftsmanship and the detail that goes into the clothing. Each piece tells a story. Mr. Lynch’s Creators Coat was my original purchase. It's a chore coat, yes, but it's far from taking itself too seriously. It feels alive - bright, fun, optimistic, and it's got big pockets for me to fill with all the junk I'm juggling on set or while traveling. The Exodus Shepherds Shirt in Obsidian is impossibly flexible. The type of shirt that you can wear on a six-hour plane flight and then go straight to dinner in it - and it works perfectly for either situation The Shepherds Shirt is another workwear inspired piece that I love. I pair it with the Courier Pant and suddenly I've got this uber comfy ultra-casual thing that's like a suit without being a suit. For some reason it actually looks better when it gets rumpled, which is like some kind of sorcery.

Poem of the Week

01 WHAT'S KEEPING ME GROUNDED


Learning, exploring, and observing. When I'm anywhere, but especially outdoors, with a camera in my hand to capture people, places, and things - I'm grounded. If you’ve heard of the Buddhist concept of “Beginner’s Mind,” it’s all about being open and approaching every situation with curiosity to find your peace.

What are you reading?

02 QUOTE OF THE WEEK


“If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you don't bring forth what is within you, what you don't bring forth will destroy you.”
— Gospel of Thomas

What are you drinking?

03 WHAT I'M DRINKING


Recess
Sparkling water infused with hemp and adaptogens. Supposedly it’s calming and uplifting, but what I can say for sure is that it tastes very good.

What are you listening to?

04 WHAT I'M UP TO, HEALTH-WISE


Jiu-jitsu
I started doing jiu-jitsu as my pandemic coping mechanism of choice and it now has a significant place in my life. The name means “gentle art” in Japanese because the focus is on flowing with your opponent rather than against them, both humbling and strategic. It’s a workout, but also a meditation and a beautiful metaphor for life.

Quote of the Week

05 WHAT I'M READING


Rick Rubin & Elizabeth Gilbert
Rick Rubin’s “The Creative Act” is a collection of his inspiring observations on how to create, but also just how to be in the world. Elizabeth Gilbert’s “Big Magic” is about the power of transcending fear into creative living.

06 WHAT I'M INTO LATELY


I grew up in a rural area outside of DC and as a kid, had occasion to find myself on horseback. A few decades later, I've just gotten back in the saddle, literally. I'm working with an incredible trainer who not only guides trail rides, but reminds me that horses don't know if you're rich or poor, they don’t know where you come from, or how you voted, all they know is the energy you are putting into the world when you sit on their backs.

07 WHAT I'M LISTENING TO


Perfectly Imperfect Playlist by Matt Ogens
Depending on the moment it could be anything from Kendrick to classical to The Meters. Currently I’m mourning Sinead O’Connor in the way she would want, by listening to her beautiful, poignant offerings. I’m also listening to my friends and collaborators Greg Kuehn, composer and T.S.O.L. keyboardist and constant confidante whose music gives me the feels, Asher D aka Ashley Walters aka Top Boy (Netflix), whose records mirror the ups and downs of life in the most authentic way, and my spirit guide LAYV, his beloved songs are the stories of his heart and soul.

Listen here.