(upbeat music) - We continue talking all about film with our good friend, James Burke, who is not only the president and chairman of the Burke Foundation, to fully disclose one of our significant underwriters, but also the director of "The Ice at the Bottom of the World," an important film, a longtime filmmaker.

We'll talk about his film credits.

By the way, check out James Burke.

You'll find out his other film credits.

James, good to see you.

- Good to see you, Steve.

- First of all, the title itself, "The Ice at the Bottom of the World."

Why the title?

And then talk about the film.

- So it's based on a short story that won the PEN/Hemingway Award for Mark Richard, the writer.

And, you know, I would have to defer to Mark Richard about why he titled the short story and the film, "The Ice at the Bottom of the World."

But I think it has to do with the lead character who is a captain in the Navy, and he's somewhat stuck in ice to be, emotionally, and as he begins the journey of the story of the movie.

So I think it has something to do with the melting of the character.

And he, this character loved Antarctica, which is where he spent a lot of time when he was in, at wartime.

So would you like a little synopsis of the, yeah, okay, let me give you- - Come on.

Bring it, James.

- Let me bring you the quick quiz.

So it's about a Navy captain who retires after 35 years at sea, comes home to his wife and two now adult daughters who he basically had not really known.

And they're trying to connect in the beginning of the movie, and it's a bit of, you know, it's a comedy of errors, them trying to come together.

They all have their needs and their wants, and each one is trying to get those things and they're missing each other.

And there's some laughs in that beginning.

You learn later in the movie, and sorry to disclose this, (laughs) but you learn later in the movie that he's actually dying of cancer, and that he's really come home just, he wants to sort of get out, end his life, get things put together, and not make a fuss for his wife and daughters.

And he ends up, ironically, connecting with his daughters.

He's forced by his wife and his daughters to connect.

So it sort of starts out as a comedy, but it becomes a drama, and it's quite touching, and it's just a, it's beautiful story that Mark Richard wrote.

- The cast, James?

- So I decided in this movie, most of the movies I've done, I've done with sort of real name actors, but in this movie I decided I want- - Who is this Matthew McConaughey who was- - Yes.

- in "About One Thing"?

Who's that guy?

- (laughs) Matthew McConaughey and Alan Arkin and Amy Irving and John Turturro were in "Thirteen Conversations About One Thing" that I did many years ago.

I did a movie with Morgan Freeman and- - That's right.

- Kirsten Dunst called "Levity".

I did a movie that I directed called "Aurora Borealis" with Donald Sutherland and Juliette Lewis.

So I make independent movies with sort of name actors.

This movie, "The Ice at the Bottom of the World," I, less known actors, but you would recognize them because they've worked a ton and they're just great and they were perfect for the parts and they have, the performances are just wonderful.

I was just so blessed to have them.

- James, I'm curious about this.

And by the way, check out the interview we did with James talking about his dad inducted into the 2026 New Jersey Hall of Fame.

Check out that interview, part of our series I do with Jacqui Tricarico, our executive producer and co-anchor of "Remember Them."

Check out that program.

But coming back to this, I am fascinated why people go into the industry they go into.

Film for you, your passion comes from where, James?

- You know, it started as an actor when I was a kid.

I was always in the plays at high school and college.

And then, I didn't know what I wanted to do when I got out of college.

And the only thing I loved doing was acting.

So I studied acting.

I had a theater company in New York City for a number of years.

Then I moved out to Los Angeles with stars in my eyes as an actor.

And it just, I got, I started directing a couple of small plays in Los Angeles, one of which did quite well, and I turned it into a short film, and that got me into film school.

So I went to American Film Institute, AFI, for the directing program.

So I shifted to film from the theater, and I just love storytelling.

You're a storyteller obviously, Steve, and I think I just, that's my passion.

I love to be able to tell stories.

So I've been just so blessed to be able to work both in theater and in film to be able, it's just, it is a passion of mine.

- I'm curious, for those of us who love film and see the credits, we see eight people named as executive producers, and we're like, "Huh, I guess that's the person who makes it happen."

And I'm thinking, "Hmm, I know that, a little bit about film, and I know Scorsese may or may not be an executive producer, but he's a director, and James Burke is a director."

