Zahi Hawass Documentary: Making The Man with the Hat

How do you make a film about world-renowned Egyptologist Zahi Hawass, with no narrator, no talking heads and sometimes just an hour at a site?

That was the job Jeffrey Roth took on in The Man with the Hat, his independent documentary about Dr. Zahi Hawass, distributed by Virgil Films. Jeffrey had already made The Wonder of It All, about the Apollo astronauts, and 41, his HBO portrait of President George H.W. Bush. Every one of his films lets a living person tell their own story. With Zahi, that meant following a man who never stops moving, across Egypt, with a small crew and his own money.

In Episode 269, Christian sits down with Jeffrey, who explains how it started: one email through a website, a reply within an hour, and a meeting in Salt Lake City a week later, in December 2022. Within 10 minutes Zahi had Jeffrey's pad of paper and was mapping out the shoot. He wanted Jeffrey in Egypt in February. Jeffrey walks through what that took: a fixer, a letter to the Egyptian embassy in Washington, a serial number for every piece of gear, and permits that sometimes gave the crew one hour at a site they'd never seen. "You want to make movies, you want to do things, but then you realize over there, no, this is real," he says.

The best moments weren't planned. On the first shoot, at Saqqara, a local man pointed down and said "mummies," and the crew found five of them lying in the dirt. Jeffrey had the photo blown up for Zahi, who asked for a copy, and it was finally handed over in Egypt on the day Zahi's granddaughter happened to be there. The crew was also filming about 140 miles from Gaza on October 7, 2023. Then Jeffrey tells the story behind 41: three years, on and off, with President Bush, a White House that allowed one camera and no audio, and a gift he has worn only once.

WATCH THE FILM: The Man with the Hat is available on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Fandango at Home, Google Play and Vimeo On Demand. All the links are on zahifilm.com.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How one email led to a documentary with Zahi Hawass
• Why Jeffrey funds his films himself, and the trade-off that comes with it
• What it takes to get permission to film in Egypt
• How a fixer works, and why Jeffrey thought 15% was fair
• How to direct someone who has told his stories thousands of times
• Why Jeffrey left out every interview Zahi asked him to film
• How five mummies at Saqqara became one of the film's best scenes
• What it was like filming in Egypt on October 7, 2023
• How a screening of The Wonder of It All led to 41 with George H.W. Bush
• How success for a documentary moved from theaters to HBO to streaming

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Who made The Man with the Hat, the Zahi Hawass documentary?

Jeffrey Roth directed The Man with the Hat, and Virgil Films distributes it. Jeffrey says he reached Dr. Zahi Hawass by emailing him through a website, heard back within an hour, and met him in Salt Lake City in December 2022. The film has no narrator and no talking heads. Zahi tells his own story, the style Jeffrey uses in all his films.

How do you get permission to film a documentary in Egypt?

Jeffrey Roth says you start with a fixer, because you can't just show up and ask to shoot. Then you write to the Egyptian embassy in Washington, DC, which forwards the request to the ministries in Egypt. He was advised to bring a small crew, hire locally and bring little gear, since every piece of equipment needs a serial number on record. Some permits allowed only an hour at a site.

How much does a fixer cost for filming in Egypt?

Jeffrey Roth didn't give a total, but he explained the deal. The fixer handled visas, transportation, hotels, permits, crew and vehicles, and added about 15% on top of what everything else cost. Most costs in Egypt were flat day rates, not hourly. Jeffrey says he thought the fee was fair and never felt overcharged.

Did Zahi Hawass like The Man with the Hat?

Jeffrey Roth says Zahi watched it in a theater with 30 or 40 people and said little. Everywhere they went, Zahi had asked the crew to interview other people about him, and Jeffrey left all of it out. After the screening Zahi told him, "Jeff, you didn't use any of the interviews." Jeffrey asked if he missed them. Zahi said no.

How did Jeffrey Roth get access to George H.W. Bush for 41?

After a screening of The Wonder of It All at the Bush library, Jeffrey was invited to Walker's Point in Kennebunkport and asked the chief of staff if the former president might be interested. She told him to write something. When he landed back from a trip to Australia, an email said Bush was "intrigued." Six weeks later they were shooting.

DOCUVIEW DEJA VIEW PICK

• The Kid Stays in the Picture (2002), directed by Nanette Burstein and Brett Morgen. Jeffrey's pick, about Hollywood producer Robert Evans, told in his own voice. Jeffrey says the way it used photographs and film tools has stayed with him for 23 years.

See every guest pick on the DocuView Deja View page.

SPONSORED BY VIRGIL FILMS ENTERTAINMENT

Virgil Films has more than 25 years of experience in film distribution and works directly with filmmakers and streaming platforms. Learn more at virgilfilms.com.

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ABOUT THE GUEST

Jeffrey Roth is a director and executive producer. His first feature, The Wonder of It All, is an award-winning documentary about the Apollo astronauts, with Buzz Aldrin, Alan Bean, Edgar Mitchell, John Young, Charlie Duke, Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt. He went on to make 41 for HBO (2012), a personal portrait of President George H.W. Bush, executive produced by Jerry Weintraub. His CNN Film President in Waiting (2020) brings together Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter and Vice Presidents Joe Biden, Mike Pence, Dick Cheney, Al Gore, Dan Quayle and Walter Mondale to tell how the vice presidency grew into one of the most powerful offices in the world. His films: playground-docs.com

ABOUT DOCUMENTARY FIRST

Documentary First is a weekly podcast about the people behind documentaries and how the work changed them. Host Christian Taylor, director of the award-winning The Girl Who Wore Freedom, talks with filmmakers, distributors, entertainment lawyers, actors and more, from Ken Burns and PBS American Masters creator Susan Lacy to first-timers, across nearly 300 conversations. Each week brings one of two formats: a long-form conversation with the people behind films for HBO, Netflix, PBS and independent film, or The Deep Dive, where Christian takes one insight from a recent conversation and follows it wherever it leads. Listen Notes ranks the show in the top 5% of all podcasts worldwide. New episodes every week.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• The Man with the Hat official trailer: YouTube
• 41 on HBO Max
• President in Waiting: playground-docs.com