The Curb | Culture. Unity. Reviews. Banter.

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky @thecurbau. We are a completely independent and ad free website that lives on the support of listeners and readers just like you. Visit Patreon.com/thecurbau, where you can support our work from as little as $1 a month. If you are unable to financially support us, then please consider sharing this interview with your podcast loving friends.We'd also love it if you could rate and review us on the podcast player of your choice. Every review helps amplify the interviews and stories to a wider audience. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Harley Hefford and Luke Thomas are two thirtysomething Naarm-Melbourne based creatives who have a background in events, festivals, and bars. Their latest endeavour is an art community spread over ten floors in a new creative space in Collingwood located in the iconic Easey's building, best known for the train carriages that sit on its rooftop. In the following chat, Harley and Luke talk about the foundation of Trainscendence, which kicks off with a two day grand opening experience on Friday 20 June and Saturday 21 June 2025, featuring a Monopoly style event full of live art, music, food, and drinks spread out the venue. If you're keen to find out more about Trainscendence or are an artist who is keen to book in, then visit Trainscendence.com.au for more info, or reach out to the crew via info@trainscendence.com.au Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky @thecurbau. We are a completely independent and ad free website that lives on the support of listeners and readers just like you. Visit Patreon.com/thecurbau, where you can support our work from as little as $1 a month. If you are unable to financially support us, then please consider sharing this interview with your podcast loving friends.We'd also love it if you could rate and review us on the podcast player of your choice. Every review helps amplify the interviews and stories to a wider audience. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As I tell Gabrielle in the following interview, when a new Gabrielle Brady film emerges into the world, it is like the arrival of a gift, one that pulls us into a mindset of considering the lives of others, including those of the crabs of Christmas Island, or maybe the horses of the Gobi Desert. It's one that encourages us to see the world of truth differently. That notion of truth is something I've asked filmmakers a lot lately, and I'm conscious of its almost accusatory nature, as if documentary filmmaking must adhere to one True Reality. But it's impossible. The truth can never be captured on screen, and truth is in itself a falsity. After all, as soon as you put a camera on an event, or slice it with an editing suite, or apply a score to it, you are skewing reality away from the truth. Documentary storytelling is, by its own creation, not the truth. Yet, the emotions that we're left with and the memories that linger in our mind after the film has long played out, become a source of truth. Yet, as I slip into this spiral a little further, it's clear that co-authored filmmaking like that of Gabrielle Brady's exists to explore versions of the truth, to bring stories of subjects and collaborators to life, and to enrich our collective world.These notions are underpinned by Gabrielle's choice to study at the prestigious La Escuela Internacional de Cine in Cuba, a place which fosters the notion to 'defend the rights to ones own image' and to 'liberate the viewer's gaze'. These are ideas that I ask Gabrielle about in the following interview, which gives way to an open conversation about her creative process, and what it means to be able to work alongside people like Poh Lin, Davaa and Zaya, and Michael Latham, on her films.This interview was recorded ahead of Wolves' screenings at the Sydney Film Festival on 10 and 12 June. This is a film I urge audiences to see in a cinema, let it overwhelm your senses. Let it change you. If you're interested in reading about how the film changed me, then you can read my review here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zoe Pepper mines the generational wealth divide for all its worth in the acidic WA-made comedy Birthright. Cory (a perfectly cast deadpan Travis Jeffery) and his very pregnant wife Jasmine (an equally deadpan and delightful Maria Angelico) are getting the shaft from their rental. Stuffed in more ways than one, they load up all they can into the boot of their car and trundle off to the sanctuary of mum and dad, Cory's baby-boomer parents, Richard and Lyn (pitch perfect casting of Michael Hurst and Linda Cropper).Cory's parents live in a swanky abode in a leafy green suburb somewhere in Perth. Their house has more rooms than they need, with costly, barely used furniture swaddled in sheets and blankets to protect them from dust. Their home feels, well, a little soulless, like the misused result of decades of wealth accumulation; by any other name they might be called 'hoarders'.I couldn't help but unleash my praise on Zoe in the following interview, one which explores the foundations of the film, its relevance to now, the casting process, and the joys of bringing dark comedy to life on screen. I also apply a misreading to the film about a rock that Richard holds during one scene, summoning the name of one Scott Morrison, and alluding to his infamous embrace of coal in Parliament House.Birthright is the kind of film that'll shine with an audience, and for Aussies in Sydney, they'll get the chance to do so on Thursday 12 June, with two more sessions on 13 and 14 June at the Sydney Film Festival. Check out SFF.org.au for tickets and more details.Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky @thecurbau. We are a completely independent and ad free website that lives on the support of listeners and readers just like you. Visit Patreon.com/thecurbau, where you can support our work from as little as $1 a month. If you are unable to financially support us, then please consider sharing this interview with your podcast loving friends.We'd also love it if you could rate and review us on the podcast player of your choice. Every review helps amplify the interviews and stories to a wider audience. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Judith Hancock has always felt that was different from her siblings. Having spent her youth in boarding schools, Judith felt disconnected from her family in more ways than just distance. When she returned home from boarding school, she spent most of her time with children from an orphanage where her father worked.Judith felt other aspects of difference in her family that caused her to wonder whether she was adopted - her siblings were much older than she was, and her mother was not particularly caring or loving. This lingering lack of closure for Judith was amplified after her mother passed away with the question of Judith's parental connection never being truly resolved.Judith is now 87, and with the support of her grandson, Archie Hancock, and his creative filmmaking partner Jack Zimmerman, she is given the opportunity to have that discussion in the documentary short film The 'Conversation'. This dramatic short film plays out like a cinematic sibling to the work of Kitty Green, notably her impressive 2017 film, Casting JonBenet, which saw actors play the roles of JonBenet Ramsay's family, trying to get to the core of the truth of that enduring mystery.With The 'Conversation', the mystery of whether Judith was adopted or not is almost secondary to the experience of talking through her concerns with someone 'acting' as her mother, with Judith given the chance to expend the emotional weight she has been carrying over these years. Call it manufacturing muscle memory or role playing if you will. What results is a film about catharsis and the mental toll that was left behind from the era of forced adoptions that occurred in Australia in the decades between the 1940s to 1970s. These are lingering emotional and traumatic events that have been left unresolved in the nations history, and it's with younger generations, like the ones that Archie and Jack are part of, who are seeking to resolve and rectify the trauma at hand.The following interview with Archie and Jack sees them both talking about the foundation of The 'Conversation' and how they worked with Archie's grandmother to give her the space to explore this aspect of her life on screen. They also discuss the emotional resolution that the film might offer to other people who are equally experiencing confusion about their heritage. Along the way, Archie and Jack also discuss the foundation of their production company, Tally Productions, and a lot more.The 'Conversation' screens at the St Kilda Film Festival, with an online release in the future on the horizon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I remember sitting in the Mercury at the Adelaide Film Festival and watching Unspoken and getting to see a rare talent emerge on screen in the form of Kat Dominis. Her lead performance left me moved, shaken, and stunned by the depth of emotions she presented on screen. As the credits rolled, I saw she was the co-writer of this award-winning short film, a credit she shares with Mariana Rudan and director Damian Walshe-Howling. Unspoken is a story about family, it's a story about division, and it's a story built on intergenerational trauma.Kat plays Marina, a Croatian born young woman living with her family in 1979. She's in a secret relationship with a white Aussie man, with the two keeping the relationship hidden from her parents. Marina's brothers also live under the same house, with the two brothers falling into the political unrest that unfurls on the streets of Sydney in the form of protests and demonstrations. Acting as a thematic layer to Unspoken is the true story of the Croatian Six; six Croatian-Australian men who were sentenced to 15 years jail in 1981 for a conspiracy to bomb several sites in Sydney.Much of the evidence that was used in the trial of the Croatian Six was fabricated, with the men being set up as part of a sting operation by the Yugoslav foreign intelligence service. The weight of this event sits in the background of Unspoken, with tensions emerging throughout the film between family members, between Croatian-Australians and white Australians, and between girlfriend and boyfriend.Underpinning this tension is that stunning central performance from Kat Dominis who commands the screen with a guiding, lived-in understanding of the weight of her characters lives and the societal and political upheaval they're undergoing. As Marina, Kat presents the conflicted nature of wanting to fit in to a new culture while also trying to navigate the familial heritage of her homelands culture. In this regard, Unspoken becomes a universal story that many migrant families can relate to, especially from the frequently xenophobic landscape of Australian culture and society.These notions, and a lot more, are explored in this expansive interview with Kat Dominis, recorded ahead of Unspoken's screening at the St Kilda Film Festival on 7 June. Unspoken has screened nationally around Australia, and took home the Grand Prix at the Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival earlier this year, a rare achievement for an Australian film. Less prestigious, but notable still, is that Unspoken featured in my personal Best Australian Films of 2024 list. It marks the grand arrival of actor-turned-director Damian Walshe-Howling, of producer and co-writer Mariana Rudan, and of course, Kat Dominis as actor, co-writer, and producer. It's a stunning filmic achievement.Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky @thecurbau. We are a completely independent and ad free website that lives on the support of listeners and readers just like you. Visit Patreon.com/thecurbau, where you can support our work from as little as $1 a month. If you are unable to financially support us, then please consider sharing this interview with your podcast loving friends. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amalie Atkins loving documentary Agatha's Almanac follows Agatha Bock, Amalie's aunt, as she lives her life on a farm in southern Manitoba, tending to the vegetables, beans, and the soil. She preserves the heirloom seeds she has nurtured and maintained for decades, connecting her to her families past, and tenderly supporting herself using traditional methods. Agatha is also 90 years old, with her connection to the soil being a life-enriching experience.The charm of the film not only comes from Agatha's connection to her farming skills, but also from the various stories about her life that she tells. Whether it's the different suitors who have proposed to her over the years, or an accident that she had while tending to a window, or in one poignant moment, her memories of her siblings who have passed, Agatha's stories show a life fully lived with love, sadness, and joy.Agatha's Almanac is shot on 16-mm film, creating a warm, tangible feeling that lingers through every frame. The kiss of the sun on a cold day is felt so keenly, with the varied shades of green lifting spirits as the joyous score of 'Green garden music' plays over the soundtrack. The film was shot with an all-female crew over six years, culminating in an experience that is unexpected and delightful, like a warm hug you had no idea you needed.The following interview with Amalie was recorded ahead of the films screenings at the Sydney Film Festival on 6, 7 and 9 June, where she will be in attendance for Q&A sessions. In this chat, Amalie talks about the tangible nature of the film, one that is interspersed with shots of much-loved gloves, of Amalie's fabric-based artwork, and of course, of the gardens. She also talks about getting to bring her families history to life on screen. We also talk about intergenerational love, and why passing along work practices is important. I had a delight watching Agatha's Almanac, and that delight was matched by this charming discussion with Amalie. To find out more about her work, visit AmalieAtkins.ca, and to pick up tickets to the film, visit SFF.org.au.Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky @thecurbau. We are a completely independent and ad free website that lives on the support of listeners and readers just like you. Visit Patreon.com/thecurbau, where you can support our work from as little as $1 a month. If you are unable to financially support us, then please consider sharing this interview with your podcast loving friends.We'd also love it if you could rate and review us on the podcast player of your choice. Every review helps amplify the interviews and stories from storytellers to a wider audience. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Queensland: Beautiful one day, deadly the next! For American drifter Zephyr (Hassie Harrison) the gorgeous Gold Coast supplies her with great surfing and anonymity where she can leave her dark past behind. For psychopathic fisherman Tucker (Jai Courtney) the ocean provides him with a living, but his real interest lie in dying: the death of those he reels on to his boat to feed the sharks.Sean Byrne's Dangerous Animals harkens back to Ozsploiation in the best way. It's brutal, quick paced, and one hell of a survival horror. Sharks plus serial killer – the perfect bait for Aussie entertainment.Nadine Whitney spoke with Jai Courtney, Sean Byrne, and Hassie Harrison about dipping their toes into shark infested waters.Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky @thecurbau. We are a completely independent and ad free website that lives on the support of listeners and readers just like you. Visit Patreon.com/thecurbau, where you can support our work from as little as $1 a month. If you are unable to financially support us, then please consider sharing this interview with your podcast loving friends.We'd also love it if you could rate and review us on the podcast player of your choice. Every review helps amplify the interviews and stories from storytellers to a wider audience.Dangerous Animals screens at the Sydney Film Festival on 6 June 2025. Tickets are available via SFF.org.au. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Director Justin Kurzel has crafted a filmography built on exploring the impact of trauma and violence on a nation. Whether it be his excoriating debut film Snowtown or the acts of cautionary storytelling with Nitram and The Order, Kurzel's work questions how violence and trauma lingers in our bodies, our minds, and in our lands. That's a notion that he explores with impressive strength with his first foray into documentary filmmaking, Ellis Park.There's catharsis in Ellis Park, partially because of Warren Ellis and his healing violin, but – as the man says himself – his presence is minimal compared to the presence of Femke and the conservationists. Yet, when paired with Kurzel and editor Nick Fenton, they collectively bring light to a horrifying trade that scars the environment. I'm shaken by Ellis Park because of its presentation of trauma, but equally so for its depiction of empathy, consideration, and support.This is, oddly, my first time talking to Justin Kurzel. Having listened to and read countless interviews by him, I was aware that I would be engaging with someone who is a deeply empathetic soul, yet I was still left disarmed by his connection to his openness about his connection to his work, his family, and to the art of cinema.To support the film, Warren Ellis and Justin Kurzel will be running Q&A sessions around the nation. All of the details are in the show notes, but make sure to pick up tickets in advance when the film kicks off with a virtual Q&A with Warren Ellis at Perth's Luna Leederville cinemas on 5 June, concluding with a Sydney Film Festival and Vivid Sydney exclusive event on 8 June at the State Theatre. Ellis Park then releases wide across Australia on 12 June 2025.The Ellis Park sanctuary is part of the Jakarta Animal Aid Network, a non-government, non-profit organisation that was established in 2004 to protect Indonesian wildlife, with a focusing on animal cruelty and rescuing animals from the noxious illegal animal trade network. To support the organisation, visit EllisPark.org.For the month of June 2025, every dollar from Patreon will be sent as a donation to Ellis Park sanctuary, so please consider joining and supporting the Curb and the sanctuary.Visit Patreon.com/thecurbau, where you can support our work from as little as $1 a month. If you are unable to financially support us, then please consider sharing this interview with your film loving friends.We'd also love it if you could rate and review us on the podcast player of your choice. Every review helps amplify the interviews and stories from storytellers to a wider audience. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There's a delirious level of dark comedy that thrives in the new short film DIY from director Tony Gardiner and writer Lachlan Marks. A woman, played with a disarming ease by Claire Lovering, is mourning the passing of her dog. As she drills into the wall to hang up a picture of her pup, she is surprised to find blood coming out of the hole. Heading to the other side of the wall, she finds the dead body - the first of the dilemmas she encounters. The next is Damon Herriman's organised crime cleaner. From here, DIY unfurls in a delirious level of bleak comedy that splashes the audience with acidity as we're invited to laugh along with the depths that Tony and Lachlan's characters fall into.I caught up with Tony and Lachlan ahead of DIYs screenings at both the St Kilda Film Festival on 8 June and the Sydney Film Festival on 14 June, where the film is a finalist in the Dendy Awards for Australian Short Films. In the following interview, Tony and Lachlan talk about their collaborative approach to horror-comedy filmmaking, while Tony talks about shifting from working on industry testing grounds like Neighbours and Home & Away onto projects like DIY. The two also talk about the political nature of filmmaking and how reflective and responsive the creative process can be.DIY is an absolute treat of a short film - the kind that blitzes by in a moment, leaving you with a giddy sensation at its close after having left you gasping for breath with its ability to draw laughs out of dark situations. This is the kind of film that thrives with an audience, and no doubt those who are in attendance at either St Kilda or Sydney will love the film.To find out more about the film, follow both Tony and Lachlan on Instagram.Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky @thecurbau. We are a completely independent and ad free website that lives on the support of listeners and readers just like you. Visit Patreon.com/thecurbau, where you can support our work from as little as $1 a month. If you are unable to financially support us, then please consider sharing this interview with your podcast loving friends.We'd also love it if you could rate and review us Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Part of why Coming & Going feels like a quiet revolution of a film is the manner that Andy presents vulnerability, loneliness, and tenderness on screen. 'Baby, you are gonna miss that plane' is what Julie Delpy said to Ethan Hawke as she danced in the climax of Before Sunset, creating one of cinemas finest romantic moments. Andy pulls from the echo of that scene, creating the pivotal moment within Coming & Going with a scene that has Harry taking a guitar off the wall and playing a song for Julian, gifting his momentary boyfriend lyrics and a tune that will exist only in that moment and only for him. Moments. They're what memories are made out of. They're anchor points in time which we stare endlessly at as we walk backwards into the future, its impact having forever changed how we form new memories in our present.Part of why Coming & Going feels like a quiet revolution of a film is the manner that Andy presents vulnerability, loneliness, and tenderness on screen. 'Baby, you are gonna miss that plane' is what Julie Delpy said to Ethan Hawke as she danced in the climax of Before Sunset, creating one of cinemas finest romantic moments. Andy pulls from the echo of that scene, creating the pivotal moment within Coming & Going with a scene that has Harry taking a guitar off the wall and playing a song for Julian, gifting his momentary boyfriend lyrics and a tune that will exist only in that moment and only for him. Moments. They're what memories are made out of. They're anchor points in time which we stare endlessly at as we walk backwards into the future, its impact having forever changed how we form new memories in our present.This is a beautiful conversation, one that's fuelled with tenderness, love for the craft, and love for love. I'm grateful for Andy's time with this discussion, and I look forward to seeing his creative positivity flourish throughout his filmmaking career.Coming & Going screens in the 'I Know Who You Did Last Summer' shorts package on 29 May 2025 at the Inside Out Festival in Canada. A link is in the show notes for those eager to attend. Keep an eye on Andy's Instagram and his production company, Dandy Films, Instagram page, for future screening details.Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky @thecurbau. We are a completely independent and ad free website that lives on the support of listeners and readers just like you. Visit Patreon.com/thecurbau, where you can support our work from as little as $1 a month. If you are unable to financially support us, then please consider sharing this interview with your podcast loving friends.We'd also love it if you could rate and review us on the podcast player of your choice. Every review helps amplify the interviews and stories from storytellers to a wider audience. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chad Freidrichs is a documentarian who has crafted a filmography built with a series of fringe stories that unveil fascinating narratives that exist just outside the periphery of normalcy. His first feature doc, Jandek on Corwood, sees a reclusive folk and blues musician gain a following, all the while he never truly engages with his followers fascination with his work. In 2011, Chad crafted the ethnographic documentary The Pruitt-Igoe Myth, which looks at the urban racism that existed in social housing in St Louis. Then, in 2017, with The Experimental City, Chad explores the rise and fall of societal ideas as witnessed with The Minnesota Experimental City, a grand vision that was never truly realised.Each of these stories have paved the way for his latest film, The Cinema Within, an exploration into the way editing works. Chad explores the language of cinema with Walter Murch, whose book In the Blink of an Eye equally explores the role blinking plays in editing, and also scholar David Bordwell who explores the impact of an edit on our psyche to understand the way it transforms our understanding of cinema. Murch and Bordwell play scene setters for the deeper narrative in The Cinema Within, which sees researcher Sermin Ildirar head to rural Turkey to find a group of people who have never seen a film before, creating the foundation to her research into the role of editing, perspective, and more, on our minds.The Cinema Within is a fascinating look into the impact of editing, and the notion of taking the language of cinema for granted. Like every language, it's one that needs to be learned and built on over time, and Chad's work invites that perspective of cinema. His films are invitations to see the world from a different perspective, and it's that notion that we explore in the following interview, which sees Chad talk about the notion of ideas, while I bring up my personal connection to Jandek on Corwood, a film that I saw back in 2004 at Perth's Revelation Film Festival, and that has stuck in my mind.The Cinema Within is now available to view on DVD, Amazon, Apple TV & Kanopy in America.Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky @thecurbau. We are a completely independent and ad free website that lives on the support of listeners and readers just like you. Visit Patreon.com/thecurbau, where you can support our work from as little as $1 a month. If you are unable to financially support us, then please consider sharing this interview with your podcast loving friends.We'd also love it if you could rate and review us on the podcast player of your choice. Every review helps amplify the interviews and stories from storytellers to a wider audience. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matthew Rankin is a Canadian filmmaker who hails from Winnipeg, Manitoba. His work, which includes the acclaimed award-winning 2019 feature The Twentieth Century, has often been called 'experimental' or a slice of 'absurdist comedy'. That's partially true, but I'd go a step further and say that there's a touch of humanist storytelling to his work, one that's crafted from a globalist perspective. That mindset is accentuated with Rankin's latest film, the tender and superb Universal Language, a Canadian film where characters speak in Persian rather than English or French, where a guide shows a group of bored tourists the banal sites of Winnipeg, where turkey shop owners wear pink cowboy hats, and where two young kids, Negin (played by Rojinia Esmaeili) and Nazgol (played by Saba Vahedyousefi), find money frozen in ice and seek a way to retrieve it so they can buy their classmate a new pair of glasses.This is our world knocked off its axis ever so slightly. It's a place which is familiar, yet distinctly different. It's a place where cemeteries sit in the desolate concrete islands that exist within a sea of swarming highways. It's a place that, for Matthew Rankin, is a version of home. The choice to present a Canadian story in Persian is not accidental, but instead it's one that's driven by Rankin's affection for the work of the Iranian masters and for their distinctly considered perspective of the world. That kindness that sits at the core of Universal Language is a reflection of the innocence and kindness within the world of filmmakers like Abbas Kiarostami, particularly in a noted work like 1987's Where Is the Friend's House?, which sees a young boy trying to return the book of his classmate who lives on the other side of the village.The foundation of kindness is one of the notions that is explored in the following conversation with Matthew, recorded ahead of Universal Language's national release in Australia on 22 May 2025. Throughout the interview, Matthew also talks about his journey into appreciating and valuing Iranian cinema, an affection which lead him to learn Farsi. Matthew also talks about the way his parents factor into Universal Language as a mirrored presence, before closing on the emotionality of bringing a version of their story to life on screen.Universal Language is a work of pure kindness and comedy. There's a sweetness to it that makes the film feel like an antidote to the times we are currently living through.Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky @thecurbau. We are a completely independent and ad free website that lives on the support of listeners and readers just like you. Visit Patreon.com/thecurbau, where you can support our work from as little as $1 a month. If you are unable to financially support us, then please consider sharing this interview with your podcast loving friends.We'd also love it if you could rate and review us on the podcast player of your choice. Every review helps amplify the interviews and stories from storytellers to a wider audience. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Isabella Tree is a noted conservationist and the author of the acclaimed book Wilding, which tells the story of Isabella and her husband as they undertook the immense and impressive journey to rewild their failing four-hundred-year-old estate in England, bringing beavers and cranes back to the country for the first time in years.Wilding, alongside the work of fellow conservationist Derek Gow, author of such books as Birds, Beasts, and Bedlam and Bringing Back the Beaver, have become foundational texts for me, having guided my perspective as a wannabe conservationist, albeit with a minimalist perspective as someone trapped in the midst of suburbia and rental life. Wilding is a lovely film, green and grand with its ideas and vision. I was lucky to be able to speak with Isabella ahead of the films run in Australian cinemas from 22 May. The following interview kicks off with a nod to our respective stacked bookshelves which stood behind us in our Zoom windows to our lives and the importance of not just rewilding our environment, but also rewilding our minds too. Isabella then talks about reflecting on the years since her rewilding project kicked off, and how she has engaged with global rewilding, including nods to local conservationists and ecologists.Wilding is out in Australian cinemas for a limited run from 22 May 2025. Check your local cinema for screening details. To find out more about Isabella's work, visit IsabellaTree.com.Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky @thecurbau. We are a completely independent and ad free website that lives on the support of listeners and readers just like you. Visit Patreon.com/thecurbau, where you can support our work from as little as $1 a month. If you are unable to financially support us, then please consider sharing this interview with your podcast loving friends.We'd also love it if you could rate and review us on the podcast player of your choice. Every review helps amplify the interviews and stories from storytellers to a wider audience. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Co-writer and actor Archie Lush, director Alex Power, and producer Mark Zanosov take us to the streets of Fremantle, Western Australia, where their short film Blunt pushes us into the simmering heat of the kitchen. Under the spatter of duck fat and the glint of sharp knives is the mounting pressure of being a top tier chef, a notion that's amplified by Archie Lush's emerging culinary creative need to try and save his fathers struggling restaurant. Shot with a vivid realisation from one of Australia's finest emerging talents, cinematographer James Dudfield, and edited with precision by Hamish Paterson, Blunt is a rapid fire short that immerses you in the world of fine dining in a way that'll scratch that itch between seasons of The Bear.In the following interview, Archie, Alex, and Mark talk about shooting in Freo, the importance of having stylistic and stunning food - as created by key food stylist Iara Arruda, and where they each see their creatives journeys going over the coming years. They also talk about the dedication and visual talent that exists within James Dudfield.Blunt is heading out on the festival circuit, so keep an eye out for it.Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky @thecurbau. We are a completely independent and ad free website that lives on the support of listeners and readers just like you. Visit Patreon.com/thecurbau, where you can support our work from as little as $1 a month. If you are unable to financially support us, then please consider sharing this interview with your podcast loving friends.We'd also love it if you could rate and review us on the podcast player of your choice. Every review helps amplify the interviews and stories from storytellers to a wider audience. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Genevieve Bailey is a documentarian who has drawn attention to the impact of societal struggles with mental illness through her empathetic and nurturing body of work. With feature films like I Am Eleven and Happy Sad Man, Gen embraces a supportive mindset, using the power of cinema to bring real stories to audiences. It's that sense of support that is keenly felt in her latest documentary, Always Listening, a short film about the history of Lifeline Australia. Gen takes us to the end of the telephone where we meet the many counsellors and support people who volunteer their time, emotions, and empathetic listening skills to guide people through mental health crisis events, suicidal ideation, and other critical mental struggles.Like Gen's previous film Happy Sad Man, Always Listening is a beautiful and moving experience, opening audiences up to the power of understanding emotion and empathy, while also guiding people who live with their own mental health struggles to understand that there is help available and that people are there to support you through your most difficult moments. It's these two mindsets - the support and the supported - that has changed how I navigate my interviews and film coverage, leading me to ask questions that are focused around the emotion of a film, rather than the creative process of 'how it was made'.That mindset shift comes from getting to see who the people are on the other end of the line: everyday folks who have sometimes been through their own mental health crisis, or live with their own struggles, or simply know what it's like to be in a place of need and are able to support those who need it most. These are gentle, genuine folks who are caring, engaged, and understand the complexity of the weight of the mental health crisis Australia, and by extension, the world faces.Again, that's a notion that underpins how Genevieve Bailey embraces her work as a documentarian, telling stories that matter about people that care. I'm grateful to have been able to talk with Gen about Always Listening, but to also be able to share with you her stories, including the impact her films have had on audiences around the world.Always Listening is screening on SBS On Demand right now. It's only thirty minutes long, but will leave a mark. If you or someone you love is going through a mental health crisis, Lifeline Australia is available 24/7 on 13 11 14. For more information, visit Lifeline.org.au.Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky @thecurbau. We are a completely independent and ad free website that lives on the support of listeners and readers just like you. Visit Patreon.com/thecurbau, where you can support our work from as little as $1 a month. If you are unable to financially support us, then please consider sharing this interview with your podcast loving friends.We'd also love it if you could rate and review us on the podcast player of your choice. Every review helps amplify the interviews and stories from storytellers to a wider audience. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nadine Whitney had the wonderful opportunity to speak with Karan Kandhari and Radhika Apte about Sister Midnight and how as original and ‘weird' as it is, it's also representative of people who are rarely seen as (essential) inhabitants of Mumbai. Both Karan and Radhika are an absolute joy to listen to. Kandhari's film is a marvel of inventiveness. The work itself breaks the rules of what is considered genre cinema by never settling on one. Sister Midnight is much like the artist who performed the song after which it is named. Igwald Popstar – known to people who haven't chosen a ridiculous nickname for him as Iggy Pop or James Newell Osterberg Jr., – a man for whom conformity is as anathema as wearing a shirt. It's punk, it's unpredictable, and it has no time to explain itself to people who aren't feeling its strange and wonderful rhythms.Uma and Gopal barely speak to each other but when Uma does open her mouth the crude (but funny) invectives pour out. Her spikiness doesn't bother her neighbour Sheetal (Chhaya Kadam) greatly who takes her under her own resigned wing. However, even when Uma tries (and fails) to be wifely Gopal isn't particularly receptive preferring instead to drink alone than to accommodate Uma. When they do try to be a young couple, they end up taking a pointless thirteen-hour excursion to a beach, only to have to turn around and go home again. Life seems to demand that when they are with each other it is in extremely close quarters which makes Uma more aggressive and Gopal more avoidant. The green wedding bangles she wears (and shakes in anger) become shackles she can't wait to have cut off.Uma begins to make her own way through the city encountering other people whose lives are on the fringes. A trans sex worker who feels a kind of kinship with Uma's oddness. An elevator attendant in a building she begins working at as a cleaner (“Can you clean?” Uma is asked. “I'm a domestic goddess.” She replies), and then there are the goats who seem to follow her wherever she goes. Something is rising in her – something feral and undeniable – neither welcomed nor wholly unwelcomed.Trying to describe what goes on in Sister Midnight is much like humming a blisteringly brilliant song and hoping your paltry version matches up. Karan Kandhari's marvellous vision simply needs to be seen and heard (the soundtrack is incredible) for the fantastic jolts to pull you into its idiosyncratic and singular orbit.Sister Midnight is vivid and infectious. Radhika Apte is towering as Uma who inability to just “be a person” makes her an outlaw setting her own rules. Expect the unexpected in Sister Midnight and trust wherever it takes you is going to be rebellious and irresistible. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky @thecurbau. We are a completely independent and ad free website that lives on the support of listeners and readers just like you. Visit Patreon.com/thecurbau, where you can support our work from as little as $1 a month. If you are unable to financially support us, then please consider sharing this interview with your podcast loving friends.We'd also love it if you could rate and review us on the podcast player of your choice. Every review helps amplify the interviews and stories from storytellers to a wider audience. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lorcan Finnegan's wild and weird trip-fest flick The Surfer is one that's had local audiences salivating at the prospect of its arrival. That anticipation went into hyperdrive when Oscar winning actor and walking cult-factory Nicolas Cage was announced as the leading man, a bloke returning home to the South West to buy his family home, reconnect with family, and surf a little. His idea of a Christmas sojourn is scarpered when 'the locals', headed up by Julian McMahon at his career best, thwart his chance of escaping the heat and securing the home he has his eyes on.The Surfer is, admittedly, a divisive flick, with reactions ranging from comparisons to Wake in Fright, to our own critic Cody Allen voicing displeasure with it. I personally found the film akin to that of a dehydrated fever dream, as if you're continually out of reach of hydrolytes and salvation, so instead you have to resort to drinking dog shit filled water and maybe chowing down on local rodents to get by. It's sweaty, filthy, and at times, oddly representative of what it feels like to visit Margaret River and Yallingup after downing too many bevvies at Beerfarm. And yeah, those comparisons to Ted Kotcheff's flick feel apt given its presentation of masculinity, but to me it's more like a West Aussie version of the seventies thriller The Swimmer.There's something really sweaty about The Surfer, a mystery embedded in a world of mean and mad folks who each have a sly streak of cruelty, wrapped up in that familiar Aussie friendliness. I was never sure where Lorcan Finnegan and writer Thomas Martin was taking me, but I was bloody happy to be dragged along in the process. There's a risk taking mindset to The Surfer, one that pushes at the boundaries of what Aussie films or stories can be. If this is where Aussie stories told from non-Aussie perspectives might be going, then strap me in, I'm on for the whole ride.As Western Australia ramps up to becoming a full throttled filmmaking state with the 2026 arrival of our first 'film studios', it then became a good time to touch base with surrogate sandgroper Robert Connolly, this time wearing a producer hat, to talk about his role in bringing The Surfer to WA shores, what his experience of having made films like Paper Planes and Blueback brings to a major production like this one, and additionally, what his producing presence means for filmmakers, actors, and Aussie creatives.It's always a delight to be able to talk to Robert, just as it's been a delight to be able to see the global reaction to a film like The Surfer. If you're in Australia, you'll have your chance to catch the film on the big screen - just how it's meant to be seen - from 15 May, before it heads onto Stan. later in the year.Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky @thecurbau. We are a completely independent and ad free website that lives on the support of listeners and readers just like you. Visit Patreon.com/thecurbau, where you can support our work from as little as $1 a month. If you are unable to financially support us, then please consider sharing this interview with your podcast loving friends.We'd also love it if you could rate and review us on the podcast player of your choice. Every review helps amplify the interviews and stories from storytellers to a wider audience. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jacob Richardson's feature film debut The Aegean sees the Queensland based writer-director embrace the Grecian story of a widower, Hector (Costas Mandylor), who finds himself in the orbit of Khristos (Light), a refugee who finds himself in the waters of the Aegean Sea. As Khristos finds himself becoming embedded in Hector's life, he discovers an unexpected bond that will give him a sense of place and purpose that he was missing.In the above interview, Jacob talks about the personal connection to the narrative of The Aegean, how he worked with Costas Mandylor and Light to create their characters, and what it was like working with cinematographer Oliver Hay and composer Allister Harrison on the film. Jacob also talks about his journey from being a film critic to a filmmaker, and how each creative endeavour impacts on the other.The Aegean is released by Radioactive Pictures in Australian cinemas on 16 May 2025. Check your local cinema for screening dates.Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky @thecurbau. We are a completely independent and ad free website that lives on the support of listeners and readers just like you. Visit Patreon.com/thecurbau, where you can support our work from as little as $1 a month. If you are unable to financially support us, then please consider sharing this interview with your podcast loving friends.We'd also love it if you could rate and review us on the podcast player of your choice. Every review helps amplify the interviews and stories from storytellers to a wider audience. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With her essential website Infinite-Women.com, Allison Tyra has built a deep database that contains more than 6000 biographies from around the world and throughout history, documenting the biographies of women who have made a mark in history. Her debut book, Uncredited: Women's Overlooked, Misattributed, and Stolen Work, expands on the database within Infinite Women and explores the stories of over 600 women who have had their work or achievements be overlooked, misattributed, or stolen, ultimately leaving their legacy as an uncredited and unacknowledged one.In the following interview, Allison talks about her creative process of documenting the biographies of women from around the world and throughout history while also talking about the cataloguing and database work that she undertakes to track the growing stories of the women she has documented. Allison then also talks about some of the entries that can be found within Uncredited, and what her future book plans are.With Infinite Women and Uncredited, Allison has built a deep database that has become a useful resource, one that's backed by an extensive catalogue of podcasts that feature in depth discussions about many of the women featured on the website.Uncredited: Women's Overlooked, Misattributed, and Stolen Work is available to order now. Visit Infite-Women.com for more details.Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky @thecurbau. We are a completely independent and ad free website that lives on the support of listeners and readers just like you. Visit Patreon.com/thecurbau, where you can support our work from as little as $1 a month. If you are unable to financially support us, then please consider sharing this interview with your podcast loving friends.We'd also love it if you could rate and review us on the podcast player of your choice. Every review helps amplify the interviews and stories from storytellers to a wider audience. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kelly Schilling's feature debut film With or Without You is the powerful and impactful story of a mother, Sharon (Marta Dusseldorp) and a daughter, Chloe (Melina Vidler), who are forced to navigate the complicated reality of alcohol addiction, an affliction that Sharon uses to manage her anxiety alongside Valium and men. For Chloe, the man in her life, an ex-boyfriend, turns violent and aggressive, inflicting abuse on her by burning down her caravan, destroying her life savings and home in the process. In a bid to get to some kind of safety and sanctuary, Sharon and Chloe head on the road, meeting Dalu (Albert Mwangi) on the way, a West African man who is looking for work in the Australian countryside.With or Without You had its world premiere at the 2024 Adelaide Film Festival, the end result of a decades long journey for Kelly Schilling, who has written the script and directed the film from a lived-in perspective. It's that script, which has changed over the years into the text that it is today, that gives Marta, Melina, Albert, and the chorus of characters, the chance to bring light to a truth that exists within Australia, namely, the impact of alcohol addiction and the trauma left from partner abuse.Yet, lest I paint this film as being a dark, dramatic affair, Kelly knows to imbue these moments of difficulty and darkness with aspects of lightness and laughter. The bond that Sharon and Chloe have with one another feels lived in and real, with Marta and Melina bringing the mother-daughter relationship to life with a charm and level of cheekiness that means the film, at times, feels like a mirror. Schilling's script and direction understands the shades of life and the way that moments of joy can break through hours of pain and darkness, giving way to hope and the possibility of a better life along the way.In the following interview, Kelly talks about that balance of storytelling on a script level, what it was like working with Marta to build the character of Sharon, and what it means to tell a story from a lower socio-economic perspective, one that is so often written by people who live comfortably outside the societal place of being from a lower socio-economic background.With or Without You is out in Australian cinemas from 8 May, just in time for Mother's Day. It is a powerful, impressive film about mother-daughter bonds, one that's left a mark on me and that I have thought about long after that initial screening in Adelaide in 2024.Cinematographer Michael Tessari recently won an Award of Distinction from the Australian Cinematographer's Society.For those who are interested in the film, I also recommend checking out my interview with Albert Mwangi, which was released earlier in 2025, where he talks about working on With or Without You, as well as his work on another film which screened at Adelaide, Make it Look Real.Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky @thecurbau. We are a completely independent and ad free website that lives on the support of listeners and readers just like you. Visit Patreon.com/thecurbau, where you can support our work from as little as $1 a month. If you are unable to financially support us, then please consider sharing this interview with your film loving friends. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of the more exciting news points in recent weeks has been the announcement of the new First Nations initiative Damulgurra Stories. Founded by Larrakia man Cian Mungatj McCue, of Moogie Down Productions, and award-winning casting director and producer Sarah Price of Castaway NT, Damulgurra Stories aims to transform the way productions work with First Nations cast, crew and creatives both on and off screen— providing resources, protocols and training rooted in cultural integrity, collaboration and empowerment.Andrew caught up with Cian and Sarah ahead of the launch of Damulgurra Stories at Screen Forever on the Gold Coast this week to talk about the foundation of Damulgurra Stories, the change in First Nations storytelling in Australia, and how young and emerging First Nations talent can engage in storytelling.For more information, read the press release here.If you want to find out more about the work we do on The Curb, then head over to TheCurb.com.au, or follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky @thecurbau. We are a completely independent and ad free website that lives on the support of listeners and readers just like you. Visit Patreon.com/thecurbau, where you can support our work from as little as $1 a month. If you are unable to financially support us, then please consider sharing this interview with your film loving friends. We'd also love it if you could rate and review us on the podcast player of your choice. Every review helps amplify the interviews and stories from filmmakers to a wider audience. Thanks for listening to this chat with Cian and Sarah. For other interviews and reviews, visit theCurb.com.au. Please rate, review, and share this interview with your film loving friends. We hope they like it as much as you have. I'll see you on the next one. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lars and the Real Girl is Craig Gillespie's 2007 indie comedy-drama about a man who has an unconventional relationship with a sex doll. That man is a young Ryan Gosling, who is supported by Emily Mortimer, Paul Schneider, Patricia Clarkson, and Bianca the Doll.Umbrella Entertainment have released an impressive collectors edition of the film which features custom artwork, a poster, artcards, essays, an audio commentary by Thomas Caldwell, and more.Nadine Whitney reviews the film, the disc, and the extras in this podcast discussion.Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky @thecurbau. We are a completely independent and ad free website that lives on the support of listeners and readers just like you. For an exclusive, extended interview with Jane Larkin, visit Patreon.com/thecurbau, where you can support our work from as little as $1 a month. If you are unable to financially support us, then please consider sharing this interview with your film loving friends.We'd also love it if you could rate and review us on the podcast player of your choice. Every review helps amplify the interviews and stories from filmmakers to a wider audience. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Before commencing her career as a filmmaker, Jane Larkin was an Australian representative sprinter, pushing her body to the limits on the track. In the moments of preparation, cooldowns, and every minute in between, Jane was building friendships, learning from fellow athletes, and seeing a world of sports that we rarely get to see in cinema.After shifting over to acting in 2018, Jane embraced roles in films like Ron Howard's Thirteen Lives and the Netflix series Boy Swallows Universe, before commencing on her biggest creative project yet: The Edge. Jane wears multiple hats on her feature film debut, embracing the role of director, writer, producer, and co-lead actor, as she plays the role of Annie Murphy.Like Jane, Annie is a sprinter, and it's her performance, alongside fellow athletes-turned-actors, Lily Riley a powerlifter who plays Sylvia, and paralympic swimmer Mei Ichinose who plays Yui, that gives The Edge a docu-drama feeling. This is ultimately a film about the world of sport, and to get that holistic perspective, Jane consciously brings us into the lives of Annie, Sylvia, and Yui, with each given their chance to explore their lived perspectives of women in the world of athletics.Jane's script comfortably gives space for each actor to explore the realities of sports: the visceral nature of vomiting during training, the prevalence of sexual abuse, the continued harassment and criticism which leads to complex relationships with body images. But, while these are heavy subjects to present on screen, Jane consciously gives them space to breath by imbuing each character with another aspect that is rarely seen on screen from a woman's perspective: friendship in competitive spaces.As Annie, Sylvia, and Yui don't directly compete with one another on a sports level, a lesser film might find space to have them compete with each other outside of the sporting arena. It's then comforting to see The Edge delve into supportive relationships, with each character given the other the space to be nurtured, heard, and guided through whatever challenges they're facing. The Edge's levity and warmth comes from these core relationships, allowing the film to resonate long after its finished.These aspects are also elevated by scenes that carry immense visual weight, whether it be a closing shot of the women on a beach, or the overwhelming in tone underwater shots of Yui. In the following interview, Jane refers to one of cinemas great sporting films - Chariots of Fire - as an inspiration for her creative work as a filmmaker, and it's in these moments of invigoration, captured brilliantly by cinematographer Ben Knibb, that The Edge makes its mark as an impressive entry in the Australian sports genre.This is an expansive interview which ranges from Jane discussing her decision to shift from athletics to acting, how she managed that docu-drama vibe, and finally, talking about the films upcoming world premiere at the Gold Coast Film Festival on Friday 2 May 2025. The Edge will also have an encore screening on Tuesday 6 May 2025. For all ticketing details, visit GCFF.com.au. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andres Veiel's latest documentary, Riefenstahl, delves into the dark and deep archive of the private estate of Leni Riefenstahl, exposing the deep ties the filmmaker had with the Nazi regime. Andres uses footage and correspondence from Riefenstahl's own personal records, including hidden interviews and documents that present a different side of a director who has been both acclaimed and criticised for her role in the rising Nazi regime.Riefenstahl is a powerful and impactful film that shows just how deep the director was within Hitler's regime, and how much she tried to micro-manage her own public facing image, down to the point of giving precise direction to those who were interviewing her. This is captivating work from Andres Veiel.In the above interview with Andres Veiel, recorded ahead of Riefenstahl's Australian screenings at the German Film Festival, which Andres will be in attendance for, the documentarian talks about the importance of creating the final statement on Leni Riefenstahl's filmography at this point in time.Riefenstahl screens nationally from 30 April 2025 at the German Film Festival. Visit GermanFilmFestival.com.au for screening details.Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky @thecurbau. We are a completely independent and ad free website that lives on the support of listeners and readers just like you. Visit Patreon.com/thecurbau, where you can support our work from as little as $1 a month. If you are unable to financially support us, then please consider sharing this interview with your film loving friends.We'd also love it if you could rate and review us on the podcast player of your choice. Every review helps amplify the interviews and stories from filmmakers to a wider audience. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Saskia Archer is an actor on the rise. From the streets of Sydney, to the turf of Tasmania where she embarked on a path to become a paramedic, to a shift to WA where she built her acting skills at the WA Academy of Performing Arts, and now, to the bustling city of New York, Saskia is seeing the world and forging a path in acting doing so.Genre-fans might know Saskia from the 2022 flick The Reef: Stalked, where she played Annie, while others might know her as her turn as Hanabeth in Bali 2022. For these roles, and more to come, including a turn in Shane Black's upcoming film Play Dirty, Saskia leans on her foundations as an empathy-first actor, utilising her skills to change audiences moods and emotions.In the following interview, Saskia talks through her path into acting, what kinds of roles and actors she looks up to, how her initial training as a paramedic informs her acting work, and a lot more. Follow Saskia on Instagram to keep up with her future projects.We are a completely independent and ad free website that lives on the support of listeners and readers just like you. For an exclusive, unedited version of this interview, visit Patreon.com/thecurbau, where you can support our work from as little as $1 a month. