Filmmaker Cynthia Hill on her new HBO docuseries 'Burden of Proof'
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Stephen Pandos, a Charlotte resident at the heart of the HBO docuseries "Burden of Proof." Photo: Courtesy of HBO
After more than seven years in the making, award-winning Durham filmmaker Cynthia Hill is ready for the world to see her latest true-crime documentary.
Driving the news: On Tuesday, Hill's four-part series "Burden of Proof" debuts on HBO and its streaming service Max.
- It follows the journey of Stephen Pandos, a Charlotte man whose sister Jennifer disappeared from his family's home in Williamsburg, Va., 36 years ago.
- He has become convinced his sister was killed by his father and that his mother covered it up.
- The series follows Pandos as his life is wrecked by the idea that his parents are capable of such an act. But eventually, he's confronted with the possibility that he could be wrong.
Context: HBO is one of the premier networks for producing television documentaries and provides a worldwide stage for Hill's Markay Media, which is based in Durham and employs an entirely local crew.
Catch up quick: This is Hill's second true-crime documentary for the network, following "Private Violence" in 2014, which chronicled a domestic violence case in North Carolina.
- "The thing that I love is [HBO's] willingness to let the filmmaker tell the story they want to tell," Hill told Axios. "And I think that that is becoming more rare in this climate."
- Markay has also worked on shows like "A Chef's Life" and "Somewhere South," both on PBS.
Details: Hill first met Pandos after he reached out to her on LinkedIn and was captivated by his story.
- The concept was originally designed as a standalone film — but over the course of making it, HBO settled on spinning it into a series.
- Former N&O reporter Andrea Weigl helped Hill investigate Jennifer's disappearance, traveling extensively in Virginia to interview witnesses.
The big picture: True-crime documentaries have exploded in popularity, especially on streaming services, with their whodunit hook driving viewers to keep tuning in.
- Hill said she hopes "Burden of Proof" gives viewers that experience, but also takes them deeper.
What she's saying: "We wanted to make a story that was character-based, so not wanting to let the whodunit take over the narrative was really important for us," she said in an interview. "Obviously that's something that is intriguing … and we would sit up late at night talking about how crazy this story is from the beginning."
- "But we also want the journey to be a part of it. We really wanted the audience to get a sense of this family and the journey that Stephen has been on."
How to watch: The first two episodes will premiere on HBO Tuesday at 9pm.
- The entire series will be available to stream on Max that same night.