Under what circumstances do we seek isolation? Can systems designed to serve us ever imprison us? Can we ever be imprisoned by desire? As we enter the final weeks of December 2022, this week's episode examines the curious intersection of Christmas movies and the themes explored in the writings of Franz Kafka.    

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How can social change be instantly ignited? Are human beings doomed to a prison of idealism? How should we act in the wake of annihilation? To conclude our two-week series on Russia, this week's episode focuses on the rise of the Soviet Union, the perennial dilemmas it failed to solve and the burdens of geopolitical heavyweights. 

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What does Russia feel that it has to protect? What is required when establishing a cultural identity? What is required to protect a cultural identity? With the recent release of 'Kompromat', both this week and next week's episodes will try to account for Russia's current cultural identity in order to better understand its recent geopolitical behaviour. 

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Can tyrants maintain their power forever? Is absolute power unattainable in reality? Do human beings idealise a certain form of governance? Following on from last week's brief discussion of tyranny, this week's episode examines the complex relationship between authoritarian rulers and their subjects. 

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How closely related are our concepts of heaven and hell? Whose good intentions pave the way to hell? What might be the path to heaven? Viewing heaven and hell through a somewhat conceptual and secular lens, this week's episode evaluates the eternal resonance of our everyday actions.

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How does satire advance social progress? Can the conventional become absurd? Are there shortcomings to contemptuous cinema? Covering a body of work that spans multiple decades, this week's episode explores the popular and compelling films of Adam McKay to contemplate how best to maximise cultural influence. 

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The Canberra Short Film Festival is back and in this week's episode, we are joined by festival entrants Stephanie Begg and Josh Mawer to chat all things short film making. 

All of the important details about this year's festival can be found at the official CSFF website here: https://www.csff.com.au/

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How profound is the home ground advantage? Does a legal right to a home necessarily endow someone with a home ground advantage? How do the power dynamics associated with the home ground advantage play out in the real world? This week's episode focuses on the distinct sense of dominance locals often assert over outsiders and contemplates what specific factors need to be enlivened in order to access it.

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What accounts for society's attraction to college? What are the limitations of the arts and culture? Can we maintain our youth as we age? Focusing specifically on films in which adult men return to college, this week's episode examines the flurry of emotions we feel when we meditate on our formative years.

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From where does rebellion generate? Who controls America? To what extent do Americans have a shared experience? Focusing specifically on the filmography of Robert Altman, this week's episode seeks to uncover some updated insights on the land of the free. 

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