Factual America, a podcast exploring people’s fascination with American culture through the lens of documentary filmmaking

With Spotify reporting that its customers’ listening hours have returned to pre-pandemic levels, doubling the platform’s overall podcast consumption registered back in April, the variety of choices for listeners is also expanding.

Factual America, a podcast recently released by UK-based production company Alamo Pictures, capitalises on the powerful cultural moments being created by the non-fiction genre and enriches the digital audio scene with unique American stories told through the lens of documentary filmmaking.

During the hour-long episodes released on a weekly basis, host and co-producer Matthew Sherwood interacts with guests including leading documentary filmmakers, as well as experts on the American experience. The conversations are insightful, defy stereotypes, and aim to help the audience truly understand what makes America tick, in a quest for truth and meaning. With 26 episodes released to date, its most recent one explores the connections between diet, poverty and systemic racism through the lens of hip hop. In addition, it provides an in-depth look at veganism, factory farming, Big Pharma and the link between mind and body in an interview with John Lewis a.k.a. Badass Vegan, the producer of They’re Trying to Kill Us.

The senior team behind the project is made up of Americans and European industry experts who have a deep affinity with the US, and Texas in particular.

Matthew Sherwood, a research professional, journalist and economist currently living in Yorkshire, says, “America, the world’s lone superpower unarguably affects us all. Understanding its global impact on our daily lives poses challenges in the wake of ‘fake news’, but with the help of documentary filmmaking, currently enjoying a resurgence, the search for truth and authentic stories can continue. Each of our episodes shines a light on universal trends, as our international audience loves to connect to factual stories told through an outsider’s lens.”

“Our passion lies in unearthing and supporting American stories, because the US has led the way in filmmaking since the Golden Age of Hollywood in the 1920s. Tapping into powerful themes that are universal, like the Hero’s Journey, especially since the end of the Second World War, has helped keep stories relatable and fresh for modern global audiences.

This is particularly true for European audiences who say they follow news about America closely,” adds Sebastian Sauerborn, the founder of Alamo Pictures, who spent many years immersed in Texan culture and drew his inspiration for the production company’s identity from the ideals of truth and objectivity that The Alamo injected into American history.

The podcast is delving into topics as varied as race, factory farming, opioid addiction, capital punishment, religion, free speech and more, offering insights into how Baywatch became the most-watched TV show in the world or what the life of a modern-day American cowboy looks like.

Factual America is available on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, and YouTube. For more details, please visit https://www.alamopictures.co.uk/podcast/.