Interview: Emile Hirsch and Sean McNamara (Bau: Artist at War)

Emile Hirsch is joined by director Sean McNamara as the two talk about making of the biographical romance drama film, “Bau: Artist at War.”

Emile Hirsch and Sean McNamara (2025)

SIDEWALKS host Lori Rosales talks to actor Emile Hirsch and director / producer Sean McNamara about their film, “Bau: Artist at War.”

PLEASE NOTE: This online version of the interview is different than how it appeared on the TV episode. The sound has been removed from the trailer and promotional clips.

Film Synopsis:

Based on the true story of Joseph and Rebecca Bau whose wedding took place in the Plaszow concentration camp during WW2. “Bau: Artist at War” is a war drama/love story/espionage tale that needs to be told in this era where survivors are dying, and the Holocaust is slipping from memory. Using his artistic skills in the camps, Joseph stays alive and helps hundreds to escape. Miraculously, he finds love in the midst of despair. A love that will last a lifetime. Years later, when called to be a key witness in the trial of the brutal Nazi officer who tortured him and killed his father, he is thrust back into vivid memories of the Holocaust. Now, he calls upon this love and resilience of spirit to face the ultimate demon of his past.

Mini-Biographies:

Born on March 13, 1985 in Los Angeles, California, Emile Hirsch plays the lead role of Joseph Bau, a real-life Holocaust survivor, artist, and master forger in “Bau: Artist at War.” He began his career with television roles, such as “ER,” “Sabrina, the Teenage Witch,” and “3rd Rock from the Sun,” in the late 1990s before gaining prominence in film. Some of his notable film roles are real-life idealist Chris McCandless in Sean Penn’s 2007 film, “Into the Wild,” which earned him a Screen Actors Guild nomination; skateboarder Jay Adams in “Lords of Dogtown”; drug dealer Johnny Truelove in “Alpha Dog”; gay rights activist Cleve Jones in Gus Van Sant’s “Milk”; Navy SEAL Danny Dietz in “Lone Survivor”; real-life Hollywood hairstylist Jay Sebring in Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”; the title character “Speed Racer”; and Austin Tilden in “The Autopsy of Jane Doe.” Additionally, Hirsch starred as Clyde Barrow in the two-part television miniseries “Bonnie & Clyde.” He has a prominent voice role as Jim Lake Jr. across the animated “Tales of Arcadia” universe created by Guillermo del Toro, which includes the series “Trollhunters” and the movie “Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans.”

Born on May 9, 1962, in Burbank, California, Sean McNamara is the producer and director of “Bau: Artist at War.” A highly regarded American director, producer, actor, and screenwriter that is known for his contributions to the family, sports drama, and biographical film genre, he co-founded Brookwell McNamara Entertainment with David Brookwell. McNamara is recognized for directing inspiring, true stories such as “Soul Surfer” and “The Miracle Season,” as well as biographical dramas like “Reagan” and “Bau: Artist at War.” Prior to his shift to feature films like “Bratz” and “Raise Your Voice,” McNamara’s early career started in television production, where he was a producer on the children’s musical series “Kids Incorporated” (mid-1980s to mid-1990s) and later served as an executive producer on popular Disney Channel shows like “Even Stevens” and “That’s So Raven,” earning him a BAFTA Award and several Emmy and DGA nominations.