In this episode, I talk about Peter Webber's 2003 film "Girl with a Pearl Earring." It's an adaptation of the 1999 Tracy Chevalier novel by the same name, which imagines how Johannes Vermeer's 17th century painting, "Girl with a Pearl Earring" came to be. It's 1665 in Delft, Holland and a young girl named Griet goes to work at the home of the Vermeers to provide for her family after her father is injured at work. She enters a home rocked by domestic and financial instability. When Vermeer starts to paint Griet to appease his lecherous patron, more drama ensues as Vermeer's wife becomes jealous and the attraction between Vermeer and Griet intensifies. I discuss the profound impact that both the book and the film had on my life because it sparked my deeper engagement with art. For this episode, I talk about Johannes Vermeer's life and art, and I explain why I think the film is so powerful in the way that it centers the life of a teenage girl who is a maid, explores the difficulties of women's lives in the 17th century, and shows the power of art to expand and enrich our minds.

Consider making this podcast sustainable by supporting it on Patreon.

Subscribe to the Her Head in Films Newsletter.

Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Original logo by Dhiyanah Hassan

Full Show Notes

All My Sources

In this episode, I talk about Pete Travis's dreamy 2015 film, "The Go-Between," produced by the BBC, based on the classic L.P. Hartley novel of the same name, and starring Jim Broadbent, Vanessa Redgrave, and Lesley Manville. It focuses on a 12-year-old boy named Leo Colston who, in the summer of 1900 in England, goes to stay at the opulent estate of his friend, Marcus Maudsley. During his time there, Leo becomes the messenger, or go-between, for Marcus's sister, Marian, and her secret lover, Ted Burgess. After the summer, none of their lives will ever be the same and Leo will be forever haunted by what he experienced. I talk about class, nostalgia, loss of innocence, and the devastating wounds of childhood. At the beginning of the episode, I also discuss how cinema has helped me cope with trauma. This episode contains spoilers.

Consider making this podcast sustainable by supporting it on Patreon.

Subscribe to the Her Head in Films Newsletter.

Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Original logo by Dhiyanah Hassan

Full Show Notes:

All My Sources

In this episode, I talk about Patricia Cardoso's feminist coming-of-age classic, "Real Women Have Curves" (2002). I discuss body image, factory work, the exploitation of immigrant labor, and the profoundly political and radical messages in the film. At the beginning of the episode, I also talk about recently re-watching Krzysztof Kieslowski's "The Double Life of Veronique" (1991).

Consider making this podcast sustainable by supporting it on Patreon.

Subscribe to the Her Head in Films Newsletter.

Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Original logo by Dhiyanah Hassan

Full Show Notes

All My Sources

In this episode, I talk about Nancy Savoca's beautiful 1991 coming-of-age film, "Dogfight." It stars River Phoenix and Lili Taylor as Eddie Birdlace and Rose Fenny, two teens who connect in 1963 in San Francisco, just before the assassination of John F. Kennedy and the escalation of the Vietnam War. It's the night before Eddie is to be sent over to Vietnam and he and his marine buddies are holding a dogfight, which is a party where men invite the ugliest women they can find and the one with the most unattractive date wins a cash reward. Eddie invites Rose, but, although their initial meeting doesn't go well, over the course of the film these two very different people gradually develop a profound connection. In my discussion, I talk about the politics of ugliness and beauty standards, the damage of toxic masculinity, and provide information on the making of the film. This episode contains spoilers.

Consider making this podcast sustainable by supporting it on Patreon.

Subscribe to the Her Head in Films Newsletter.

Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Original logo by Dhiyanah Hassan

Full Show Notes:

All My Sources:

In this episode, I interview director Leon Lee on his latest documentary, "Letter from Masanjia." In 2012, a story in The Oregonion went viral. A woman named Julie Keith had opened a box of Halloween decorations from KMart and discovered an SOS letter written by Sun Yi, a man imprisoned and tortured in a Chinese labor camp for engaging in the spiritual practice of Falun Gong. Keith publicized the letter, and the international attention eventually led to the abolishment of these labor camps and freed many people in the process. I talk to Lee about Sun Yi's story, how the documentary was made, and the larger issues it raises about the source of cheap goods, the persecution of minorities, and the power of small actions. Go to letterfrommasanjia.com for more information on the film and the steps you can take to make a difference.

Consider making this podcast sustainable by supporting it on Patreon.

Subscribe to the Her Head in Films Newsletter.

Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Original artwork by Dhiyanah Hassan

Full Show Notes:

In this episode, I explore François Ozon's mysterious and emotionally devastating 2000 film "Under the Sand," starring Charlotte Rampling as Marie Drillon, a woman whose husband, Jean, unexpectedly disappears during a vacation on the beach. The film is about Marie's struggle to come to terms with the loss of Jean. I talk about the complex career of Rampling, why her performance is so powerful, and why I personally connect to this film because of its look at loss and death.

Consider making this podcast sustainable by supporting it on Patreon.

Subscribe to the Her Head in Films Newsletter.

Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr.

Original artwork by Dhiyanah Hassan

Full Show Notes:

In this episode, Carolyn Petit joins me for a conversation about Jem Cohen's 2012 film "Museum Hours." Carolyn is managing editor at Feminist Frequency and is the co-host of the podcasts Feminist Frequency Radio and Cinemaball. "Museum Hours" is about Johann, a security guard at a Vienna art museum and how he meets Anne, a woman visiting the city to see her cousin who is in a coma. Over the course of Anne's stay, she and Johann become friends as he shows her around and offers emotional support in her time of need. In our discussion, Carolyn and I explore the power of art, the mystery of human connection, and much more.

Consider making this podcast sustainable by supporting it on Patreon.

Subscribe to the Her Head in Films Newsletter.

Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr.

Original artwork by Dhiyanah Hassan

Full Show Notes:

In this episode, I talk about Robert Wise's 1963 cult classic, "The Haunting." It's based on Shirley Jackson's 1959 novel "The Haunting of Hill House," and stars Julie Harris as Eleanor Lance, a young woman who joins three people at a haunted house to investigate paranormal phenomena. Eleanor has spent over a decade caring for her invalid mother who has recently died. I explore how this film represents psychological disintegration and a woman searching for belonging as well as how the film uses sound and cinematography to create a frightening, claustrophobic atmosphere. At the beginning of the episode, I also talk about the recent news that Filmstruck is shutting down.

Consider making this podcast sustainable by supporting it on Patreon.

Subscribe to the Her Head in Films Newsletter.

Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr.

Original artwork by Dhiyanah Hassan

Full Show Notes:

In this episode, I delve into Alejandro Amenábar's haunting 2001 film, "The Others." This episode contains FULL SPOILERS. If you have not seen the film and you choose to listen to this episode, it will be ruined for you.

Consider making this podcast sustainable by supporting it on Patreon.

Subscribe to the Her Head in Films Newsletter.

Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr.

Original artwork by Dhiyanah Hassan

Full show notes:

In this episode, I welcome my first guest, Jesse Ataide, and we talk about our love for John Cromwell's 1945 film, "The Enchanted Cottage." It tells the story of Laura Pennington, a woman who struggles with her unattractiveness, and Oliver Bradford, a disfigured and disabled WWII veteran who fall in love in an old cottage that seems to have the magical power to transform the way they see each other. In our discussion, Jesse and I touch on themes of ugliness, queerness, disability, and much more.

Consider making this podcast sustainable by supporting it on Patreon.

Subscribe to the Her Head in Films Newsletter.

Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr.

Original artwork by Dhiyanah Hassan

Full show notes: