Among all film genres, the one I find most fascinating will always be the documentary. The admirable ability to capture jubilant joy, suffocating sorrow, vulnerability without exploitation, nervous neurosis, basic daily survival, raw rage, anxiety, crippling addiction, complicated character, musical magic, sickness, infuriating injustice, creative genius, the reality of economic disparity, the human or animal connections that make this life worth living, consistently draw me in when done with deft skill. I discovered one such craftsman director, Don Hardy, on a leap of faith deciding to attend a Grammy Museum screening of “Let It Die Here” recently, not knowing anything about the movie beyond the fact that Linda Perry is an intriguing individual. Curious about her life in past years, the film sated my inquisitiveness and unveiled much more about the firecracker film scorer and multi-hyphenate’s personal studio sanctuary and home life, punctuated with anecdotes from those who’s musical paths she’s crossed unforgettably (RIP Queen Dolly). Honestly depicting as Don describes “the woman behind the hat”, the narrative unfolds and emotionally grips the viewer without force or contrivance.

Treated to a rare performance of songs off Linda’s new album sharing the same title as the doc, already receiving potential Oscar buzz, I enjoyed witnessing Don and Linda’s amusing friendship on display during that film screening night. Returning home, I delved into a rabbit hole of brilliant documentaries and series Don’s created, reflecting his early Emmy and Murrow award-winning journalist background and interest in making impactful art on topics that deserve the attention. I recently got the opportunity to chat with Don about “Let It Die Here” out now which included WTF moments with Linda in the El Mirage Mojave desert, appearances by Christina Aguilera and Kate Hudson, his work on the equally compelling Sean Penn film “Citizen Penn” about his time in Haiti providing much needed disaster relief after a 2010 devastating earthquake and special moments being in the studio with Linda and Bono working on “Eden (To Find Love)”, a critical song on the “Citizen Penn” soundtrack. I suspected I’d encounter a cool dude behind the lens and, that I did. Listen to the interview soundclips below and watch “Let It Die Here” on Hulu now!