BPS 419: Going Undercover and Directing for VICE with Natalia Leite

Today’s guest is writer/director Natalia Leite. This director
is one of the bravest filmmakers I’ve ever met. Her work on the
VICE documentary ‘Life as a Truck-Stop Stripper was
breathtaking. Not only did she direct the piece but one of the
subjects in the film as well. Take a look below at her amazing
work.Everyone knows what charming places strip clubs can be, but
perhaps there is no club so charming as one in Moriarty, New
Mexico—a truck stop with taxidermy and the bras of former employees
on the walls, a few poles, a shitload of black light, and plenty of
titties. Never mind that The Ultimate Strip Club List website
describes it as the place “where strippers go to die.” Natalia
Leite and Alexandra Roxo go Gonzo as they pose as strippers and
experience something that can be best described as a Marina
Abramovic performance crossed with a bizarro episode of Wife Swap
directed by David Lynch’s daughters, set in the type of place where
a one-eyed guy who shot himself in the head dispenses
meditation advice to two naked women.Natalia Leiteis a Brazilian
writer/director. Her work has been described as having “a bracing,
assertive style” (Variety), “emotional intelligence and
sensitivity” (LA Times), and as “cementing the reign over highly
stylized, sexually progressive dramas” (Slant).

Her feature film “M.F.A.”, a psychological thriller centered around
rape crimes in a university, premiered at SXSW 2017 and was
nominated for a Grand Jury Prize. The film stars Francesca Eastwood
and was released in theaters October 2017. Her feature film debut,
“Bare,” premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2015, starring
Dianna Agron.The film was released by IFC Films and Paramount
Pictures. Natalia has created original content for Vice Media, most
notably the provocative Vice show “Every Woman” which has garnered
over 11 million views. She co-created and starred in the series “Be
Here Nowish,” and has directed and shot documentaries
internationally.Natalia is a contributing writer for Talk House and
has been a featured speaker for NY Women In Film & Television,
Apple Store Talks, IFP Filmmaker Conference, and numerous
Universities. She also directs branded content for Vans, The North
Face, Nasty Gal, and other companies. She recently signed with
bicoastal production company Humble, her first commercial
representation, and directs branded content for Vans, The North
Face, and other companies.

Enjoy my conversation with Natalia Leite.

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