Seventh Row podcast

The 2025 Cannes Film Festival kicks off today...and the question on everyone's mind is: what will be the great movies? Mostly, people look to the Cannes Competition (the films that compete for the Palme d'Or) to find the best films. But it's a lesser-known fact that many amazing films screen in the festival's sidebars. And many of the best films in cinema history have screened in the festival's sidebars. In fact, Chantal Akerman's Jeanne Dielman, which was named the greatest film of all time in the 2022 Sight & Sound poll did not screen in competition! It screened in the Directors' Fortnight. So on today's episode, Alex peels back the curtain on how all the different parts of the Cannes Film Festival work together. And she talks about the amazing films you've heard of (and some you probably haven't) that have screened outside the festival's competition. And she talks about some of the films she's excited for this year. Finally, Alex talks about some of the films she's excited for in this year's competition, and how they were already making fantastic films years ago that were hiding out in the festival's sidebars. *** Become a Seventh Row Insider to stay updated on the best films at Cannes this year and in past years that you might not otherwise stumble upon *** Interested in picking up Seventh Row's ebooks on Lynne Ramsay, Joachim Trier, Joanna Hogg, Debra Granik, or Céline Sciamma? They're available exclusively on Seventh Row. Peruse the collection here: http://seventh-row.com/ebooks Listen to the Women at Cannes Podcast Season Listen to the Women at Cannes episode on Kelly Reichardt For detailed show notes, visit https://seventh-row.com/2025/05/13/ep-171-navigating-cannes-beyond-the-competition/

If you look back on the last year, how many African films have you watched? And how does this compare to the other international films you've seen from other continents? Chances are, you're seeing way more films from every other continent than from Africa. That's not your fault. That's how the film industry works. So on today's episode, Alex talks about why it's so hard to see African films and what you can do if you'd like to add more of them to your cinematic diet. **Become a Seventh Row insider: http://email.seventh-row.com **If you'd like to join Reel Ruminators in May to watch an exquisite work of queer South African Cinema, sign up here: http://seventh-row.com/reelruminators

Today on the podcast, Dr. Angelo Muredda joins Alex Heeney to discuss one of the year's best films: David Cronenberg's The Shrouds. We talk about why The Shrouds is a good entry point if you're new to Cronenberg, but will also please diehard fans. And we discuss how what we love about Cronenberg's films isn't necessarily the selling point you'll often hear. Yes, he sometimes directs body horror, and he often makes movies about sex and the body. But we also love his films because they're talky chamber dramas with a wry sense of humour and great performances. Plus, Cronenberg has a unique angle on changing bodies, illness, and disability. **Become a Seventh Row insider: http://email.seventh-row.com **Purchase access to Angelo's talk "Does this look like a sick man? Disability, aging, and illness in David Cronenberg's The Fly": http://seventh-row.com/thefly  

Alex reviews Andrew Ahn's 2025 adaptation of the 1993 film The Wedding Banquet, starring Lily Gladstone, Youn Yuh-jung, and Joan Chen (and many more). The film is about two queer couples who end up conspiring to marry one half of each couple in exchange for a green card and money for IVF treatments. Alex discusses the film's unexpected delights — including the wonderful, tender sound design and lovely blocking — and how the film thoughtfully updates (and even queers some more) Ang Lee's classic queer rom-com. **Stay updated on the best under-the-radar films that just might shift your perspective by joining the Seventh Row Newsletter: http://email.seventh-row.com **Want to join Alex and a group of movie lovers to watch and discuss a Queer African film in May 2025? Join the waitlist for Reel Ruminators: http://seventh-row.com/reel-ruminators **Want Seventh Row's ebook on Céline Sciamma's Portrait of a Lady on Fire? It's available at http://sciammabook.com  

Pope Francis died today, which means it will soon be time to elect a new pope. Instead of rewatching Oscar Winner Conclave, Alex recommends catching the delightful Italian comedy We Have a Pope. On this episode, Alex talks about why watching Conclave made her immediately want to rewatch Nanni Moretti's We Have a Pope, and what Moretti's film has that Conclave lacks.  If Conclave is a film about how everyone wants to be pope, We Have a Pope is a film about a man who has a panic attack as soon as he becomes pope...and then runs away from the Vatican while he has an existential crisis. **If you want to stay updated on the best new under-the-radar films, become a Seventh Row Insider at http://email.seventh-row.com

What if one of the most important movies of this decade, maybe even this century, flew under your radar? What if it won major awards in its country of origin, including audience awards at festivals, and yet you still hadn't heard of it? Would you want to see it?  We're watching one of those movies this month in the April 2025 edition of Reel Ruminators.  On today's episode, Alex discusses the film we're watching — an Indigenous film from so-called Canada — without revealing the title. And she introduces four criteria the she used to define what makes this film 'important' and how the film meets these criteria.  **If this movie sounds like something you'd like to see, join the April 2025 edition of Reel Ruminators: http://seventh-row.com/reel-ruminators

Today, Alex Heeney recommends Alain Guiraudie's multi-César-nominated erotic thriller Misericordia. Since the film takes many twists and turns that she doesn't want to spoil, she introduces the film briefly before delving into what we can learn from the opening sequence. In excellent movies like this one, the opening scene can teach us so much about how to watch the film and what's to come. Alex teaches how to read a film's opening scene in Reel Ruminators: A Movie-of-the-Month Experience. *** Want to watch an Indigenous film by an Indigenous woman director that's one of the most important films of the 2020s? And then dig into how it works and how it makes you feel? Join the waitlist for the April 2025 edition of Reel Ruminators: A Movie-of-the-Month Enrichment Experience https://email.seventh-row.com/reelruminators ------- Stay updated on Seventh Row Follow Seventh Row on Twitter, Bluesky and Instagram. Read our articles at seventh-row.com. Follow Alex Heeney on Bluesky, Twitter and Instagram. 

Today, Alex Heeney recommends Steven Soderbergh's new spy thriller, Black Bag, starring Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender. It's the rare film for adults that's a taut 90 minutes, character-focused, heaps of fun, and also screening in cinemas. Alex discusses why she's been a Soderbergh devotee for 25 years and how Black Bag showcases Soderbergh at his best. *** Want to discover more fun movies for grownups from around the world? Join the waitlist for Reel Ruminators: A Movie-of-the-Month Enrichment Experience https://email.seventh-row.com/reelruminators ------- Stay updated on Seventh Row Follow Seventh Row on Twitter, Bluesky and Instagram. Read our articles at seventh-row.com. Follow Alex Heeney on Bluesky, Twitter and Instagram. 

Today, we're celebrating pioneering American woman director Joan Micklin Silver by looking at her biggest flop, the excellent Chilly Scenes of Winter (1979), and her biggest hit, Crossing Delancey (1988). Although both films are over 35 years old, they mostly still read as very modern. Woman in Revolt Editor-in-Chief Lindsay Pugh joins Alex Heeney to discuss why we love Joan Micklin Silver, why her films have aged so well (and the few things that haven't), and what makes her such a great filmmaker both as a visual stylist and a modern storyteller.  *** Want to discover more recent restorations of films by and about diverse groups? Subscribe to the Globetrotting Watchlist: http://seventh-row.com/globetrotting *** Wondering who will be the next Joan Micklin Silver? Alex programs some of the contenders in Reel Ruminators. Join the waitlist for Reel Ruminators: A Movie-of-the-Month Enrichment Experience https://email.seventh-row.com/reelruminators   ------- Stay updated on Seventh Row Follow Seventh Row on Twitter, Bluesky and Instagram. Read our articles at seventh-row.com. Follow Alex Heeney on Bluesky, Twitter and Instagram. 

