Widely regarded as one of the most influential directors of our time, Martin Scorsese has made some of the most exciting cinema classics of the past 50 years.

Moving through Scorsese's filmography, we reflect on how his own existential inquiries on faith, redemption, obsession and cinema itself lie at the heart of his kinetic films. Why does he return time and time again to the same narrative of the self-absorbed, Jesus-complex man come from?

A true lover film film, championing cinema’s rich history, and a tireless supporter of film preservation, we also discuss how his the boy who once wanted to become a priest, is now a missionary of the gospel of cinema.

Book tickets for Scorsese Selected @ LAB111

Show Notes & Films Mentioned

A rare cultural moment in cinema, the release and aftermath of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie certainly had us all talking. Sharing our experiences of watching the candy-colored ‘battle of the sexes’, we question why Barbie was set different standards compared to Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer and where big studio movies can go from here. Did we place too much expectation on what might feel like a frivolous show-stopper of pink-drenched fun? Whether it’s the end of something old or the start of something new, Barbenheimer has no doubt made its mark. Take a listen as we try to make sense of it all.

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Set against the rise of Russia's authoritarian regime, filmmaker Marusya Syroechkovskaya paints an homage to both a silenced generation and her lover and best friend Kimi. How to Save a Dead Friend (2022), is a whirlwind of emotions capturing a unique intimacy of an anxious youth, a relationship tellingly universal that brings hope still in death. Speaking with Hugo, Marusya reveals the toils and vulnerabilities of crafting a story from a catalogue of documented memories.

With the latest installment of the Mission Impossible franchise in cinemas now, we pose the question if Tom Cruise, the enigmatic star of classics like Top Gun (1986), Magnolia (1999), Eyes Wide Shut (1999) and so many others, is singlehandedly trying to save a dying breed of visceral (action) cinema.

Is Cruise the last of the genuine movie stars? How do his on and offscreen antics relate to his persona? Does he fit into a long-standing tradition of mavericks like Buster Keaton and other risk-it-all icons of the silver screen? And is he, as he recently claims, really doing it 'for us', the audience?

In this episode, we dive deep into his illustrious body of work as well as his infamous image to see what really lies behind the mask of the Cruise.

Show Notes & Films Mentioned

With an oeuvre-spanning exhibition in Eye Filmmuseum, and multiple classics like Fitzcarraldo (1982) and Aguirre, Wrath Of God (1972) returning to the big screens of LAB111, we sit down to discuss the ‘ecstatic truths’ and brilliant fictions of German film auteur par excellence: Werner Herzog.

Show Notes & Films Mentioned

With the multidisciplinary film program Witch Way Now: Recasting A Feminist Icon heading into its second month of film screenings, talks, workshops, and performances at LAB111 and Paradiso, we invite Witch Way Now co-curator Helena Castro to discuss in-depth the depiction of the witch and witchcraft in cinema. Is the witch a feminist icon? How has the image and interpretation of the witch changed over the decades? And what can we learn about representation through these cinematic perspectives? This and more on this very open-hearted and therefore hour-long episode of Celebrating Cinema.

The Witch Way Now film program — a collaboration of LAB111 and Paradiso — will run until the end of June and features such films as La Passion de Jeanne d’Arc (1928), The Wizard Of Oz (1939), The Love Witch (2016), Suspiria (1977), Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989) and Belladonna Of Sadness (1973), alongside various in-depth talks, introductions by experts, a Häxan live score performance by ambient duo Wanderwelle, a wicked season closing party and much more. For more information and tickets: www.lab111.nl/witch.

Show notes & Films Mentioned

For the final Future Frames episode, filmmaker Kiriko Mechanicus talks with fellow filmmaker and good friend Razan Hassan, an upcoming documentarist who has recently won the Best Documentary Film award at the Shortcutz Film Festival for her film 'In Between Glass and Walls'.

In their tender conversation, Hassan speaks about her teenage love for director Bernardo Bertolucci, the depths of the Syrian new wave, the urge to create from pain, and her upcoming film 'On The Edge Of Life I Saw A Film'.

Sitting down with filmmaker, screenwriter, chef, and all-around powerhouse Amira Duynhouwer for a Future Frames interview, film critic Hugo Emmerzael dives into Duynhouwer’s wildly prolific career, her initial love for cinema and the tough lessons she had to learn to make it as a successful film professional.

Ranging from Spielberg to Akira Kurosawa, from industry secrets to cinema inspirations, and from kitchen struggles to biographical cinema, this frank and fun conversation covers a lot of ground. What ties all the disparate topics together is an infectious love for good food, good films and good times.

Inspired by the experiences of a close friend, Davy Chou decided to make a film about her non-stereotypical adoption story, the likes of which we hardly ever get to see on screen. Speaking to host Sophie, Chou reflects on directing a film in a country and language that he wasn't familiar with, and the difficult process he went through as a male writer to create the strong Asian female lead character of his second feature film Return to Seoul.

You can find tickets for our screenings of Return to Seoul here.

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Recognizing herself in Stefanie Kolk’s journey towards a career in film that started out in a different place entirely, filmmaker and podcast host Sophie Smeets invited the biophysicists-turned-filmmaker for her Future Frames interview.

In this conversation, we gain an insight into the different elements that play a role in Kolk’s filmmaking. How her love for film started from watching films with her father and how it is still a means of communication and connection for her. She describes how her science background influences the way she approaches her craft and how, after numeral short films, she finally came to make her first feature film, Melk.