Episodes

With Joanna Hogg’s sequel to her highly autobiographical film The Souvenir (2019), we take a look at one of its stars – Tilda Swinton. There has always been a certain indefinable quality to her iconic acting, refusing to ever be type-casted to a particular role. Tilda has continued to evolve with her incredible range of performances, becoming the muse for many auteurs. What makes her otherworldly, androgynous presence so unique and how does it relate to the roles she picks? Listen to our personal standout moments of a truly great idiosyncratic chameleon.

Listen to Uberto Pasolini’s journey to becoming a filmmaker. After leaving the banking industry early on to pursue a career in film, it was only a matter of time before Uberto would transition from producer to director. With his latest film Nowhere Special, a tender portrait of an intimate father and son relationship, we hear how Uberto develops true stories into touching cinematic moments and the fortuity of getting the best from child actors.

Recorded live from the French airport Nice, Hugo & Tom recap their rollercoaster experience of Cannes Film Festival. This dispatch finally arrives from the delayed luggage carousel packed with hot takes and films to look out for, as well as stories of Tom’s lavish escapades. From Tom’s maiden voyage to Hugo being a seasoned attendee, does the spectacle of Cannes live up to its grand illusion?

With David Cronenberg’s newly released film Crimes of the Future (2022), out now in cinemas, we delve deep into the Cronenberg universe, exploring this polarising figure and his portrayal of everything grotesque, sexual and visceral. Are we afraid to be physically moved by cinema or do we enjoy the perversions we are shown? Find out if we can stomach (literally) all things Cronenberg.

When it comes to film composers, is there anyone more iconic, influential and inimitable than Italian composer Ennio Morricone? We explore the answer with the new, comprehensive documentary Ennio: Il Maestro (Giuseppe Tornatore, 2021) as our guide. In this episode we celebrate the maestro, delving deep into his musical archive. Our first returning guest, director Kim Kokosky Deforchaux, joins us this time as a crazed-fan, offering his personal favourites of Ennio and exploring what made his style so unique.

Once proclaimed as the most beautiful boy in the world by Italian director Luchino Visconti, Björn Andrésen has forever been marked by this and what followed after starring as Tadzio in Death in Venice (1971). Speaking with Elliot, Björn candidly shares what it was like to revisit these experiences during the filming of the newly released documentary The Most Beautiful Boy In The World (Kristina Lindström & Kristian Petri, 2021).

Finnish director Hanna Bergholm joins Hugo to discuss her gripping feature debut Hatching (2022), which made its world premiere at Sundance Film Festival 2022. This body-horror, coming-of-age drama certainly packs a punch. From 70s horror films to working with the best animatronic designer out there, find out Hanna’s journey to creating this thrilling debut.

“Open the pod bay doors, HAL.” It’s about time we celebrated one of the greatest films in cinema – Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). Kubrick’s dazzling, Academy Award-winning achievement is a compelling drama of man vs. machine, a stunning meld of music and motion, but what’s the deal? Why is this film a timeless classic? Here to try make sense of it all, we discuss what this film means to each of us and how it’s shaped our perspective of film and science fiction cinema.

Back for season 2 and here to grace you with a two hour special all about writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson! Licorice Pizza has finally hit screens, so it’s only right we take a look back at his career. PTA certainly has an obsession with co-dependent relationships, creating sympathy for unruly characters, and a true connoisseur of fuck boys but does it always pay off?

With Paul Schrader’s must-read book Transcendental Style In Film – suggested by special guest Viktor van der Valk – as a stepping stone for the last Celebrating Cinema podcast of 2021, our hosts discuss the different varieties of transcendental filmmaking and the way it impacts us as viewers. They talk about their film club pick, Robert Bresson’s Au Hasard Balthazar (1966), and mention essential filmmakers like Andrei Tarkovsky, Chantal Akerman, Yasujiro Ozu, Michelangelo Antonioni, and Terrence Malick. Where do you find yourself near the Tarkovsky Ring…?