“Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie” had premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival in January before making its streaming debut this May, so director Davis Guggenheim has seen his own film many, many times. But at a screening for the Emmy-nominated documentary on November 6, he admitted watching it still moves him every time.
Guggenheim appeared at the November 6 screening of “Still” as part of IndieWire’s Art of the Doc screening series, presented by National Geographic, at the Landmark Westwood in Los Angeles (sign up for future screenings here). After the screening, he spoke to IndieWire Awards Editor, Film and TV, Marcus Jones about the making of his film, which profiles Fox, the ’80s icon who starred in “Family Ties” and “Back to the Future,” and his struggles with Parkinson’s Disease since his 1991 diagnosis. The film earned seven Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Documentary and a directing nomination for Guggenheim. That’s a lot of acclaim, but, in a way, every time Guggenheim watches “Still,” it’s like he’s seeing it for the first time.
“I was watching the end, and it makes me cry every time,” Guggenheim said during a panel discussion following the screening. “Not out of this morose thing, but he just inspires me so much — his resilience. I mean it goes back to the beginning, which is three years ago, during the pandemic, I was feeling depressed. I was feeling old, life was passing me by, I haven’t made a good movie in a while. And then I read an interview with Michael J. Fox and I was like ‘How can he be so upbeat, he has Parkinson’s? I want to learn from him.’ And for those of you here who are filmmakers, that’s what you want, a film that can change you. And this film has changed me.”
Describing the making of the documentary, Guggenheim said that he took inspiration from Fox’s memoirs and that he wanted to make a film with joy in spite of the difficult subject matter at its heart. “There’s a tone to him in his writing, but also a tone to the way he approaches life,” he told Jones. He further described the experience of working with Fox as one that challenged his perceptions of humor and the importance of comedy.
“I learned that I had a prejudice against funny people. I make documentaries so there’s not a lot of funny people in my work,” Guggenheim. “We think funny is kind of not substantial, and therefore [Fox] as a person is not a deep person. And I learned very differently that not only is he very wise and very deep and has a lot to teach me, but I think he knows that there’s a truth inside of humor that gets to something you cannot say directly.”
“Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie” is currently streaming on Apple TV+. Watch the full interview with Guggenheim above.
This series is open to industry professionals and awards voters. Apply to attend and pick your films today.