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eli Craig smashed onto the slasher scene with his genre-defying comedy event Tucker & Dale VS Evil, and he's back with another slasher that upends expectations: Clown in a Cornfield.Clown in a Cornfield is based on the first entry in Adam Cesare's Frendo series which chucks a group of teens into the mayhem of a Midwestern American town where they find themselves picked off by a growing group of killer clowns. Eli Craig then takes that terror from the page and supplants it brilliantly with a satirical and savvy stance, making one of the most enjoyably subversive horror flicks of the year so far.It's also one of the most timely too, as it's a horror film about the flyover states of America, yet it's shot in Canada. That added layer of political devilishness is one of the things that I ask Eli about in the following interview.This chat is an open one from Eli, with the horror director talking about the journey of Tucker & Dale VS Evil from being an unseen flick to a cult classic which has fans demanding a sequel. Eli also talks about the journey of adapting Adam's books for the screen, before making a statement for horror film fans around the world, myself included: If you want more Clown in the Cornfield films, then go and see the first one in cinemas.And for Aussie audiences, you'll be able to do that very soon.Clown in a Cornfield makes its Australian premiere at Fantastic Film Festival Australia on 26 April at the Lido in Hawthorn and the Ritz Randwick. It then is unleashed nation wide on 8 May. This is a film you'll want to see with a screaming audience.We are a completely independent and ad free website that lives on the support of listeners and readers just like you. Visit Patreon.com/thecurbau, where you can support our work from as little as $1 a month. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Every so often, you sit down to watch a film, and find that it unexpectedly fills a hole you didn't know you had in your life. You might not know you needed a charming, dose of positivity in that moment, but as the seconds tick over, you find yourself being swept along in a wave of joy that your day shifts and things that would usually bother you suddenly bounce off you, even if it's just for a day.That's what I experienced when I watched Jesse Leaman's delightful short film, Mother of Chooks, a pure hearted documentary about Elaine James, a Geelong local who becomes connected with her local community thanks to her strong relationship with her flock of chickens. She's got frizzles, wyandottes, bantams, and a glorious Isa Brown named Flapper, and each morning she bundles up her feathered friends and heads out into the world. Elaine and her chooks chat together at a local cafe, or take to the beach for a spot of swimming. For the chooks that aren't partial to the waves, they go for a spin on the local playground.It's all very sweet and delightful in a manner that skews away from twee and saccharine. See, Mother of Chooks leans into Elaine's relationship with her chooks, touching on the loss of family and canine friends in her life, and showing a woman on the brink of isolation. Instead of lingering in that solitude, Elaine turns to chickens for companionship. It's an early story about her path into poultry that shows what kind of light journey that Jesse Leaman and co-director Maite Martin Samos will take us down.Oh, did I mention that Maite is Jesse's mother? That relationship, while off screen, informs their creative journey, with the two working together for the first time to craft a cinematic rarity: a genuinely uplifting experience which is not skewed or tinged with drama, sadness, or the almost expected tragedy that these kinds of stories feature.In the following interview, Jesse talks about how making Mother of Chooks came about, and the difference of this film in comparison to his other, more dramatic work. Jesse also talks about the creative journey of filmmaking with his mum, and how he had to shift and change his directing style in the process.Mother of Chooks is a pure delight of a film, and it makes its Canadian premiere at Hot Docs on Friday 25 April, with a follow up screening on 29 April. Mother of Chooks will also screen at the Doc Edge Festival in New Zealand-Aotearoa. Future festivals dates around the world are yet to be announced, but make sure to follow Jesse Leaman on Instagram for upcoming dates and details, or visit Jesse's website here.We are a completely independent and ad free website that lives on the support of listeners and readers just like you. Visit Patreon.com/thecurbau, where you can support our work from as little as $1 a month. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

And we're back with another review discussion with myself, Andrew, and my colleague Nadine Whitney. In this episode, we discuss the work that we both did on the Umbrella releases of Eyes Without a Face and Hounds of Love, while also discussing the importance of the supplementary materials that come with physical media releases, alongside the work that goes into writing or creating essays for physical media releases.We also discuss other current releases from Umbrella, including Metal Skin, and the upcoming release Storm Warning.Our cinematic recommendations include Bob Trevino Likes It and Every Little Thing.Umbrella Entertainment are currently having a sale on their physical media, which includes a buy one get one free selection, and 30% off merch and select collector's editions, including Hounds of Love and Eyes Without a Face. To buy these editions, visit umbrellaent.com.au. After the discussion took place, Umbrella announced that the Michael Haneke set is back online with an additional film and extra bonus features.Follow Nadine Whitney on Bluesky and the Curb on Bluesky.If you want to find out more about the work we do on the Curb, then head over to theCurb.com.au. We are a completely independent and ad free website that lives on the support of listeners and readers just like you. Visit Patreon.com/thecurbau, where you can support our work from as little as $1 a month. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

ion to our humanity. At twelve years of age, Darwin won the award for Best Film by a Child Producer, Best Cinematography, and Best Editing at the KidzFlicks awards for his short film Red Panda Man. He had previously made a claymation short film called My Eco Friendly House. Darwin then also was a Tropfest Jr finalist for his short Milk. Again, he was only twelve years old at the time.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIZDIpQoomYFlash forward a decade and Darwin's creative streak continues with his latest short film Bluebird, a brilliantly realised short that pays homage to the classic swashbuckling films from the early 1900s. That sense of exploring and amplifying our relationship with the environment continues with Darwin's work as a cinematographer on the short film The Overthrow, and underpins the visual style of Bluebird. Bluebird features musical sequences, fighting, and romance, all with a backdrop of a glorious green environment that elevates the adventure of the story of a Princess seeking revenge in delightfully entertaining ways.There's a level of vision and scope at work within Bluebird that is a rarity for Australian films, and it's that vision that underpins the following conversation with Darwin, recorded ahead of Bluebird's Australian Premiere at the upcoming Fantastic Film Festival Australia. Bluebird will be screening in the Sydney Shorts package alongside a smorgasbord of great local talent, including Chris Elena's latest film Passion Pop.Bluebird is a film that's designed for an audience to appreciate and enjoy on the big screen. There's an understanding and appreciation of cinematic language and the possibilities of creative storytelling that makes the work of Darwin Schulze a delight to watch. In the following conversation, Darwin talks about how his journey into filmmaking began, what it means to have supportive parents who encouraged his creative journey, and how he managed to create the distinct and expansive look of Bluebird on a microbudget.Bluebird screens as part of the Sydney Shorts package at Fantastic Film Festival Australia on 27 April 2025.the Curb is a completely independent and ad free website that lives on the support of listeners and readers just like you. Visit Patreon.com/thecurbau, where you can support our work from as little as $1 a month. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In December 2013, Australian journalist Peter Greste, alongside fellow Al Jazeera colleagues Mohamed Fadel Fahmy and Baher Mohamed, were arrested in Cairo, Egypt under charges of holding illegal meetings with the Muslim Brotherhood, an organisation declared as a terrorist group by the Egyptian Interior Ministry. Kriv Stenders is a prolific Australian filmmaker, with his work spanning features, documentaries, and TV series. His latest film, The Correspondent, translates this period of Greste's life, as documented in his 2017 memoir The First Casualty, to screen, with Richard Roxburgh portraying the award winning journalist. The Correspondent is a salient reminder of the need for a global free press, and it arrives at a time where journalists around the world, even Australia, are being vilified, condemned, or at worse, being imprisoned or murdered for their work. While The Correspondent considers the legal battles that Greste and his journalistic colleagues endured between 2013 through to 2015, when Greste was released, the film then reflects on another attack on journalists, with Stenders and writer Peter Duncan taking us to another part of Greste's life, when he worked alongside Kate Peyton (portrayed by Yael Stone) in Mogadishu, Somalia in 2011. These scenes act as an insight to the complex ways that reporting from war zones leads to the aggressors violently controlling the passage of information, with The Correspondent then amplifying the message of advocating for free press.A central aspect to that advocacy is Richard Roxburgh's turn as Peter Greste. Arguably, this is the finest performance of Richard Roxburgh's career, with the weight of expectation, trauma, uncertainty, and grief lingering on his mind, often only appearing through glances or brief looks at his fellow inmates. Roxburgh echoes the work of Tom Hanks in Captain Phillips, another film which sees the acclaimed actor give a career best turn, and in doing so, brings to life Greste in an empathetic and supportive manner. It is as if this is the only performance that matters in his career. It's powerful stuff. I carry that in mind when I sit down to discuss the film with Kriv Stenders, oddly for the first time in my career. I've long admired Stenders work, from having caught The Illustrated Family Doctor in a small screen at Luna Cinemas Leederville, to being knocked off my feet with Boxing Day and Lucky Country. He then took his filmmaking to a new level with Red Dog and Red Dog: True Blue, and with the back of this run of films, he has examined the role that Australian stories and voices have on our cultural identity. Few filmmakers in Australian cinema get more than one or two films, and yet Stenders has crafted an enduring filmography that comments on and furthers our understanding of what Australian culture, identity, and cinema, can be. While this is my first time talking with Kriv, I know it won't be my last. The Correspondent arrives in Australian cinemas on 17 April 2025, with Q&A screenings continuing to take place at select cinemas. Make sure to check your local cinema guide for session details. