We’ve talked with quite a few MacArthur Fellows, we really should start keeping track. The honor is also known as the “genius award.” You can’t apply for it, you just keep doing important and interesting work in your chosen field and one day you might get the call – and the generous cash prize to do even more important and interesting work. Errol Morris is a meticulous documentary filmmaker who’s not afraid to devote a year or two of his life to investigating a topic and producing a movie about it. The Thin Blue Line freed an innocent man from prison. The Fog of War gave former defense secretary Robert McNamara a forum to explain his part in past wars. It also won an Academy Award for director Errol Morris. His latest project is an investigation of the prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib. It’s called Standard Operating Procedure and it opens in theaters on April 25th. Until then you can listen to our interview and get a sneak peek on the film’s excellent website. Morris has also co-written a book with Philip Gourevitch called Standard Operating Procedure which will be published May 15th. In our interview, Morris mentioned a torture memo written in 2003 by then Deputy Assistant Attorney General John Yoo. To read it yourself, click here.
Chad