Make it clear to folks, help folks understand, James, what a director does and why a director is so incredibly important.

And it may, it takes a village, takes a team I know, but in some ways the most important person.

Please, James.

- Yeah, so the easiest way to think about this is that producers are the folks that sort of make it all happen.

They raise the money, they, you know, they hire people, they, but creatively in a film, the director is really, the buck stops here as a director.

So, and, sometimes it gets a little bit difficult because everybody looks to you to answer every single question about how we're gonna make the movie.

And that's a wonderful and can be intoxicating, but it can also be very challenging.

But you're lucky enough to have all these people that can do stuff, and, you know, whether it's props or lighting or camera work or... And I remember when my father first came onto a set when I was directing many, many years ago, and there was probably, you know, close to a hundred people, and he's like, "What are all these people doing?"

(Steve laughing) And every, of course everybody has a job and an important one.

So it is collaborative, but you do as a director, you're the creative guy, you have to make the final decisions, and you certainly, I certainly lean on everybody to help me make that story come alive.

- To what degree, James, as a director, and as you know, I'm a student of leadership, which is how I wound up writing about your dad in my book about crisis communication.

So I'm curious from a leadership perspective, a management and leadership perspective, which is a big part of it for me is giving feedback, and it doesn't always go well.

I think you know exactly what I mean.

How has the giving of feedback as a director for you evolved as you have evolved as a leader, as a director, as a person?

- That is a great question.

So I tend to be a real collaborator.

So I like to have everybody's voice come through, but eventually you, I've had to learn that I have to make the decision ultimately.

So that has been a challenge for me.

I'd much rather have everybody get in a room together, we all figure it all out and, you know, but eventually you have to sort of have one person especially.

It is a hierarchy, and it's important that that hierarchy exists so that we're not sort of trying to go all over the place and make the movie by committee.

So it's been a challenge for me, and, but, you know, the more I care about a movie, and this one I think I've cared about more than any movie I've made.

It's just a beautiful script and a beautiful story.

And I stepped up, and I had to sort of make some tough decisions along the way.

- And by the way, the film we're talking about is "The Ice at the Bottom of the World."

Where can people check it out, James?

So the movie literally was finished two weeks ago.

So we have just finished the film.

So the next step- - By the way, sorry for interrupting.

We're taking on the 2nd of September.

This will be seen later.

Pick up your point, James, go ahead.

- Okay.

Yeah.

So yes, so the movie has just been completed.

We're lucky enough that we were able to raise all of the money, and so we could make the movie on our own, and we're thrilled to have been able to do that so that we could make our vision come to life.

And now we're gonna go out and, you know, get a distributor.

We have an agency that represents us for distribution.

So I don't know when that will exactly happen, but sometime in 2027, and the movie will get a theatrical release of some kind and then probably go to streaming after that.

- The process is a complicated one, is it not?

- It is.

It is.

(Steve laughing) - And listen, this movie took two years to make.

- Wow.

- So- - Two years.

- So, and that's the normal run of the thing, 'cause you're working on the script, and then you're working on shooting the movie, and then you're working in editing and then sound and all the other things that come.

It takes a long time to put it all together.

- So James Burke is not only the director of the film, "The Ice at the Bottom of the World," but also the president and chairman of the Burke Foundation, to fully disclose once again, a significant underwriter of our childcare public awareness programming.

And James, I cannot thank you enough for joining us on this edition of "One-on-One," part of our miniseries, "The Arts Connection," this program dedicated to film as a powerful art form.

Thank you, James.

We appreciate it.

- Thank you, Steve, so much.

Really appreciate it.

- We thank you and your team.

By the way, check out "The Ice at the Bottom of the World" when it comes out in the future.

I'm Steve Adubato, this is "One-on-One," and we'll see you next time.

- [Narrator] One-On-One with Steve Adubato is a production of the Caucus Educational Corporation.

Funding has been provided by The New Jersey Economic Development Authority.

The Turrell Fund, a foundation serving children.

The Adubato Center for Media Leadership.

Newark Board of Education.

Stockton University.

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

New Jersey Sharing Network.

The North Ward Center.

And by Hackensack Meridian Health.

Promotional support provided by ROI-NJ.

And by NJ.Com.

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