the Curb

In their first conversation Nadine and Virat speak about two films which are pilgrimages of a sort. Kasimir Burgess’ Iron Winter, a documentary that takes the viewer into a land rarely seen — that of the nomadic Mongolian horse herders. An immersive and intimate piece of cinema which invites people to see a dying ancient tradition undertaken on the Mongolian Steppes during a five month journey herding horses to viable snow covered pastures. Transcendentally lensed by Benjamin Bryan Iron Winter is almost elegiac. The ravages of the climate crisis are making extreme conditions significantly more brutal and two young herders have to come to terms not only with the elements but also their futures.

Romería by Carla Simón translates to Pilgramage in English. An autobiographical fiction about Simón’s parents and the quest for an orphaned 18 year old woman to find remnants and memories about her father and his family in Vigo, Galicia. Simón’s avatar Marina (Llúcia Garcia) needs documentation for a university scholarship to study film in 2004, but whether she can convince her father’s patrician and evasive parents to accept her as Fon’s daughter is complicated by the way he died and their shame.

With her mother’s diary from 1984 through to 1986 guiding her she imagines their lives as young lovers, but it is a bittersweet imagining as Fon’s family obfuscate truths and misremember because his life has been erased. Again, a film that is spectacularly lensed by Hélène Louvart capturing Vigo and its islands. Will Marina be claimed or rejected? Will she find vestiges of her parents? Will she be able to prove she is more than a reminder of the hidden ghosts of the past?

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'Art is labour'. This is a statement from composer Jung Jae-il, the man behind the iconic scores to Bong Joon-ho's Parasite, Okja, and Mickey 17, the Netflix smash hit Squid Game, and Hirokazu Kore-eda's Broker, amongst other works. For Jung Jae-il, the art of composing a score is work.

For Jung Jae-il, artists like Roxette, Metallica and Björk are notable influences on his work, with Pina Bausch's dancing leaving a lingering mark on his mind. It's these kinds of artists who influenced Jung Jae-il on his solo album, Listen, released in 2023.

For Jung Jae-il, there is a clear delineation between art for the self and art for a job, and it's with his work on Parasite that the distinction is felt, while his passion for his album Listen shows an artist in harmony with his craft.

These are just some of the things discussed in the above interview with Jung Jae-il, recorded ahead of his performance of the live score for Parasite at the 2025 Melbourne International Film Festival.

Jung Jae-il participates in a conversation with Caitlin Yeo on 23 August at MIFF, with the composer performing a live score for Parasite on 23 August over two sessions at MIFF. Tickets are available here.

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When documentarian Shalom Almond received access to document a group of women prisoners training retired greyhounds to become house-friendly pets for her 2017 film Prisoners and Pups, she opened up a door to be able to capture the hidden stories of women prisoners in Australian jails. Prisoners and Pups is a gentle film that shows the power of rehabilitation programs in prisons, not just for the prisoners, but also for the greyhounds.

Now, in 2025, she is back with her essential documentary Songs Inside. Here Shalom captures the lives of women in the Adelaide Women's Prison, becoming part of their lives for six-months as she documents their participation in a music program which sees prisoners learn how to play the ukulele, write songs, and sing, all in preparation for a performance with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra in front of 200 inmates. The climactic performance became the largest concert staged within an Australian correctional facility.

Along the journey, Shalom sits in the cells of the prisoners listening to their stories, accompanies them to hearings, and captures their rehearsal processes. Art becomes a salvation for those inside, a release that is given to the prisoners who show good behaviour. But Shalom is not alone in this process, with Barkindji singer-songwriter Nancy Bates guiding their process to becomes singers and songwriters in their own right.

There's a beautiful charm to Songs Inside that never detracts the reality that these are women who have found themselves on the wrong side of the law. But Shalom also never focuses on what crimes they may have done to find themselves in this situation. Instead, she taps into the notion of redemption, showing in the process that their futures are in their hands and this musical process is a part of the healing journey they find themselves on.

Ahead of Songs Inside's screenings at the Melbourne International Film Festival, I had a chat with Shalom about her work on the film, what it means to be a supportive filmmaker for her subjects, and more. With a career that spans over two decades, Shalom is someone I know I could talk for much longer about her work, and hopefully one day I will.

Songs Inside also screens in competition at CinefestOz, with a full release to come down the line.

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If we consider who some of the great modern Aussie cinematographers are, we immediately think of names like Michael Latham, Stefan Duscio, Jaclyn Paterson, or the man behind the camera of such films as Of an Age, You Won't Be Alone, Hafekasi, Howl, Blue Bayou, My First Summer, and Sophie Hyde's upcoming film, Jimpa.

I'm of course talking about Matthew Chaung.

Across his filmography, Matthew has lensed films with a level of empathy, compassion, and understanding that imbues the work with a warmth and tenderness that ensures that the stories linger in your mind long after the credits. When I think of Matthew's work, I think of the golden hour shots in Katie Found's My First Summer, or the discovery of queer identities in Goran Stolevski's intimate Of an Age, or the child level perspective of the world in Annelise Hickey's stunning Hafekasi. With Jimpa, he becomes part of Sophie Hyde's family, shooting the film with inspiration from Nan Goldin's work.

In the following interview, recorded at the Sundance Film Festival in 2025, Matthew talks through his work and creative process, while also exploring the notion of what makes his cinematography unique. For Australian audiences, you can see Matthew's work in Domini Marshall's stunning new short film Howl, which is making the festival rounds. Matthew also talks about Dario Russo's new film, The Fox, which is on the horizon and stars Jai Courtney, Damon Herriman, and Emily Browning.

If you're keen on finding out more about Matthew's work, visit MatthewChuang.com.

