Stories, Controversy & Band-aids

What happens when music meets mystery, history, and a few unexpected F-bombs? Musician and film composer Paul Lewis joins Michel and Sylvia for a lively behind-the-scenes look at the making of Behind the Black, their upcoming feature documentary. From jazz drums and emotional soundscapes to the art of scoring documentaries, Paul shares how music brings powerful stories to life. But the conversation goes far beyond the soundtrack. As the film nears completion, the trio explores the creative challenges of documentary filmmaking, unexpected historical discoveries, classified documents, and the mysteries surrounding a family’s extraordinary past. Add in a little Jon Stewart, a few creative meltdowns, and Sylvia's famously Swiss composure going out the window, and you've got an episode filled with music, mystery, humor, and a few surprises.

Season Five begins with another discovery — and this one may be the strangest yet. A newly found file connected to Sylvia’s mother’s past has been sealed for 100 years. Should Sylvia and Michel try to open it? As Behind the Black moves closer to completion, new discoveries keep raising new questions. And because this is Stories, Controversy and Band-Aids, the conversation somehow moves from hidden histories to aging gracefully… and the eternal American-European battle over air conditioning.

Writer-producer Charlene Davis joins Sylvia and Michel to share how she pivoted from a 35-year legal career to make her debut feature Relative Control—casting Terry Polo, shooting through a pandemic and SAG strike, and landing distribution and an upcoming AARP screening. A candid, funny, and encouraging talk about caretaking, resilience, Delaware film hustle, and why creative “third acts” after 50 aren’t just possible—they’re powerful.

Sylvia revisits her solo trek through Nepal—where the beauty of the Himalayas collided with the shock of being iced out by her own Swiss group. The conversation shifts when Sylvia recalls a troubling note from a close friend, sparking a discussion about boundaries, encouragement, and continuing to create no matter your stage of life. They also unpack the emotional minefield of searching for Sylvia’s biological parents—privacy, contracts, and the risk of disrupting another family—along with the surreal DNA breadcrumbs.

Veterinarian-turned-producer Alysia Reid joins Sylvia and Michel to talk healing and filmmaking: from surviving cancer and embracing energy medicine to balancing Western care with holistic tools. The trio swap stories on producer stress, social media’s fantasyland, generational trauma, and the roll of the dice with DNA tests—plus a sidebar on movies made by algorithms vs.making something that actually has meaning