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aussie band Kingswood are rock royalty, having played shows with AC/DC and The Hives, tearing down the rooves of Aussie venues in equal measure with their unique brand of raucous rock. In 2024, the band undertook a record-setting road trip across Australia with the Hometowns Tour, the longest ever music tour, encompassing 112 shows over six months, with everywhere from the outer regions of Western Australia to the sticky floors of Sydney getting a taste of their guitar licks and long hair. Knowing what a historical moment this would be for the band, Kingswood tapped emerging director Darcy Newton on the shoulder to shoot social media footage and share their journey on the road. That notion quickly fell by the wayside when Darcy realised there was something more at play here, with his trusty camera able to capture the highs and the lows of the bands journey, ultimately bringing forth the feature documentary CLAPTRAP.In the following interview, recorded ahead of the films roll out in Australian cinemas which kicks off with a premiere event at The Astor Theatre Melbourne on Friday 4 April, and culminates with a Q&A screening at The Ritz Sydney on Friday 11 April, Darcy and producer Luca Catalano talk about how they came on board to shoot the film, what life was like on the bus with the band, and how Darcy captured some of CLAPTRAP's more impactful moments, like a late night boozy chat with a regional music icon or a deep and meaningful chat between bandmates about the meaning of one of their songs.CLAPTRAP AUSTRALIAN SCREENINGS** KINGSWOOD attending Friday 4 April Astor Theatre Melbourne **PREMIERE EVENTTicketsSaturday 5 April Thornbury Picture House Melbourne **SCREENING, Q&A EVENTTicketsSunday 6 April Pivotonian Cinema GeelongSCREENING, Q&A EVENT Wednesday 9 April Regal Theatre Adelaide SA SCREENINGWednesday 9 April Byron Bay Palace Byron Bay NSW **SCREENING, Q&A EVENT Thursday 10 April New Farm Cinema Brisbane ** SCREENING, Q&A EVENT TicketsFriday 11 April The Ritz Sydney **SCREENING, Q&A EVENT Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2024, director Natalie Bailey and writer Lou Sanz unleashed Audrey onto audiences in Australia and America. Here's a film that I called a caustic comedy that rains like refreshing acid rain. Here's the story of a mum, Ronnie (played by Jackie van Beek), who opts to literally take over the life of her daughter Audrey (Josephine Blazier) when she ends up in a coma after an accident.This immaculately layered comedy film arrived in a time where Australian audiences are calling for more Aussie comedies, yet they're simply not paying attention to their existence, or if they do go and see them, they push off against them saying that they should be more like The Castle. As a writer and critic who predominantly covers Australian films, the notion of funnelling a creative voice into one style of genre storytelling is a frustrating and reductive one, and in turn, means that audiences are denying themselves the chance of engaging with some of the most inventive, exciting, and entertaining feature films that we've had in recent years.That notion of reframing and recontextualising Audrey soon after its release is part of the scope of the upcoming screening of Audrey at the Melbourne Women in Film Festival, where the film has received the ReFrame Stamp for Gender-Balanced Production. This is an international mark of distinction that recognises film and television projects that have undertaken gender balanced hiring practices inclusive of women, non-binary and trans people across key production roles. Gender balance is something that's often discussed in relation to Screen Australia's Gender Matters initiative, but is rarely executed.In the following interview, writer Lou Sanz unpacks the reactions to Audrey, followed by a discussion on how the script was built, including the creation of characters, the queer positivity on screen, and finding the empathy within dark comedy. Lou also talks about her work on the seminal early 2000s comedy series Life Support, which saw actors like Abbie Cornish and Brendan Cowell satirise lifestyle programming with some of the finest dark comedy we've been privileged to see on screen.Audrey is screening with a discussion around the ReFrame Stamp at the Melbourne Women in Film Festival on Friday 21 March 2025 in Naarm-Melbourne. Tickets are available via MWFF.org.au. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At just twenty years old, transgender wunderkind Alice Maio Mackay has crafted a filmography that would make most seasoned professionals envious. Alice's filmography is built within a defiantly independent space that centres queer stories on screen. From 2021's short film The Serpent's Nest, to the run of genre defying horror and sci-fi feature films that includes 2021's So Vam, 2022's Bad Girl Boogey, 2023's T-Blockers and Satranic Panic, and 2024's Carnage for Christmas, Alice has showed other filmmakers the possibilities of independent cinema within Australia.Alice follows in the footsteps of fellow Aussie trans filmmaker Dee McLachlan, who made a name for herself with the 2007 film The Jammed and the acclaimed series Wentworth, paving a way for fellow trans filmmakers in Australia and across the world. With her own distinct style of filmmaking, Alice has inspired and worked with fellow trans filmmakers like Vera Drew (The People's Joker) and Louise Weard (Castration Movie). Trans critic Willow Catelyn Maclay called this trio of filmmakers the 'Three Headed Hydra of Edgy Doll Cinema' and it's their collective filmography that is shaping what modern trans storytelling looks like in cinema.If you haven't already picked up Corpses, Fools and Monsters: The History and Future of Transness in Cinema by Willow and fellow critic Caden Mark Gardner, then make sure to do so. It is one of the vital books about queer cinema.In the following interview, Alice talks about kicking off her career as a filmmaker in Kaurna-Adelaide, growing up on a diet of Buffy and Keeping Up Appearances, while also talking about the fun of making an Australian Christmas film and working alongside non-binary actor Zarif, who has also made a name for themselves as they help shape what Australian queer cinema looks like on screen.There's a notion of communal friendship that exists within Buffy that can be felt as a connective thread of Alice's work. It's a foundational aspect of T-Blockers, which sees a small town overrun by parasites that turn everyday men into horrifying, possessed hosts that spew literal bile, hatred, and violence, threating the local queer community. T-Blockers is a wickedly subversive film that engages in politics and queer identity, while also showing the possibilities of independent genre filmmaking.Alice's work can be found on Shudder or Vinegar Syndrome (T-Blockers, Carnage for Christmas), and all good places where you can rent films.If you want to find out more about the work we do on The Curb, then head over to TheCurb.com.au. We are a completely independent and ad free website that lives on the support of listeners and readers just like you. If you can and have the means to support us, please visit Patreon.com/thecurbau to support our work from as little as $1 a month. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For decades, David Stratton and Margaret Pomeranz were Australian film reviewing royalty, having built up a loyal following with their weekly show on SBS, The Movie Show. The 90s and early 00s was the peak of David & Margaret's influence over Australian audiences. What they recommended, people would head out and go and see.Both David and Margaret are staunch supporters of cinema, becoming advocates for all kinds of cinema and decrying the impacts of censorship. While both have played roles in the way that film censorship in Australia has impacted what we see, it's Margaret's role with the notorious Larry Clarke film, Ken Park, which saw her make headlines after she put on an ‘illegal' screening of the film after it received a ‘Refused Classification' status, aka, the film being banned from Australia.That pivotal moment in Australian film criticism history is what sits at the heart of Zachary Ruane and Alexei Toliopoulos' comedy show Refused Classification, which is currently making its way around Australian comedy festivals, having recently played at the Adelaide Fringe, with shows to be held in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth on the horizon.The show sees Zachary don a salt and pepper wig as David, while Alexei somehow manages to imbue himself with the spirit of Margaret Pomeranz with her trademark golden locks. Together, they retell this point in Aussie cinema history through the form of comedy show, documentary and verbatim theatre.In the following interview, Zachary and Alexei talk about how the show came about, their experiences watching Ken Park, how Simon Miraudo's brilliant Book of the Banned (buy it here) helped inform the show, and Alexei goes deep on his personal connection with the At the Movies board game.I should add too, if you're interested in reading the transcripts of David and Margaret's work on both The Movie Show and At the Movies, then check out this Letterboxd account which has logged all of them over the years. And keep in mind that the shows are all available on SBS On Demand too, if you want that real nostalgia trip.To keep up to date on where the show is playing, make sure to follow both Zachary and Alexei on Instagram.We are a completely independent and ad free website that lives on the support of listeners and readers just like you. If you can and have the means to support us, please visit Patreon.com/thecurbau to support our work from as little as $1 a month. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This podcast is also recorded in Naarm, Victoria, with fellow critic Nadine Whitney reviewing two of the films screening at the 2025 Alliance Française French Film Festival.In the following reviews, Nadine discusses Anne Fontaine's Bolero and Éric Besnard's Miss Violet.For all the festival details and to purchase tickets, visit AFFrenchFilmFestival.org.If you want to find out more about the work we do on The Curb, then head over to TheCurb.com.au. We are a completely independent and ad free website that lives on the support of listeners and readers just like you. If you can and have the means to support us, please visit Patreon.com/thecurbau to support our work from as little as $1 a month. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Carmen & Bolude marks something of a first for Australian films. Here is a comedy about two close friends, Carmen (Michela Carattini) and Bolude (Bolude Watson), who both call Australia home. Carmen proudly embraces her Latin heritage, while Bolude navigates the line between Western values and her Nigerian roots. Together, they take on the world and the rampant Americanised identity politics that have caused much society to turn against itself.We meet Carmen on the subways of New York where a man uses the close proximity of a packed train to touch her. Carmen loudly and proudly advocates for herself, standing up against the patriarchal dominance of the spaces we live.When we meet Bolude, she is also working abroad in new York, a home away from home where she needs to navigate the surprise marriage proposal from her white Aussie boyfriend Tommy (Liam Grienke). That navigation means a careful consideration of how she approaches her cultural roots, and the path that she wants to follow in her life. After all, it's quite likely that her father Akin (Wale Ojo) would disapprove of the marriage.And disapprove he does, giving Bolude the ultimatum that she needs to collect 100 welcomes from Australian locals to prove to her father that she has a home away from home. What follows is a bright and delightful celebration of sisterhood, friendship, and remembering the cultural roots that tie us to our parents and our past.What makes Carmen & Bolude something of a first for Australian films is in its proudly women-led foundations, driven by voices that want to hear themselves on screen in an industry that regularly asks for more diversity on screen. We so rarely get to hear from the Nigerian diaspora on screen in Australia, so to not only see and hear their stories, but to also witness the joy of dance, is an impactful step forward for Australian cinema.Carmen & Bolude is a joyous, life affirming comedy that'll have you grinning from start to finish. Full of rich and beautiful characters that make you feel like you're spending time with family and friends. It's a genuine delight, and I'm grateful for the time and openness that both Michela and Bolude shared with me in the following interview.Carmen & Bolude is produced by Yolandi Franken and Michela Carattini, with Michela co-directing alongside Maria Isabel Delaossa. Michela and Bolude co-wrote the script together, and take co-lead duties in the film, with a supporting cast that includes David Collins, Olivia Vasquez, Wale Ojo, and many more.In the following discussion, Michela and Bolude talk about the journey to getting this story on screen, the joy of dance, and the importance of seeing and hearing your own stories on screen.Carmen & Bolude will be screening at the Hayden Orpheum on 19 March 2025, with further screenings around Australia. Find all the dates and more here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My Melbourne is a powerful and uplifting new collaborative feature made with an array of established Indian directors and emerging Australian filmmakers, alongside a diverse group of writers behind the scenes, who each bring one of four stories of Naarm-Melbourne to life on screen.My Melbourne opens with the narrative called Nadini, it's directed by Onir with co-direction from William Duan. This story followed Indraneel, played brilliantly by Arka Das, and his partner Chris (Jackson Gallagher), who both prepare for the arrival of Indraneel's father, Mihir (Mouli Ganguly), in Melbourne to perform the Asthi Visarjan (ash-scattering) of Indraneel's mother.This is followed by Jules, directed by Arif Ali, with Imtiaz Ali as the creative director and Tammy Yang as the co-director. Jules tells the story of Sakshi (Arushi Sharma), an Indian woman moving into the world of chef work at a prestigious restaurant. She encounters abuse and resistance from her distanced husband who demands she lives a life in service of him. Sakshi's life is disrupted in interesting ways by the appearance of the homeless woman Jules (Kat Stewart) who sleeps rough outside the restaurant.The third story follows Emma, played by Ryanna Skye Lawson. Emma is directed by Rima Das with Samira Cox working as a co-director. Emma lives with Usher's Syndrome, which impacts her hearing and her ability to dance. We follow Emma's journey as a dancer as she encounters discrimination, all the while finding her path to dancing her way.The final story is Setara's story, following the 15-year-old Afghan refugee Setara (played by Setara Amiri) as she immerses herself in her new school, and finds her way into the schools cricket team. Setara is directed by Kabir Khan, with co-direction by Puneet Gulati.My Melbourne is a narratively rich, powerful and uplifting film about diverse lives in Melbourne. It's an enriching and grounded experience which encourages audiences to see their city differently - namely, through the eyes of diverse folk who we rarely get to see or hear on screen. Much like its northern counterpart, the 2022 film Here Out West, My Melbourne is a collaborative experience that aims to change what stories we hear on screen.In the following interview with producer Mitu Bhowmick Lange, we talk about the journey to the screen for My Melbourne, while also touching on the importance of the collaborative relationship between Indian filmmakers and Australian storytellers. We also talk about the creative journey for the script writing process, and what it means for emerging filmmakers to be able to work alongside directors like Onir, Kamir Khan, Rima Das, and Arif Ali, who have each created rich bodies of work in Indian cinema.My Melbourne is heading out into cinemas today, from 6 March 2025. I strongly encourage you to head out into the cinema to catch this brilliant film and to show filmmakers and funding filmmakers that diverse voices are important and what we need to hear on screen. As I mention at the close of this interview, I would love to see films like My Melbourne and Here Out West inspire filmmakers in other cities to create similar diverse stories of their home on screen.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQhQEryxDQg Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Mirams is a indie creative who has over two decades of experience as a musician, actor, director, theatresports enthusiast, and independent filmmaker. His latest film, Residence, is a bloody zombie comedy that sees Australia inflicted by a brain eating parasite that turns its hosts into mindless zombies that wander the countryside looking for their next victim.It's also a biting satire about the consumerist world we live in, asking whether it's the mind-sapping parasites that have turned us into mindless beings, or whether it's our reliance on technology and automation that has sucked our engagement levels down to zero.In the following interview, edited for length purposes, Matt talks about his journey into filmmaking, what his drive is as an indie filmmaker, and what it means to be able to work with a huge cast of emerging talent, some of whom share the screen with industry legends like Ian Smith and Don Bridges. Matt gets open and honest about the difficulties of releasing a film in todays landscape, how to engage with audiences, and more.Residence will roll out around Australia this year. Keep an eye on the Instagram page for more details. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With her debut feature documentary film Queens of Concrete, Eliza Cox takes audiences on a seven year journey with three skateboarders: Ava Godfrey, Charlotte Heath, and Hayley Wilson. They each embrace a different style of skateboarding, with street and park being the two styles that are featured at the Tokyo and Paris Olympics. It's that 2020 Olympics that the girls have their sights set on, with Eliza following their journey from the skateparks of Melbourne to the sponsored events in London and LA, to boarding schools dedicated to bringing up the next generation of skaters.There's an inherent drama to skateboarding - you never know if the skater is going to fall, what they're going to pull off, and how they're going to take a risky jump - and that's paired well with the inherent drama of being a teenager turning into an adult. Or, in the case of Charlotte, a kid turning into a teenager. Each of the girls has their own life journey to follow, and Eliza's dedicated observational lens follows them in a caring and considered manner. This is not a director simply documenting the lives of their subjects, but supporting their journey in an empathetic manner.Queens of Concrete moves in the same vein as the great skating docos of the turn of the millennium, with Eliza noting the impact that Dogtown and Z-Boys had on her work. As a viewer, I couldn't help but feel the pull of Eddie Martin's excellent All This Mayhem, a film which also hails from the streets of Melbourne. Either way, the impact of sports documentaries is a strong one on Eliza's creative vision.I caught up with Eliza ahead of the AIDC panel Levelling the Playing Field: Celebrating Trailblazers in Sports Docs, where she joins fellow documentarians Frances Elliott, who co-directed Renee Gracie: Fireproof, and Marlee Silva, of the upcoming film Skin in the Game. In the following interview, we talk about her journey into filmmaking, what it means to be a supportive director, the choice behind making a sports film about girls or a film about girls who skate, and a lot more.If you're in Naarm-Melbourne this weekend, then make yourself known and head along to ACMI on Monday 3 March where you can catch Levelling the Playing Field, alongside a stack more great panels and events at the Australian International Documentary Conference. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jesse Vogelaar is a writer and director whose works spans across Australia and Aotearoa/New Zealand, flitting between the stage where he masters the art of improvisation, to advertisements, where he transforms the products of Samsung or Specsavers into savvy slices of commercial entertainment, to his growing body of short films, which includes You Lose, a short that Junkee called Australia's Greatest Work Of Art to Room for One More, a tale of a bloke trapped under his collapsed house, calling his mate, asking him to make a short film for him, to Accoladia, an absurd comedy about being the best of everything in the world.Jesse's work stands as a way of exploring the complexities of society through an absurd lens. It's a style of creativity which Jesse dubs 'imaginative logic', a term that makes complete sense when you let his work wash over you and change your world view.In the following interview, recorded ahead of Accoladia's appearance at Flickerfest, Jesse talks about his creative process, the way critics or writers like me apply our own logic to absurdist work, the freedom of advertising, and a lot more.To view some of Jesse's work, visit JesseVogelaar.com. I highly recommend you watch Room for One More, a brilliantly executed short film that is both absolutely hilarious, and quietly moving too. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Listeners should note that the following interview contains discussions about trauma as it relates to #MeToo.The work of director Ruth Caudeli regularly appears at the Queer Screen Mardi Gras Film Festival, with her previous films Eva and Candela and Leading Ladies both screening at the festival. Her latest film, Same, Again, makes its world premiere at the festival on 25 February 2025.This improvised drama follows a Colombian theatre troupe who join together to bring the play La Casa de Bernada Alba (The House of Bernada Alba) by Federico Garcia Lorca to life on stage. This play follows the impact of men upon women, which then becomes a textual point within Same, Again, as one of the guiding forces behind this staged appearance is a man.Same, Again deals with impactful themes of trauma, showing the power of coercion and control that takes place from the foundational aspects of putting on a play - as we see in some intense and controlling audition sequences which forces actors to put themselves into vulnerable situations - to the final performance. Throughout the play, the actors each expose their own vulnerabilities, insecurities, and exposure of their own past traumas. What results in a narrative that delves into male-created trauma, all the while giving agency back to those who have experienced pain.In the following interview, recorded ahead of the films world premiere at Queer Screen on 25 February 2025, Ruth talks about the foundational work of the film, what it means to be able to give space to trauma on screen, and about her work with long time partner Silvia Santamaría.Queer Screen continues its cinematic run until 27 February 2025, so you've got plenty of time to head along and catch a film in a cinema before this years festival heads online for the On Demand section of the festival, which runs Australia wide from 28 February to 10 March 2025. For all details, visit QueerScreen.org.au. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.