Cold Open · Essay · nov 14, 2023

Passages (2023): A Conversation With Ira Sachs

Ira Sachs's Passages is a film about desire consuming everything in its path — and Franz Rogowski's performance at its centre is one of the great combustible acts of contemporary cinema. Speaking with Sophie, Sachs describes watching three films a day as a form of cinematic education, his debt to Yasujiro Ozu, and the specific challenge of writing a character who causes harm without ever losing the audience's fascinated attention. A conversation about the ecstasy and risk in filmmaking — and why the best films make you feel both at once.

By Elliot Bloom

Film Journalist · Celebrating Cinema

Passages by Ira Sachs sets the tone for the cold change in seasons – a people’s favourite that has got us all up in our feels.

In conversation with Sophie, writer-director Ira candidly shares how his personal experiences of living in Paris & the mesmerising Franz Rogowski helped shape such a poignant film. From obsessively watching 3 films a day to being a student of Japanese icon Yasujirō Ozu – Ira reveals the ecstasy & risk in filmmaking.

If you missed the chance to watch it in cinema, it’s available still on MUBI.

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