Now that the Oscars are over, the best movies of the year are heading to cinemas in the next 3-4 months.  In this episode, Editor-in-Chief Alex Heeney is joined by C.J. Prince of Acquired Cinema to discuss four must-see films coming to cinemas this spring. This episode is an addendum to our two-part series on how the Oscars affect the international films you hear about in episode 160 and 161. Listen to episode 160: https://seventh-row.com/2025/02/14/ep-160-how-the-oscars-affect-the-international-films-you-hear-about/ Listen to episode 161: https://seventh-row.com/2025/02/21/ep-161-beyond-the-oscars-world-cinema/ ---- *** If you're interested in joining Seventh Row's movie-of-the-month membership: DM the word 'explorer' to: @SeventhRow on Instagram or  @SeventhRow.bsky.social on BluSky Or send an email with subject line 'Explorer' to contact@seventh-row.com. ---- Stay updated on the US distribution status of festival films at C.J. Prince's Acquired Cinema: http://acquiredcinema.substack.om

Contrary to popular belief, when Oscar season ends, good movie season begins. The 3-4 month window after the Oscars and before summer movie season is when 90% of the year's best movies get released. Today on the podcast, we look back on the wide variety of excellent international movies that have directly followed the Oscars in this window in past years. We explain some of the attributes that define these films, which are diverse demographically (e.g., women, LGBTQ+, Indigenous), as well as in content and form. We discover that it's a challenge to package these films into neat categories for listeners because what makes these films so interesting is that they don't fit neatly into pre-defined genres and categories. E.g., they're period pieces aren't conventional period pieces. They're quiet, contemplative films that may be ambitious but low-budget.  --- To join the Radical Adaptations movie group in which we will watch Fabian: Going to the Dogs an read the book on which it's based, sign up for an invitation at http://seventh-row.com/radicaladaptations To join Reel Ruminators: A Movie-of-the-Month Enrichment Experience in March, get on the waitlist at http://email.seventh-row.com/reelruminators .  -- Stay updated on the US distribution status of festival films at C.J. Prince's Acquired Cinema: http://acquiredcinema.substack.om

The Oscars are changing for the better, but the field is not nearly as wide open as you might think, nor is it reflective of the wide variety of high-quality films that exist. Even if you don't care about the Oscars, what's considered Oscar-worthy deeply impacts what films you hear about.  Because arthouse and international distributors divide films into two categories: movies they think can win Oscars and movies that can't.  Oscar movies get massive marketing budgets, come out in the fall, and screen for months. So you hear about them. The rest get dumped in the spring and summer, and they might not even tell press the films exist, no matter how good the movies are.  In this episode, Alex is joined by film critic C.J. Prince of Acquired Cinema to discuss how and why the Oscars are becoming more international and how this impacts what movies you hear about and see. They also delve into what makes a movie an Oscar movie and how this relates to the way the movie business functions. *** Interested in discovering the films that are too nuanced to be Oscar hopefuls? Join the waitlist for Reel Ruminators: A Movie-of-the-Month Enrichment Experience http://seventh-row.com/reelruminators *** Want to stay updated on future opportunities to see great movies that don't have the same visibility as Oscar movies? Subscribe to the Globetrotting Watchlist: http://seventh-row.com/globetrotting ------- Stay updated on Seventh Row Follow Seventh Row on Twitter, Bluesky and Instagram. Read our articles at seventh-row.com. Follow Alex Heeney on Bluesky, Twitter and Instagram.   

This weekend, you can catch a recording of the Donmar Warehouse production of Macbeth starring David Tennant and Cush Jumbo, directed by Max Webster. In this episode of the podcast, Alex discusses why this production is a must-see and why you should make time for it now and for recorded Shakespeare more generally. The best time to watch Shakespeare is when it's fresh. You learn something new from every Shakespeare production you see. Watching a bunch of productions of a Shakespeare play is one of the best ways to learn about directing. Watching a bunch of productions of a Shakespeare play is one of the best ways to learn about editing. Recorded theatre can be pretty ephemeral, so watch it while you can.  ***Want to stay updated on future opportunities to see this Macbeth or other great recorded theatre production? Subscribe to the Globetrotting Watchlist: http://seventh-row.com/globetrotting Related Episodes Bonus Ep. 17 Saoirse Ronan and James McArdle in The Tragedy of Macbeth Bonus Ep. 22: Joel Coen's The Tragedy of Macbeth  ------- Stay updated on Seventh Row Follow Seventh Row on Twitter, Bluesky and Instagram. Read our articles at seventh-row.com. Follow Alex Heeney on Bluesky, Twitter and Instagram.   

At Sundance 2025, Alex saw a lovely debut feature from a Tunisian woman director, Where the Wind Comes From. And it made her think about how difficult it can be to find films by women from Africa and the Middle East. But she can recommend several first features from Tunisian women directors that you can watch right now. In this episode, Alex discusses why it's so hard to see films by women from Africa and the Middle East. She talks about why you should watch for Where the Wind Comes From in the future and two films by Tunisian women that you can watch now: As I Open My Eyes (2015) and Under the Fig Trees (2022). ***Join the Seventh Row newsletter to stay updated on Reel Ruminators, free Q&As, and unique opportunities to watch under-the-radar films: http://email.seventh-row.com Related Episodes Women at Cannes Ep. 5: Reviews of Cannes 2022 films by women, including Under the Fig Trees ------- Stay updated on Seventh Row Follow Seventh Row on Twitter, Bluesky and Instagram. Read our articles at seventh-row.com. Follow Alex Heeney on Bluesky, Twitter and Instagram.   

The worldwide online French film festival, myfrenchfilmfestival, is happening now until February 17, 2025, and it's a can't-miss event. Alex has been attending since 2017. In this episode, Alex discusses three reasons why you should make time for myfrenchfilmfestival and recommends three films to watch: A Real Job, No Love Lost, and Through the Night. ***Join the Seventh Row newsletter to stay updated on myfrenchfilmfestival and other unique opportunities to watch under-the-radar films: http://email.seventh-row.com Related Episodes 148. How I almost missed the best film of the 2010s 135. Promising Young Woman + The Assistant: Rape culture on film in 2020 132. Sarah Polley's Women Talking 86. Depictions of childhood sexual assault: Una and Slalom ------- Stay updated on Seventh Row Follow Seventh Row on Twitter, Bluesky and Instagram. Read our articles at seventh-row.com. Follow Alex Heeney on Bluesky, Twitter and Instagram.   

***Join the Seventh Row newsletter to stay updated on myfrenchfilmfestival and other unique opportunities to watch under-the-radar films: http://email.seventh-row.com Legendary British filmmaker Mike Leigh has a new film out in cinemas called Hard Truths, which is one of the best films of the year. What makes Mike Leigh's films so good and so uniquely Mike Leigh Films is inextricable from the process he uses to make them. But there are quite a few common myths and misconceptions about his process, including that his films are improvised and, confusingly, that his films are rehearsed. In this episode, Alex debunks these myths using research for her 2018 book Peterloo in Process: A Mike Leigh Collaboration. The book dives deeper into Leigh's process through interviews with him and his collaborators on the film, both behind and in front of the camera.  You can purchase a copy of Peterloo in Process at http://mikeleighbook.com Related Episodes TIFF 2024 #4: British social realism: Mike Leigh's Hard Truths and Andrea Arnold's Bird Ep. 119 Mike Leigh's Naked Ep. 32 Sorry We Missed You and Peterloo Ep. 11 Mike Leigh's Peterloo ------- Stay updated on Seventh Row Follow Seventh Row on Twitter, Bluesky and Instagram. Read our articles at seventh-row.com. Follow Alex Heeney on Bluesky, Twitter and Instagram. 

