Celebrating Cinema

If a loved-one decided they had enough of life and wanted it to come to an end, how would you respond? Director, Floor van der Meulen joins Elliot to explore her fictional feature debut Pink Moon that asks this very question of its audience. In this candid discussion, Floor and Elliot unpack the roots of desire for a self-determined death, is it a reflection of a disconnected and lonely society? With previous experience in documentary filmmaking, Floor explains what it's like switching between the two forms of cinema and why she enjoys experimenting with both.

Are we witnessing the end of American mainstream cinema? Diving deep into this topic, Hugo invites filmmaker, film critic and video essay connoisseur Scout Tafoya. In collaboration with Tucker Johnson, Scout explores this very question with a compelling 10-part video-essay series through the lens of Ridley & Tony Scott as the forefathers of the American blockbuster. Why has Hollywood become so stale? Together, Hugo & Scout discuss the End of History, the end of American cinema as we know it, but what comes next?

Find out how a particular holiday experience led director Christian Tafdrup to write his latest film Speak No Evil (2022). Out now here in The Netherlands, this suspenseful dark comedy about a holiday encounter between a Dutch & Danish family comes with a chilling twist. Speaking with Elliot, Christian shares how his playful approach to horror genre conventions helps create a truly visceral experience.

Here to discuss the mesmerising nature of volcanoes captured through the lens of Katia & Maurice Krafft, director Sara Dosa joins us for a candid talk about her latest documentary Fire of Love (2022). From a treasure trove of 200 hours worth of archival footage, Sara shares why she crafted a love story not only between two French volcanologists but also their life's work - volcanoes. Find out why volcanoes should be seen as something spiritual and what it means to live a meaningful life from these tales of love. 

Here to discuss her latest film Splendid Isolation (2022) and the poetry of cinema, Urszula Antoniak candidly shares why this is a film to be experienced. A 73-minute allegory that invites us all to reflect on our collective confrontation with death in recent years. Find out why Urszula sees this as an uplifting story of our own mortality.

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 (2020), 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 latest 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.