Eroticism should be found in balance! Now isn’t it about time that women in cinema got to look back, shifting the gaze back on to the male, or at least express what it is like to be looked at through the male gaze that has dominated cinema. Basje Boer, film critic and author, joins us in celebrating female desire in cinema and exploring the complex gender dynamics within cinema and the effect it has on us as an audience. Our film club choice The Beguiled (Sofia Coppola, 2017) kickstarts our discussion, a hot take on what happens when you equalise desire. As always, if you have any questions you would like us to discuss or stories about cinema you would like to share then please email us at [email protected]

Western cinema has mostly defined our movie crushes to be predominantly white, often leaving non-white characters to be reduced to caricatures, particularly East-Asian characters. To celebrate the 4K restoration release of some Wong Kar-Wai classics, we are joined by author, filmmaker and activist Pete Wu to dissect the representation of East-Asian characters in Western cinema and how WKW directly opposes such limited portrayals. We even have an exclusive from Wong Kar-Wai himself who adds his own voice to this insightful discussion. As always, if you have any questions you would like us to discuss or stories about cinema you would like to share then please email us at [email protected]

The month of May is always a period of remembrance, commemorating all those who lost their lives during the Second World War both as victims of genocide and those fighting for their freedom. With screenwriter, director, and fellow list-lover Kim Kokosky Deforchaux, we take a look at how different countries through cinema and film deal with trauma and this particular period of history. As always, if you have any questions you’d like us to discuss or stories about cinema you would like to share then email us at [email protected].

What should be a light-hearted reflection on the films of nightmares & nostalgia, which helped form our presenters and their viewing habits, quickly reveals itself to be a psychoanalysis of the 3 different approaches to parenting and movie-watching. If that is not enough drama for you, Tom returns with even more lists, reflecting on the best and worse rehashing in cinema as well as considering what the future may entail. If you have more questions you’d like us to discuss, or stories worth sharing then send us an email at [email protected]

That’s right people, it’s Oscars time! We’ve certainly got that Oscar fever, but more a fever of chaotic distress. Instead of the usual baseless predictions, we try to make sense of the Academy Awards and this American institution that seems to dominate the industry. Our equally chaotic film choice for this episode, The Congress (Folman, 2013), certainly helps us dissect the flaws within the current institution. All the while, Tom tries grappling with the power of lists, and his picks of Oscar Award moments; Kiriko provides a perfect rendition of her favourite acceptance speech, despite her indifference to the whole ceremonial affair, and Hugo remains the tortured film critic divided between love and duty. We also tackle a question from one of our listeners, and discuss the importance of forming our own individual opinions regardless of lists. If you have more questions for us to discuss then please write in to [email protected]

We are delighted to welcome Miriam Guttmann, director of the recent VPRO documentary Seeds of Deceit (Het Zaat Van Karbaat), who joins us for a discussion on the ethics of documentary-making. Miriam provides a very candid insight into the large web of complexities she found herself navigating through, during the filming of her Sundance selected film. In this episode we explore the purpose of a documentary maker, a director’s relationship to the characters of the story they’re directing and where their duty lies. We unpack these more abstract questions through the lens of Miriam’s brilliant short docuseries, so make sure to check it out! We always love to hear from you, so please do keep writing in ([email protected]).

After celebrating our love for cinema, we turn to the question of whether cinema is actually all a lie. Do the fictions we consume shape our own realities? Can our lived experiences ever be wholly original and unique? In this episode our 3 hosts unpack these big questions and discuss why Brittany Spears is the modern day Truman, if we are happy living in our own matrix, as well as our most lived cinematic moments. Get in touch ([email protected]) and let us know your thoughts!

To kick off this new podcast series we thought it would only be right to reflect upon the very thing that has brought us together - our love for cinema! Join us and hear from 3 very different perspectives as they pull back the curtain from the screen and even themselves. We also get to hear from some of you who have shared your own love for the big screen. DISCLAIMER: Do not worry this is not a Clint Eastwood podcast despite Hugo's best efforts (listen to find out). Keep writing in to [email protected] we always love hearing from you, and explore https://celebratingcinema.com. 

An introduction to the podcast series produced by LAB111, outlining our vision and intentions for all future episodes. Meet our hosts: Tom Ooms (Film Programmer), Hugo Emmerzael (Film Critic) and Kiriko Mechanicus (Journalist and Filmmaker), as well as our producer Elliot Bloom.