***Join the Seventh Row newsletter to stay updated and find out about more great under-the-radar character dramas: http://email.seventh-row.com ------- Woman in Revolt Editor-in-Chief joins Alex to discuss Halina Reijn's Babygirl, a movie we liked but didn't love but we think is worth digging into.  Nicole Kidman stars as Romy, a high-powered CEO married to a theatre director, played by Antonio Banderas, but unsatisfied with her sexual relationship in her marriage. When a new intern at her company, played by Harris Dickinson, clocks her desire for submission, they begin a pas-de-deux that turns into a sexual power-exchange relationship.  On the episode, we discuss the film's best scenes, why Harris Dickinson steals the film, whether the film is as racy as it thinks it is, some of its missteps, and compare it to other recent films it's in conversation with (from Fifty Shades of Grey to Elle).  Related Episodes also featuring Lindsay Pugh Promising Young Woman + The Assistant: Rape culture on film in 2020 (Redux) 101. Magnus von Horn's films The Here After and Sweat Stay updated on Seventh Row Follow Seventh Row on Twitter, Bluesky and Instagram. Read our articles at seventh-row.com. Follow Alex Heeney on Bluesky, Twitter and Instagram. 

***Want help to sit down and make those tough decisions about what you're going to watch this year? Join the Curate Your 2025 Watchlist Workshop on January 12. Sign up here: http://seventh-row.com/watchlist ------- In this episode, Alex discusses what makes a truly remarkable year of movies, beyond just watching as many films as possible. Alex shares her insights on ensuring your year is filled with memorable and diverse movies that challenge and delight. Drawing from her journey of discovery through film festivals and indie films, she introduces three key ingredients for a fulfilling cinematic year. First, Alex discusses the importance of variety and diversity in your film choices. Whether it's films from different continents and genres, filmmakers from underrepresented groups, films from different eras, and beyond, variety is the spice of a rewarding movie year. Secondly, she highlights the need to include 'sure things' in your watchlist—films by directors or actors you love—to balance staying in your comfort zone while still discovering new films. Lastly, Alex emphasizes the value of planned risks. Taking chances on lesser-known films can lead to surprising and enriching experiences, expanding your cinematic horizons. Finally, Alex also introduces the Curate Your 2025 Watchlist Workshop, designed to help you create a personalized and diverse movie watchlist for the upcoming year. Sign up to ensure your movie year is both adventurous and satisfying. Related Episodes 152. Three reasons you need a curated watchlist for 2025 Stay updated on Seventh Row Follow Seventh Row on Twitter, Bluesky and Instagram. Read our articles at seventh-row.com. Follow Alex Heeney on Bluesky, Twitter and Instagram. 

***Join the Seventh Row newsletter to stay updated and find out about more great under-the-radar character dramas: http://email.seventh-row.com ------- Today on the podcast, Alex discusses the new Italian film from Maura Delpero, Vermiglio, set in a remote village in the Italian Alps at the end of WWII. It's Delpero's second feature, which won the Grand Jury Prize at the Venice International Film Festival. It's in cinemas this week. The film is the story of the local teacher's family and the power of both formal and informal knowledge and how it's passed down. When the film opens, the family is hiding a Sicilian soldier who has escape from the army – an open secret in the town. He falls in love with the teacher's eldest daughter, and the film follows their budding relationship — and all the familial relationships around them — over the course of a year, as the seasons change and the war ends. Related Episodes: 139. Green Border: an interview with Agniezka Holland (It won the Special Jury Prize at Venice in 2023) 147. Why is it so hard to see the new Cillian Murphy movie? (On why it's hard to see independent/foreign films in cinemas). Stay updated on Seventh Row Follow Seventh Row on Twitter and Instagram. Read our articles at seventh-row.com. Follow Alex Heeney on Twitter and Instagram. 

Happy New Year! If you want 2025 to be the year you watch good movies, the secret to success is a curated watchlist. It's the best way to make sure that reaching for what's easy will be synonymous with reaching for films you actually want to see — including films that might have felt like aspirational achievements you'll never reach. In this episode, Alex shares three reasons you need a curated watchlist for 2025. ***Want help to sit down and make those tough decisions about what you're going to watch this year? Join the Curate Your 2025 Watchlist Workshop on January 12. Sign up here: http://seventh-row.com/watchlist ------- Stay updated on Seventh Row Follow Seventh Row on Twitter, Bluesky and Instagram. Read our articles at seventh-row.com. Follow Alex Heeney on Bluesky, Twitter and Instagram. 

***Join the Seventh Row newsletter to stay updated and find out about more great under-the-radar character dramas: http://email.seventh-row.com ------- 2024 has been a landmark year for Luca Guadagnino, with the release of his tennis drama Challengers and his adaptation of William S. Burroughs' Queer. As these films garner attention, Alex Heeney takes this opportunity to revisit Guadagnino's 2017 masterpiece Call Me by Your Name, a film she deems his best work to date. In this episode, Alex explores connections between Call Me by Your Name and Guadagnino's latest films, noting how the opening credits of Queer serve as a direct homage to those of Call Me by Your Name. She delves into why she loves Call Me by Your Name, from how it works as a 'romance of stuff,' its attention to tactile details, its flirtatious editing style, and its ability to evoke a world beyond the frame. Purchase our ebook on Luca Guadagnino's Call Me by Your Name Related Episodes: TIFF 2024 Ep. 7 Luca Guadagnino's Queer Ep. 137 Luca Guadagnino's Challengers Ep. 23 Find Me and adapting Andre Aciman for the screen Stay updated on Seventh Row Follow Seventh Row on Twitter and Instagram. Read our articles at seventh-row.com. Follow Alex Heeney on Twitter and Instagram. 

***Join the Seventh Row newsletter to stay updated and find out about more great under-the-radar character dramas: http://email.seventh-row.com ------- One of Alex's deep cuts of 2024 is Limbo, an Australian film by Indigenous writer-director-cinematographer Ivan Sen. It's one of her top 3 films of the year. Fewer than 4000 people have logged it on Letterboxd and only 54 critics reviewed it on Rotten Tomatoes (mostly positive!). Even though it had its world premiere in Competition at the Berlinale and is by one of the most important filmmakers working today and certainly one of the most important in Australia. She realized that the reason she's one of the few critics recommending Limbo is partly because she's one of the few people who saw it! And that's because she had a pre-existing interest in Indigenous films from Australia, which goes back years and has taken a long, circuitous path. So on today's episode, Alex talks about how she got interested in Indigenous films from Australia, why Limbo is one of the best films of 2024, and why you don't have to have her dedication to the topic to find something to love about the film. Related Episodes: Ep. 131 Remembering Jeff Barnaby Ep. 120 Remembering David Gulpilil Stay updated on Seventh Row Follow Seventh Row on Twitter, Bluesky and Instagram. Read our articles at seventh-row.com. Follow Alex Heeney on Bluesky, Twitter and Instagram. 

***Join the Seventh Row newsletter to stay updated and find out about more great under-the-radar character dramas: http://email.seventh-row.com ------- What separates a good character drama from a great character drama is a film that actually places the character in a very particular context — a place, a culture, a group of people — so we understand what constraints and opportunities they're responding to. In this episode, Alex talks about how Magnus von Horn's The Girl with the Needle exemplifies this definition of a great character drama. In fact, it's one of the best movies of 2024. It's a film that's as about the complex characters at its centre as the world that produced them and pushed them to behave in the way they do. Then, Alex talks to director von Horn about how we crafted the world around the characters. Set in Copenhagen during/after WWI, The Girl with the Needle follows Karoline in her quest for upward mobility when she finds herself with an unwanted pregnancy desperate for a solution. Enter Dagmar, who provides an enticing solution and becomes her new employer. But is Dagmar's promise as simple and sweet as it sounds? Related Episodes: Ep 101. Magnus von Horn's The Here After and Sweat Stay updated on Seventh Row Follow Seventh Row on Twitter and Instagram. Read our articles at seventh-row.com. Follow Alex Heeney on Twitter and Instagram. 

