Katie Couric on How She Hopes to Reignite the Gun Debate

A few weeks ago I had the privilege of moderating a panel with Katie Couric (watch above!), who's the executive producer behind "Under the Gun," a new documentary for Epix that dives deep into the struggle for sensible gun regulations. I wrote about it for Indiewire:

It may not be possible anymore to conduct civil discourse with Americans on guns. But Katie Couric hopes to change that.



The former "CBS Evening News" and "Today" anchor, now Yahoo's global news anchor, is behind the Epix documentary "Under the Gun," which aims at combating misconceptions about responsible gun ownership and background checks.

The film, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and has its TV debut on Sunday, comes during a presidential election season in which gun control hasn't been a major campaign issue — at least, not yet. "I've interviewed a number of the candidates, all 27,000 of them initially. The gun debate wasn't a part of the conversation," Couric told us recently, on stage at a panel discussion for "Under the Gun." "We've seen Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders talk about it, which is a welcome thing, it has its place in the conversation. It will be very interesting to see what will happen in the presidential debates. Each candidate will have to put their view on the line out there."

Couric and "Under the Gun" filmmaker Stephanie Soechtig previously collaborated on the 2014 documentary "Fed Up," about childhood obesity. Soechtig grew up near Newtown, Conn., the site of the 2012 shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School, which inspired them to make "Under the Gun."

"I said to Stephanie, 'I just don't understand the disconnect: 90 percent of people in this country support background checks and yet when it comes to the federal level, nothing is getting done,'" Couric said. "What is happening here? Usually the question 'why' leads me on these journeys. That's how we started doing this film."

Read more here.

WATCH: Trailer for Showtime's New Documentary "Kobe Bryant Muse"

Via Showtime:

SHOWTIME has released the first-look trailer for its feature-length documentary film, KOBE BRYANT’S MUSE, which will premiere in February on the premium network. Compelling and revelatory, this highly personal film captures a side of Kobe Bryant that the public has never seen before.

“People know me because of what I am, a basketball player,” said Bryant. “In MUSE, everyone will begin to understand who I am and how I became who I am. I created this film to open up my journey in hopes of inspiring others as they guide their own.”

Watch:

'Candyman': How One Angeleno Created -- And Then Lost -- The Jelly Belly Empire

Candyman: the David Klein Story (trailer) from Jennifer Klein on Vimeo.

There's something quite depressing about stories of genius inventors who wind up selling their creations too soon and for a paltry sum -- only to watch from the sidelines as it explodes in popularity.

The documentary "Candyman: The David Klein Story," currently running on the Documentary Channel, is one such tale.

In 1976, David Klein came up with the idea of a gourmet jelly bean -- an idea that came to him while watching "Happy Days."

Klein came up with an initial eight flavors and started selling Jelly Belly beans at Fosselman's in Alhambra.

Given the price and the novelty factor, it took a while for Jelly Belly -- which he named -- to take off. But after some crafty marketing stunts (including staging fake customers in front of a wire reporter), the idea caught on.

Soon David was appearing on chat shows like "Mike Douglas" as the "Candyman." People magazine wrote about him. He appeared destined for fame and fortune.

But as Jelly Belly hit it big, the vultures came out. First, Fosselman's itself tried to take away the Jelly Belly trademark -- but Klein was able to outsmart the ice cream shop.

Klein wasn't so lucky in 1980, when he was strong-armed by the manufacturer that produced Jelly Belly. Klein who wound up selling the company and accepting chump change (under $5 million, split with a partner).

Jelly Belly, of course, went on to become a mega success story. And Klein, who has had to fight regret and other demons these past 30 years, hasn't been able to come up with a new product that might rival the Jelly Belly phenom.

"Candyman" explores that sad footnote (Jelly Belly refuses to even mention Klein by name in its company history ). But it also serves as a tribute of sorts to the eccentric Klein, who has put people before business on many occasions, and who still puts on an upbeat, brave face despite what happened.

Glendale and Atwater Village are also prominently on display in the doc. And "Weird Al" Yankovic also makes an appearance.

Here's more info from the channel:

The idea for the "Candyman" documentary was hatched by David Klein's son, Bert, who enjoyed the fruits of his father's "Jelly Belly" creation in his early childhood, but soon struggled with his father's lost candy empire during his teen and early adulthood years.

Bert's long-suffering relationship with his father, combined with his 20-year career in the film business and the birth of his two children, gave him the incentive to create a film that could repair his father-son relationship and reunite the family.

"I wanted to make ‘Candyman' so my kids Emily and Aaron would know who their grandfather was and what he did for the world," explains Bert Klein. "Having lived through the adventure first hand, I knew it would be very entertaining and inspiring. This film is about far more than just ‘Jelly Bellies.' It is an amazing story about an extraordinary man living in extraordinary times. It is a Shakespearian tragedy through the eye of a jelly bean."

L.A.-Centric Documentary Back on PBS, But Not KCET

PBS nationally this Tuesday is rebroadcasting the documentary Made in L.A. -- although you're gonna have to struggle to find it here in Los Angeles (title be damned).

The documentary, which was is bilingual in both English and Spanish, centers on three Latina immigrants working in Los Angeles sweatshops. More:

The trio embark on a three-year odyssey to win basic labor protections from a trendy clothing retailer. "When we started this film, we did not anticipate that the garment workers' campaign would take three years and that the story would take a deeper turn," says director Almudena Carracedo.

"Struggles cause people to change, and we were amazed to observe each woman's growing sense of self-confidence and self-worth," she continues. "The boycott campaign served as a catalyst for each of them, in her own way, to stand up, to say, 'I exist. And I have rights.' " Compelling, humorous and deeply human, Made in L.A. is a story about immigration, the power of unity, and the courage it takes to find your voice.

Made in L.A. was recently awarded the prestigious Hillman Prize for Broadcast Journalism, was nominated for the National Council of La Raza's Alma Award, and was screened by leaders on Capitol Hill. Community, faith-based and student organizations are currently screening Made in L.A. around the country to highlight sweatshop issues and put a human face on the immigration debate.

Here in Los Angeles, none of the local PBS stations is carrying "Made in L.A." -- but one of KCET's digital subchannels -- available over-the-air if you've got an antenna for your digital TV -- is. KCET World (Channel 28.4) will air "Made in L.A." on Wednesday at 8:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and again at 12:30 a.m. that night, as well as at noon on Aug. 16.

UPDATE: KCET let us know that "Made in L.A." will air on the station on Saturday, Sept. 26 at 9 p.m. as part of its Hispanic Heritage Month programming.