Episode
Episode 269 | Egyptian “Indiana Jones”, Zahi Hawass of “The Man With The Hat”, Interview with Jeffery Roth
- Podcast
- Documentary First
- Published
- Jan 15, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 4528
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- https://tinyurl.com/DocFirstPod
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Summary
Jeffrey Roth has spent his career letting extraordinary people tell their own stories—Apollo astronauts, President George H.W. Bush, and now Dr. Zahi Hawass. In this episode, Christian Taylor inquires about the logistics of independent documentary filmmaking in Egypt: working with fixers, navigating permits, shooting in ancient tombs with one hour of access, and why he withholds narration. Plus: the personal moments that make his films unforgettable. Links: Trailer- The Man with the Hat - Official Trailer The Man with the Hat instagram.com/themanwiththehatmovie Tiktok: @themanwiththehatmovie Socials: instagram.com/themanwiththehatmovie tiktok.com/@themanwiththehatmovie https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61585782550439 zahifilm.com Dr. Zahi Hawass “41”, 2021, 98 mins, Watch on HBO MAX, IMDB Link: 41 (2012) ⭐ 6.6 | Documentary, Biography President in Waiting, 2020, 77 mins, Watch on Fawsome or Pluto TV or Roku Channel or Tube or Prime Video, IMDB Link: President in Waiting (2020) ⭐ 7.8 | Documentary, History DocuView Déjà Vu: “The Kid Stays In The Picture”, 2002, 93 mins, Watch on Amazon Prime, IMDB Link: The Kid Stays in the Picture (2002) ⭐ 7.3 | Documentary, Biography Time Codes 00:00:00 — Introduction: Jeffrey Roth’s filmmaking philosophy 00:03:00 — Filming in Egypt: How Jeffrey connected with Dr. Zahi Hawass 00:09:00 — The fixer system: Permits, crew, and equipment in Egypt 00:15:00 — Self-funded filmmaking: Creative freedom vs. financial challenges 00:21:00 — Character-driven documentary: Why no narration or talking heads 00:27:00 — Shooting in tombs: One-hour windows and no scouting 00:33:00 — The role of fixers: Language barriers and local crew 00:39:00 — Unplanned magic: Discovering five mummies and the family photo moment 00:45:00 — Filming during October…