** Doors are now open for Reel Ruminators: Explorer, an annual membership which curates 12 incredible films you may have missed. ** Find out more here: http://seventh-row.com/explorer ------- In 2011, I came very, very close to never seeing the movie that would be my favourite film of the 2010s.  So that got me thinking... What makes us willing to take a chance on a film that might surprise us? In this episode, I tell you about my near miss, why I think I still would have missed the movie later if I hadn't seen it when I did, and what I learned about what we can all do to avoid missing our next favourite film. Related Episodes: Ep. 107. Another Round and Oslo, August 31st: Are men OK? Masculinity, mental health & addiction Stay updated on Seventh Row Follow Seventh Row on Twitter and Instagram. Read our articles at seventh-row.com. Follow Alex Heeney on Twitter and Instagram. 

** Doors are now open for Reel Ruminators: Explorer, an annual membership which curates 12 incredible films you may have missed. ** Find out more here: http://seventh-row.com/explorer ** Or purchase your membership now: http://reelruminators.com/payment  ------- Last week on the podcast, Alex recommended the Cillian Murphy Irish drama Small Things Like These, directed by Tim Mielants.  A listener raised that the film had terrible distribution, so in this episode, Alex looks at why it's so hard to see Small Things Like These. She compares the film's distribution to other Cillian Murphy independent films, other films in this year's Berlinale Competition (where Small Things premiered), and other niche films starring even bigger stars.  Unfortunately, while the distribution for Small Things Like These is frustratingly bad, it's actually pretty good for a film of its ilk. Related Episodes: 146. Tim Mielants' Small Things Like These Creative Nonfiction #2: Sophie Fiennes on Four Quartets Ep. 38 Australian Westerns and The True History of the Kelly Gang (Members Only) Stay updated on Seventh Row Follow Seventh Row on Twitter and Instagram. Read our articles at seventh-row.com. Follow Alex Heeney on Twitter and Instagram. 

On today's episode, Alex recommends the Cillian Murphy Irish drama Small Things Like These, directed by Tim Mielants. Based on the novella by Claire Keegan, the film addresses a dark chapter of Irish history from a side angle: the story of a man who realizes he can no longer be silently complicit in the abuse of unwed mothers by the Catholic Church.  Want to discover and watch more under-the-radar films with my expert guidance and a community of movie lovers? Join the waitlist for Reel Ruminators so you'll be the first to know when doors open for November: http://seventh-row.com/reelruminators. Coming soon: Indigenous Noirvember. Stay updated on Seventh Row Follow Seventh Row on Twitter and Instagram. Read our articles at seventh-row.com. Follow Alex Heeney on Twitter and Instagram. 

On the occasion of the release of Steve McQueen's Blitz, we're bringing back our 2020 episode on his five BBC films about the Windrush Generation, Small Axe. With Blitz, McQueen returns to telling stories of Black British history. This episode was originally published on December 30, 2020. We discuss each film (or episode?) of McQueen's series and how they work together to form a cohesive whole. This episode features Editor-in-Chief Alex Heeney, Executive Editor Orla Smith, Associate Editor Brett Pardy, and special guests Andrew Kendall and Debbie Zhou. For detailed show notes, visit: https://seventh-row.com/2020/12/29/ep-72-small-axe/ Follow Seventh Row on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, and read our articles at seventh-row.com.

**To join the waitlist for Reel Ruminators: A Movie-of-the-Month Discussion Club, visit http://seventh-row.com/reelruminators ** Legendary theatre director Marianne Elliott (Angels in America at the National Theatre, gender-swapped Company, War Horse) joins Alex on the podcast to discuss her feature film debut, The Salt Path. The film is based on the best-selling memoir about a working-class British couple who lose their home and embark on a long hike along the coast to heal themselves. It had its world premiere at TIFF. Elliott sat down with Alex via Zoom before the film's premiere to discuss the challenges and excitement of making the move from theatre to film and why she wanted to tell this particular story about a woman in her 50s and her husband. The Salt Path was a sales title at the festival and does not yet have a North American distributor. The episode is spoiler-free. Related Episodes: 98. Marianne Elliott's Angels in America (Members Only) 42. Dominic Cooke's On Chesil Beach  (Members Only) Bonus 17. Saoirse Ronan and James McArdle in The Tragedy of Macbeth (Members Only) Creative Nonfiction #2: Sophie Fiennes on Four Quartets and documenting theatre on film Creative Nonfiction #4: Sam Green on 32 Sounds and inspirations from theatre About the TIFF 2024 season: The TIFF 2024 season previews under-the-radar gems and buzzy titles at the festival with spoiler-free episodes that will help you prioritize what to watch for in the coming months. The season will be spoiler-free and designed to be listened to even if you haven't seen the films (or are worried you won't ever be able to).  Check out all of our TIFF 2024 coverage here: https://seventh-row.com/tiff24

On today's episode, Alex recommends alternative programming to the newly released Oscar-tipped Conclave, with another film about a new pope: Nanni Moretti's 2011 film We Have a Pope. It's fun and funny, a backstage movie that's still aware of the audience, and full of rich characters with actual motivations. Seeing Conclave made me wish I had been rewatching this instead.  For my thoughts on Conclave, check out my TIFF 2024 episode on the film. Want to discover and watch more under-the-radar films with my expert guidance and a community of movie lovers? Join the waitlist for Reel Ruminators: A Movie-of-the-Month Discussion Club so you'll be the first to know when doors open for November: http://seventh-row.com/reelruminators. Coming soon: Indigenous Noirvember. Stay updated on Seventh Row Follow Seventh Row on Twitter and Instagram. Read our articles at seventh-row.com. Follow Alex Heeney on Twitter and Instagram. 

Toronto-based film critic Angelo Muredda joins Alex Heeney to discuss Brady Corbet's The Brutalist, a four-hour fictional biopic about a brutalist architect and Holocaust survivor adjusting to life in post-war America. The film is Directorial Choices: The Movie. It won the Best Director Prize at the Venice Film Festival, but we had a lot of issues with the direction and the film. Despite its shortcomings, it offers a lot of fodder for discussion. The episode is spoiler-free. For detailed show notes, visit: https://seventh-row.com/2024/10/23/tiff-2024-brady-corbet-the-brutalist/ About the TIFF 2024 season: The TIFF 2024 season previews under-the-radar gems and buzzy titles at the festival with spoiler-free episodes that will help you prioritize what to watch for in the coming months. The season will be spoiler-free and designed to be listened to even if you haven't seen the films (or are worried you won't ever be able to).  Check out all of our TIFF 2024 coverage here: https://seventh-row.com/tiff24

**Are you interested in discovering extraordinary under-the-radar movies and discussing them with a community of film lovers?** **Sign up for the Reel Ruminators (Free Trial), by visiting https://email.seventh-row.com/trial. The discussion will happen on October 13 at 12 p.m. EST. ** Toronto-based film critic Angelo Muredda joins Alex Heeney to discuss one of the biggest directorial swings at TIFF: Joshua Oppenheimer's The End. Starring Tilda Swinton, George MacKay, and Michael Shannon, the film is a musical about a rich family surviving in isolation in a salt mine bunker after the climate apocalypse. We discuss how the film works as a post-apocalyptic story and a musical, and how what we found interesting about the film may not be what Oppenheimer felt was most central. The End will be released in North America on December 6, 2024. The episode avoids major spoilers. About the TIFF 2024 season: The TIFF 2024 season previews under-the-radar gems and buzzy titles at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. This is for you if: You're attending TIFF and looking for recommendations; You're looking ahead to your local film festival for must-see titles; and/or You're interested in how filmmakers from around the world explore similar topics/genres, even if you're not sure if you'll ever see the films. The season will be spoiler-free and designed to be listened to even if you haven't seen the films (or are worried you won't ever be able to).  Check out all of our TIFF 2024 coverage here: https://seventh-row.com/tiff24

**To sign up for the Reel Ruminators (Free Trial), visit https://email.seventh-row.com/trial.** In this episode, Alex Heeney discusses the new independent British film The Old Man and the Land, which was just released in the U.K. The film is told almost entirely as a series of voicemails from a farmer's two adult children (played by Rory Kinnear and Emily Beecham).  On screen, we only ever see the farmer (their father) tending to the land, doing his chores and daily activities. We never see the people whose voices we hear. The film raises interesting questions about how the film differs (or not) from a radio play in how it tells the story. What does the disconnect between sound and image in cinema offer for the story? Stay updated on Seventh Row Follow Seventh Row on Twitter and Instagram. Read our articles at seventh-row.com. Follow Alex Heeney on Twitter and Instagram. 

**To sign up for the Reel Ruminators (Free Trial), visit https://email.seventh-row.com/trial.** In this episode of the TIFF 2024 season, Alex is joined by Toronto-based film critic Angelo Muredda to discuss one of our most anticipated titles of the festival: Luca Guadagnino's Queer.  The film adapts the Williams S. Burroughs novel of the same name. Daniel Craig stars as William Lee, Burroughs' alter-ego, a lonely man in post-war Mexico City, desperately chasing after younger men. When he meets Eugene Allerton (Drew Starkey), he's instantly smitten, but Allerton plays hot and cold with him. After a tentative on-again-off-again courtship, Lee persuades Allerton to go to South America with him in search of hallucinogenic drugs that will help with telepathy. In Queer, Guadagnino has reteamed with several Challengers collaborators: screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes, costume designer Jonathan Anderson, cinematographer Sayombhu Mukdeeprom, and editor Marco Costa.  The episode is spoiler-free. About the TIFF 2024 season: The TIFF 2024 season will give you a preview of some of the best under-the-radar gems and some of the buzziest titles at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival through themed episodes. This is for you if: You're attending TIFF and looking for recommendations; You're looking ahead to your local film festival for must-see titles; and/or You're interested in how filmmakers from around the world explore similar topics/genres, even if you're not sure if you'll ever see the films. The season will be spoiler-free and designed to be listened to even if you haven't seen the films (or are worried you won't ever be able to).  Check out all of our TIFF 2024 coverage here: https://seventh-row.com/tiff24

In this episode of the TIFF 2024 season, Alex discusses two films starring Ralph Fiennes: Uberto Pasolini's The Return and Edward Berger's Conclave. In them, Fiennes respectively plays Odysseus at the end of his journey and a cardinal in charge of the process for selecting a new pope. The episode is spoiler-free. About the TIFF 2024 season: In the TIFF 2024 season, Editor-in-Chief Alex Heeney will discuss some of the best under-the-radar gems at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival through themed episodes. This is for you if: You're attending TIFF and looking for recommendations; You're looking ahead to your local film festival for must-see titles; and/or You're interested in how filmmakers from around the world explore similar topics/genres, even if you're not sure if you'll ever see the films. The season will be spoiler-free and designed to be listened to even if you haven't seen the films (or are worried you won't ever be able to).  Check out all of our TIFF 2024 coverage here: https://seventh-row.com/tif24 ---- Interested in attending a film festival? Get my five essential tips for the film adventurer seeking a fantastic festival experience. These tips are tailored to TIFF but will work for any other film festival. Sign up here: http://email.seventh-row.com/tiff24

In this episode of the TIFF 2024 season, Alex discusses three films about bicultural daughters and their absent fathers. Fittingly, the films are about identity, the role of the father-daughter relationship, and what it may mean for both father and daughter for that relationship to be severed.  To discuss the films' differing cultural contexts, I quote from interviews with the filmmakers, who share many similar insights despite their disparate backgrounds. All three films are world premieres at TIFF and are still seeking North American/UK distributors. The films are: Egil Pederson's My Father's Daughter (Sápmi) - first feature Koya Kamura's Winter in Sokcho (France) - first feature Guillaume Senez's A Missing Part  (Belgium/France) About the TIFF 2024 season: In the TIFF 2024 season, Editor-in-Chief Alex Heeney will discuss some of the best under-the-radar gems at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival through themed episodes. This is for you if: You're attending TIFF and looking for recommendations; You're looking ahead to your local film festival for must-see titles; and/or You're interested in how filmmakers from around the world explore similar topics/genres, even if you're not sure if you'll ever see the films. The season will be spoiler-free and designed to be listened to even if you haven't seen the films (or are worried you won't ever be able to).  Check out all of our TIFF 2024 coverage here: https://seventh-row.com/tif24 ---- Interested in attending a film festival? Get my five essential tips for the film adventurer seeking a fantastic festival experience. These tips are tailored to TIFF but will work for any other film festival. Sign up here: http://email.seventh-row.com/tiff24

In this episode of the TIFF 2024 season, Alex discusses two new films from masters of British social realism: Andrea Arnold's Bird and Mike Leigh's Hard Truths. Bird had its world premiere at Cannes in May; Hard Truths had its world premiere at TIFF. Alex finds similarities in subject matter and storytelling approach between the films, including the very strong performances from some Seventh Row favourites, and discusses what each of them is individually doing that's worth noting.  Alex wrote the book on Mike Leigh's Peterloo and his process, so her discussion of Hard Truths places it within Leigh's oeuvre and discusses how his signature process helped make this film an impressive achievement. On this episode 0:00 Intro to the episode 3:34 Andrea Arnold's Bird 16:32 Mike Leigh's Hard Truths 38:14 Closing remarks, more from TIFF to find and look forward to More Andrea Arnold An essay on landscape and limbo in Fish Tank by Gillie Collins A review of American Honey by Elena Lazic An interview with editor Joe Bini by Orla Smith on editing Lynne Ramsay's You Were Never Really Here and how that differs from working with Andrea Arnold More Mike Leigh Read our ebook on Mike Leigh's Peterloo: mikeleighbook.com Listen to Ep. 32: Sorry We Missed You and Peterloo (Members Only) Listen to Ep. 119: Mike Leigh's Naked (FREE) Listen to us discuss Vera Drake and its place in the history of abortion movies in our Abortion on Film season. About the TIFF 2024 season: In the TIFF 2024 season, Editor-in-Chief Alex Heeney will discuss some of the best under-the-radar gems at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival through themed episodes. This is for you if: You're attending TIFF and looking for recommendations; You're looking ahead to your local film festival for must-see titles; and/or You're interested in how filmmakers from around the world explore similar topics/genres, even if you're not sure if you'll ever see the films. The season will be spoiler-free and designed to be listened to even if you haven't seen the films (or are worried you won't ever be able to).  Check out all of our TIFF 2024 coverage here: https://seventh-row.com/tif24 ---- Interested in attending a film festival? Get my five essential tips for the film adventurer seeking a fantastic festival experience. These tips are tailored to TIFF but will work for any other film festival. Sign up here: http://email.seventh-row.com/tiff24

In this episode of the TIFF 2024 season, Alex discusses three films from around the world that take place within the world of sports but aren't really about sports.  Alex finds common ground in how the films are shot and tell stories, often through gestures and blocking rather than dialogue. These films are: Leonardo van Dijl's Julie Keeps Quiet – Belgium/Sweden (sales title) Frida Kempff's The Swedish Torpedo - World Premiere - Sweden (sales title) Hiroshi Okuyama's My Sunshine - Japan (Film Movement will distribute) About the TIFF 2024 season: In the TIFF 2024 season, Editor-in-Chief Alex Heeney will discuss some of the best under-the-radar gems at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival through themed episodes. This is for you if: You're attending TIFF and looking for recommendations; You're looking ahead to your local film festival for must-see titles; and/or You're interested in how filmmakers from around the world explore similar topics/genres, even if you're not sure if you'll ever see the films. The season will be spoiler-free and designed to be listened to even if you haven't seen the films (or are worried you won't ever be able to).  Check out all of our TIFF 2024 coverage here: https://seventh-row.com/tiff24 ---- Interested in attending a film festival? Get my five essential tips for the film adventurer seeking a fantastic festival experience. These tips are tailored to TIFF but will work for any other film festival. Sign up here: http://email.seventh-row.com/tiff24  

In this episode of the TIFF 2024 season, Alex discusses the four Palestinian films at this year's festival. These films are: No Other Land (Yuval Abraham, Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Rachel Szor) - Norway/Palestine To a Land Unknown (Mehdi Fleifel) - Germany, France, United Kingdom, Greece, Netherlands, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia Happy Holidays (Scandar Copti) - Germany, France, Italy, Palestine, Qatar From Ground Zero (22 directors), France, Jordan, Palestine, Qatar About the TIFF 2024 season: In the TIFF 2024 season, Editor-in-Chief Alex Heeney will discuss some of the best under-the-radar gems at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival through themed episodes. This is for you if: You're attending TIFF and look for recommendations; You're looking ahead to your local film festival for must-see titles; and/or You're interested in how filmmakers from around the world are exploring similar topics/genres, even if you're not sure if you'll ever see the films. The season will be spoiler-free and designed to be listened to even if you haven't seen the films (or are worried you won't ever be able to).  Check out all of our TIFF 2024 coverage here: https://seventh-row.com/tiff24 ---- Interested in attending a film festival? Get my five essential tips for the film adventurer seeking a fantastic festival experience. These tips are tailored to TIFF but will work for any other film festival. Sign up here: http://email.seventh-row.com/tiff24  

The 2024 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) kicks off on Thursday, September 5, and Editor-in-Chief Alex Heeney will cover it with a series of podcast episodes. In this episode, Alex introduces the podcast season and explains why this season is for you and whether or not you're attending TIFF this year. I'll explain what to expect from this podcast season and why TIFF and our coverage are relevant to you if you're interested in exploring world cinema.  About the TIFF 2024 season: In the TIFF 2024 season, Editor-in-Chief Alex Heeney will discuss some of the best under-the-radar gems at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival through themed episodes. This is for you if: You're attending TIFF and look for recommendations; You're looking ahead to your local film festival for must-see titles; and/or You're interested in how filmmakers from around the world are exploring similar topics/genres, even if you're not sure if you'll ever see the films. The season will be spoiler-free and designed to be listened to even if you haven't seen the films (or are worried you won't ever be able to).  Click here for a link to all of our TIFF 2024 coverage. ---- Interested in attending a film festival? Get my five essential tips for the film adventurer seeking a fantastic festival experience. These tips are tailored to TIFF but will work for any other film festival.  

Announcement: I'm covering TIFF, the Toronto International Film Festival! Sign up to receive my five essential tips for the film adventurer seeking a fantastic festival experience, whether at TIFF (or any other festival) at email.seventh-row.com/tiff24. --- Alex Heeney interviews writer-director (and Seventh Row fan!) India Donaldson about her debut feature, Good One. Inspired by Seventh Row favourites Kelly Reichardt and Joanna Hogg (we wrote the books on both of them!), Donaldson's film is a quiet story of a teenage girl who goes camping in the woods with her self-absorbed divorced father and his father's best friend. We observe her as she observes the adults who don't quite behave like adults in ways that are often quite hurtful to her. Donaldson tells Alex about adjusting her expectations to get her first feature made, working with her incredible cast, telling a story about a child of divorce, shooting outdoors in a remote area, and more. The film premiered at Sundance before screening at the Cannes Film Festival in the Director's Fortnight sidebar. The film is now in theatres in the US and Canada. Want to keep exploring Joanna Hogg's and Kelly Reichardt's films? Get our ebook on Joanna Hogg at thesouvenirbook.com Get our ebook on Kelly Riechardt's films and process at reichardtbook.com Listen to our podcasts on Kelly Reichardt and her films Listen to our podcast on Joanna Hogg's The Souvenir Part I & II (ep. 118: FREE!) Stay updated on Seventh Row Follow Seventh Row on Twitter and Instagram. Read our articles at seventh-row.com. Follow Alex Heeney on Twitter and Instagram.  For detailed show notes, visit the Seventh Row website. There is also an AI-generated transcript available.

Toronto film critic Nathalie Atkinson joins Alex Heeney to discuss their latest obsession -- Amazon Prime's swashbuckling fantasy series, My Lady Jane -- and why we can't stop thinking about it. From husbands that are sometimes horses, to intimacy coordination by Ita O'Brien (Normal People), to an incredible cast (Edward Bluemel!), the show is a whole lot of fun with impressive craft behind it. The limited series reimagines the story of Lady Jane Grey, the Tudor Queen who, at age 16, was queen for nine days. The show asks, what could have happened if Lady Jane lasted a little bit longer, had a whole lot of gumption, and also, uh…what if a bunch of people, named Ethians, could also transform into animals? The show is part romance, part adventure, part YA coming-of-ager, with an incredible supporting cast. >> Subscribe to our FREE newsletter for updates on the best new under-the-radar films and streaming theatre productions

Announcement: Our new membership, Reel Ruminators: A Movie-of-the-Month Discussion Club is now open for new members in August! Doors close on August 8 at 11:59 p.m. EST. Once doors close, we won't be opening them again until October. Find out more and reserve your spot by clicking here. --- Alex Heeney interviews South African director and co-writer Oliver Schmitz about the 4K restoration of his landmark 1988 film, Mapantsula. Mapantsula was the first movie about the realities of apartheid that was actually made by South Africans in South Africa.  In the press notes for, director Oliver Schmitz writes, “Mapantsula is not just a film, it is an act of defiance. It is guerilla filmmaking and a cameo of some of the best talent from South AFRICA in the 1980's — and by that, I mean Black talent, that had been held back, had no voice, and could not speak freely. Mapantsula was a taste of freedom at a time of the worst repression in South Africa. It was a loud andclear expletive at the Apartheid Government. It was a film that should not have been made, and yet, it was.” The film is now in theatres in the US and available to stream on BFI Player in the UK. >> Subscribe to our FREE newsletter for updates on the best new under-the-radar films and streaming theatre productions

I've just launched a Reel Ruminators: A Movie-of-the-Month discussion Club, a new membership for movie lovers to watch amazing movies and meet other film lovers to discuss them. In this trailer, I will tell you more about Reel Ruminators and help you figure out whether it's a good fit for you. Doors are currently open to join, and doors close Thursday, July 4 at 11:59 p.m. EST for July's Reel Ruminators. Click here to find out more and join Reel Ruminators

Announcement: Our new membership, Reel Ruminators: A Movie-of-the-Month Discussion Club is now open for new members in July! Doors close on July 4 at 11:59 p.m. Find out more and reserve your spot by clicking here. ---- Alex Heeney interviews legendary Polish filmmaker Agnieszka Holland about her Venice Jury Prize-Winning film, Green Border. Holland discusses why she wanted to make the film, how it's in conversation with her other work, and why she chose to shoot it in black and white. Green Border is about the ongoing migrant crisis at the Polish-Belarusian border and the horrors happening there. Holland tells the story from multiple perspectives, including a family of refugees, a group of activists helping migrants, and the border guards, to give a picture of the complex and harrowing situation. >> Subscribe to our FREE newsletter for updates on the best new under-the-radar films and streaming theatre productions

Alex Heeney interviews co-directors Alex Thompson and Kelly O'Sullivan whose new film Ghostlight was a hit at Sundance. Ghostlight is the story of middle-aged construction worker Dan (Ian Keiser) who discovers that theatre and Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet are excellent outlets for working through his complicated feelings of grief, guilt, and anger. >> Subscribe to our FREE newsletter for updates on the best new under-the-radar films and streaming theatre productions

In this episode, we discuss Luca Guadagnino's new film Challengers (2024), which stars Zendaya, Mike Faist, and Seventh Row favourite Josh O'Connor as competitive tennis players and romantic rivals.  Film critic and Katherine Hepburn obsessive Andrew Kendall joins host Alex Heeney for the episode. We are both Josh O'Connor super-fans and liked the film. But we had a lot of issues with it. We discuss why we can't stop thinking about it and where it disappoints.  Get your copy of Alex's book on Luca Guadagnino's Call Me by Your Name. Get your copy of Alex's book on Francis Lee's film God's Own Country, which stars Josh O'Connor in his breakout role. Get both books with our 35% discounted bundle here. For detailed show notes,  click here. There is also an AI-generated transcript available on our website. Subscribe to our FREE newsletter for updates on all Seventh Row content + streaming recommendations.  Follow Seventh Row on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, and read our articles at seventh-row.com. Follow Andrew Kendall on Twitter. Follow Alex Heeney on Twitter and Instagram.  On this episode: 0:00 Intro to Challengers and why we're talking about the film (Josh O'Connor and Luca Guadagnino) 6:04 Why can't we stop thinking about the film even though we had issues with it? What's all the fuss about? 13:40 Tennis serves as an extended metaphor and a structure of the film and informs the film's grammar 26:15 Missing scenes and character development 56:49 The film fails to recognize momentous occasions and how this relates to the way the film was shot 1:00:00 How Luca Guadagnino's direction rescues weaknesses in the script and performances 1:20:00 Will Challengers still matter by the end of the year or years from now? 1:23:00 Where you can find us, related episodes, coming soon on the podcast Show Notes Purchase a copy of Alex's ebook Call Me by Your Name: A Special Issue Purchase a copy of Alex's ebook God's Own Country: A Special Issue Read Andrew's review of Challengers for Stabroek News Read Seventh Row's Special Issue on A Bigger Splash Read Alex's piece on Josh O'Connor's performances in Emma. and Hope Gap Related Episodes: Get the Spotify Playlist of FREE related episodes. Ep. 110: Weekend and End of the Century  Ep. 115: Revisiting The English Patient 25 Years Later with Andrew Kendall Ep. 33: Comparing Emma Adaptations, including Emma. starring Josh O'Connor (Members Only) Ep. 28: 1917 and Jarhead: Sam Mendes' war films (Members Only) Ep. 66 Francis Lee's God's Own Country and Ammonite  Ep. 71: The Crown Season 4  Ep. 4: Suspiria and Luca Guadagnino's violent bodies (Members Only) Ep. 94: Looking HBO with Andrew Kendall (Members Only) More episodes featuring Andrew Kendall Ep. 115: Revisiting The English Patient 25 Years Later (Members Only) Ep. 82: Quo Vadis, Aida and Our Lady of the Nile: Genocide on Film (Members Only) Ep. 108: The Deep Blue Sea(s) Redux Discover all episodes featuring Andrew Kendall. Coming Soon: Abortion on Film Season In this six-episode season, we discuss how socially progressive depictions of abortion on film have changed and developed since the 1950s. The season will start airing publicly in late May, but you can listen to the entire season today as a member! Find out more about the Abortion on Film season Become a member to listen to the entire season today! We will begin airing the show to the public in the coming weeks.

Director Uberto Pasolini and James Norton discuss avoiding sentimentality and collaborating on their film Nowhere Special (2020).  Seventh Row Host Alex Heeney interviews them and offers her take on why this heartwarming and heartbreaking tearjerker is worth your time. James Norton plays John, a 35-year-old window cleaner and single dad who is dying of an unspecified disease. To prepare for the future, he searches for adoptive parents to care for his three-year-old son Michael after he dies. The film is about the relationship between father and son and its mundanities, how we care for and protect our children, and how the pair learn to cope with their reality. It's tender and warm, and James Norton is great. Nowhere Special is out in US cinemas today. It's streaming on BBC iPlayer on the UK.  For detailed show notes, visit: https://seventh-row.com/2021/01/06/ep-73-explorations-of-rape-culture-in-promising-young-woman-and-the-assistant/ Subscribe to our FREE newsletter for updates on all Seventh Row content + streaming recommendations.  Follow Seventh Row on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, and read our articles at seventh-row.com. On this episode: 0:00-10:49 Introduction to the film 10:49-29:22 Interview with James Norton and Uberto Pasolini 29:22-31:06 Related episodes, announcements Related Episodes: Ep. 85: The films of Naomi Kawase, featuring True Mothers Bonus 19: Who is the poshest actor in Britain? Coming Soon: Abortion on Film Season In this six-episode season, we discuss how socially progressive depictions of abortion on film have changed and developed since the 1950s. We're putting the finishing touches on the season now, and hoping to have it out in about a month's time.  Find out more about the Abortion on Film season Become a member to listen to the entire season today! We will begin airing the show to the public in the coming weeks.

Emerald Fennell's new film, Saltburn, comes out today, so we're re-releasing our 2021 episode about two very different depictions of rape culture from 2020: Fennell's revenge thriller Promising Young Woman and Kitty Green's The Assistant, a portrait of a young woman working in a misogynistic office environment. This is a landmark episode of the podcast, which kickstarted a series of episodes on rape culture on film. This episode features Editor-in-Chief Alex Heeney, Executive Editor Orla Smith, and special guest Lindsay Pugh. Want to support the podcast? Become a member today, and access our entire archive of 150+ episodes. It helps us pay our expenses to keep the podcast going and continue to improve the podcast. For detailed show notes, visit: https://seventh-row.com/2021/01/06/ep-73-explorations-of-rape-culture-in-promising-young-woman-and-the-assistant/ Follow Seventh Row on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, and read our articles at seventh-row.com. Related episodes: Ep. 86 (Members Only): Una & Slalom: Depictions of childhood sexual assault  Ep. 92 (Members Only): Sugar Daddy and An Easy Girl: Commidfying women Ep. 132 (Free): Sarah Polley's Women Talking Coming Soon: Abortion on Film Season In this six-episode season, we discuss how socially progressive depictions of abortion on film have changed and developed since the 1950s. We're putting the finishing touches on the season now, and hoping to have it out in about a month's time.  Members get early access to the Abortion on Film season! Once the season starts, we'll be releasing new episodes every two weeks, but members will get the first three episodes immediately, and early access to the remaining episodes. Become a member.

In the fifth and final episode of our Creative Nonfiction Film podcast season, Alex Heeney talks to Penny Lane about her experimentations with documentary form in Confessions of a Good Samaritan. The film is a trip inside Penny's brain as she goes through the stressful process of anonymously donating her kidney and investigates why kidney donations are necessary. Lane weaves almost all of the techniques from her previous films (and a few more!) into Confessions of a Good Samaritan, offering a thoughtful, educational, and funny look at the complicated feelings that come with doing good in the world at some personal expense. Click here to read the episode show notes. You will also find an AI-generated transcript in the show notes. Useful links Visit the Creative Nonfiction Podcast homepage Discover all of our resources on the films of Joachim Trier Pre-order Existential detours: Joachim Trier's cinema of indecisions and revisions More on creative nonfiction Download a FREE excerpt from Subjective Realities here. Get your copy of the ebook Subjective Realities: The art of creative nonfiction film here. Get your copy of the ebook In their own words: Documentary Masters vol. 1 Listen to the podcast on the ebook Subjective realities: The art of creative nonfiction film Become a Member Members receive early access to all new episodes of our season. Members can also access the entire podcast archive of 150+ episodes. Our recent episodes from our seasons and regular episodes from the last six months are free to all for a limited time. To get full access to the podcast, including episodes from past Sundance Film Festivals and past Sundance films, become a member. As a member, you will also be supporting what we do, and helping us cover the (expensive) costs of hosting, running a website, podcast equipment, and more. This helps to ensure we can continue producing the podcast. Related Episodes Members Only Episodes Ep. 12: Penny Lane on Hail Satan? (Members' Exclusive): Penny Lane discusses her 2019 film Hail Satan Ep. 40: Dead Mothers (Members' Exclusive): We discuss Joachim Trier's Louder Than Bombs, a film that expertly gets inside the head of its thoughtful characters. We also compare it to Mouthpiece and Stories We Tell. Ep. 122: Joachim Trier's The Worst Person in the World (Free): Joachim Trier's breakout hit is also a film that is very good at getting us inside the protagonist's mind amidst an existential crisis. Free Episodes Ep. 105: Subjective Realities: The art of creative nonfiction film: We discuss the making of the ebook Subjective Realities and what you can expect from the book Ep. 99: Creative Nonfiction with Penny Lane and Carol Nguyen Ep. 123: Sundance 2022: Creative Nonfiction Credits Host Alex Heeney is the Editor-in-Chief of Seventh Row. Find her on Twitter @bwestcineaste. Email us at contact seventh row com. This episode was edited, produced, and recorded by Alex Heeney.

In the fourth episode of our Creative Nonfiction Film podcast season,  Alex Heeney talks to Sam Green about 32 Sounds and his work exploring the possibilities of his work that he describes as "live documentaries". These are part locked footage, part live performance, usually including a live band on stage performing the film's music. On this episode, we give some background on Sam Green's work in live documentary, talk about how A Thousand Thoughts (2018), co-directed with Joe Bini, felt like a turning point for his work in the form, and discuss what makes 32 Sounds such a wonderful and innovative film. Finally, Alex talks to Sam Green about making 32 Sounds, and more broadly about how he thinks about live documentary and why this is a space he likes working in. The episode features a conversation between Alex Heeney and Orla Smith about 32 Sounds and live documentary, recorded in January 2022 right after the world premiere of 32 Sounds. The interview with Sam Green was conducted via Zoom in January 2022 the day after 32 Sounds had its world (virtual) premiere at Sundance. This is an edited version of the complete conversation; the complete conversation is available on our website here.  Click here to read the episode show notes. You will also find an AI-generated transcript in the show notes. Useful links Read Alex Heeney's full interview with Sam Green on 32 Sounds Find screenings of Sam Green's live documentaries Find screenings of 32 Sounds Read Sam Green's introduction to live documentary and Utopia in Four Movements More on creative nonfiction Download a FREE excerpt from Subjective Realities here. Get your copy of the ebook Subjective Realities: The art of creative nonfiction film here. Get your copy of the ebook In their own words: Documentary Masters vol. 1 Listen to the podcast on the ebook Subjective realities: The art of creative nonfiction film Become a Member All of our episodes that are over 6 months old are available to members only. We also regularly record members only episodes. To get full access to the podcast, including episodes from past Sundance Film Festivals and past Sundance films, become a member. As a member, you will also be supporting what we do, and helping us cover the (expensive) costs of hosting, running a website, podcast equipment, and more. This helps to ensure we can continue producing the podcast. Related Episodes Members Only Episodes Ep. 67: Frederick Wiseman's Ex Libris and City Hall  Ep. 95: No Ordinary Man and John Ware Reclaimed: Reclaiming history in documentary (Members only) Free Episodes Ep. 99: Creative Nonfiction with Penny Lane and Carol Nguyen Ep. 123: Sundance 2022: Creative Nonfiction Credits Host Alex Heeney is the Editor-in-Chief of Seventh Row. Find her on Twitter @bwestcineaste. Email us at contact seventh row com. This episode was edited, produced, and recorded by Alex Heeney.

In the third episode of our Creative Nonfiction Film podcast season, Philippe Falardeau discusses Lac-Mégantic: This is Not An Accident is a four-part documentary series about the catastrophic 2013 trainwreck in Lac-Mégantic, its inevitability, the aftermath, and the government failure to change safety requirements to avoid another "accident" in future. Lac-Mégantic had its world premiere at the HotDocs Film Festival where all four episodes were screened back-to-back. The Lac-Mégantic rail disaster was the fourth-deadliest rail accident in Canadian history (47 people died) and the deadliest involving a non-passenger train. The documentary Lac-Mégantic not only chronicles the disaster and its devastating effects on the town Lac-Mégantic, but also how blame was handled and how similar disasters continue to happen. The series reclaims the history of the Lac-Mégantic rail disaster by showing how systemic problems lead to a disaster that has been blamed on individuals. The series also reveals how appropriate safety measures have not been taken in the intervening years to prevent a similar disaster from happening (and other, smaller disasters have indeed continued to happen). At the beginning of the episode, Alex Heeney introduces the series Lac-Mégantic, and why she thinks it's worthy of discussion. Next, we play your Alex's interview with Falardeau about the film. Finally, we wrap up with how the film fits into the framework for creative nonfiction that we at Seventh Row created in our ebook Subjective realities, and offer some suggestions for what to watch and listen to next.  Click here to read the episode show notes. You will also find an AI-generated transcript in the show notes. Useful links Watch our masterclass with Philippe Falardeau and Mina Shum Read our interview with Philippe Falardeau on My Internship in Canada More on creative nonfiction Download a FREE excerpt from Subjective Realities here. Get your copy of the ebook Subjective Realities: The art of creative nonfiction film here. Get your copy of the ebook In their own words: Documentary Masters vol. 1 Become a Member All of our episodes that are over 6 months old are available to members only. We also regularly record members only episodes. To get full access to the podcast, including episodes from past Sundance Film Festivals and past Sundance films, become a member. As a member, you will also be supporting what we do, and helping us cover the (expensive) costs of hosting, running a website, podcast equipment, and more. This helps to ensure we can continue producing the podcast. Related Episodes Members Only Episodes Bonus Episode 25: This is Going to Hurt and physician mental health Ep. 41: In the Loop and My Internship in Canada: Political satires Ep. 67: Frederick Wiseman's Ex Libris and City Hall  Ep. 95: No Ordinary Man and John Ware Reclaimed: Reclaiming history in documentary (Members only) Free Episodes Ep. 99: Creative Nonfiction with Penny Lane and Carol Nguyen Ep. 123: Sundance 2022: Creative Nonfiction Credits Host Alex Heeney is the Editor-in-Chief of Seventh Row. Find her on Twitter @bwestcineaste. Email us at contact seventh row com. This episode was edited, produced, and recorded by Alex Heeney.