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Dogmilk Films is a collective based between Naarm-Melbourne, Makassar Indonesia, and Paris, France. Founded in 2017, Dogmilk brings alternative and ambitious films to life on screen with impactful screenings of world cinema. In addition to their screenings, Dogmilk has also expanded into filmmaking, with their searing short film Faceless being a prime example of risk-tasking Australian cinema that actively pushes boundaries and questions the status quo of this nations history.

Faceless is a piece of co-authored cinema, with co-directors William Jaka and Fraser Pemberton working alongside co-writer, producer and editor Chris C.F., cinematographer Alexandra Walton, composer Josh Peters, production designer Anna Ross, and many more all working together to critique, question, and examine the class system that lives on the Birrarung-Ga (the Yarra River).

In the film, William plays an Indigenous man through three parallel realities; in one world he's on the banks of the Birrarung-Ga, encountering a rough sleeper who reveals himself to be a war veteran. Heading up the steps into an art gallery, William takes on the role of an aspiring actor encountering a world of fellow artists utilising pain, distortion, and the recurring motif of fish, to turn anguish into art - or is it entertainment? Finally, as they head up the lift to the heights of Naarm, overlooking the city in a luxurious restaurant, William embodies the role of alpha-male stockbrokers and mining companies, lavishly devouring seafood and guzzling wine, all the while mocking his engagement with Andrew Forrest's Mindaroo mining corporation.

There's an acidity to Faceless that, once splashed on the surface of this land, exposes it for what it is: a fractured home of unresolved issues. In turn, those issues have become an unhealthy source of income or salvation.

Faceless screens as part of the Accelerator Shorts sessions at MIFF on 13 and 23 August. William received a nomination for the Uncle Jack Charles Award, in collaboration with the Kearney Group, which recognises an outstanding Australian First Nations creative whose film is screening at MIFF 2025. Visit MIFF.com.au for tickets. To find out more about Dogmilk Films, visit DogmilkFilms.com.

In the above interview, Fraser and William talk about what their co-authorship process looks like, how exploring pain on screen plays out, and what they're hoping to see from the upcoming screenings at MIFF.

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Suri Chan is a queer artist who pulls from her migrant roots to tell stories about her heritage, her future, and her identity through her poems. In her book But I Don't Feel Empowered, available through all bookstores, Suri uses illustrations and her words to invite readers into her world, often utilising stories of iconic landmarks or food to enrich the senses even more.

In the following interview, Suri talks about where her interest in poetry came from, what being a migrant, queer artist means in todays world, and a lot more.

To find out more about Suri's work, visit Suri-Chan.com or find her on Instagram at PoemsBySuri.

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky @thecurbau. We are a completely independent and ad free website that lives on the support of listeners and readers just like you. Visit Patreon.com/thecurbau, where you can support our work from as little as $1 a month. If you are unable to financially support us, then please consider sharing this interview with your podcast loving friends.

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'The front fell off.' The 94 metre 100 metre track. Fred Dagg. 24 years of political satire with Bryan Dawe. These are just a handful of the impactful comedic works from the one and only John Clarke.

For over 40 years, John Clarke brought an unparalleled level of wit, politically astute comedic understanding, and pitch perfect timing to Australian and New Zealand audiences. John Clarke's work as a comedian wasn't just to entertain, but to also make audiences sit and think. Whether it be utilising the landmark comedy series The Games as a way of presenting an apology to the Stolen Generation of Australia, or by calling out the hypocrisy of the colonial state we live in, John Clarke utilised his comedic genius to masterful effect.

In 2017, the world lost John Clarke, and Lorin Clarke lost her father.

Now, after having explored over 200 boxes of John Clarke's work and letters, having written about book about her relationship with her dad, and having interviewed countless fellow comedic masters like Sam Neill, Rhys Darby, and Ben Elton, Lorin has crafted a documentary about her dad called But Also John Clarke.

It's just about one of the most enriching and delightful experiences you'll have this year, even if you're not familiar with John Clarke's work - and I kind of almost envy you if you aren't, as you've got decades of work to be entertained by. For a film that could quite easily have become a hagiography or a maudlin experience, Lorin manages to balance the film with a delightful level of charm and compassion. Compassion not only for the loss of her father, but also for the audience who loved him, her mother, and most importantly, herself.

In the following interview, recorded ahead of But Also John Clarke's world premiere at the Melbourne International Film Festival, Lorin talks about getting the balance right for a film like this, while also touching on the process she undertook to be vulnerable this way.

I had an absolute blast and shed more than a few tears watching But Also John Clarke, as I'm sure you will too.

It screens at MIFF from 15 August to 24 August, with select Q&A sessions with Lorin in attendance. To buy tickets, visit MIFF.com.au.

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After having its world premiere at the Adelaide Film Festival in 2024, and having screened at SXSW and Sydney Film Festival, Kate Blackmore's essential documentary Make it Look Real is now available to view on Netflix. I've followed the journey of this documentary with keen interest, having discussed the film at length in conversations with Kate, co-star Albert Mwangi, and now, bringing the conversation full circle, producer Bethany Bruce.

In this deep conversation, Bethany talks about her journey into the arts, what her interest in producing has been, how her work with Staple Fiction is changing storytelling on Australian screens, and what it was like to work with Kate on this powerful documentary.

If this is the first time you're hearing of Make it Look Real, then welcome. This is a documentary that lifts the veil on intimacy coordinators, following their journey in film from the initial phases to the day of the shoot. In between scenes of working through the intimacy coordinator process, the film explores how films like Last Tango in Paris could have benefited from having an intimacy coordinator on set. Additionally, while this film is about film and TV production, it does open up discussion for others about consent when it comes to personal relationships.

Check out Make it Look Real on Netflix right now, and to find out more about Bethany's work, visit StapleFiction.com.au.

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky @thecurbau. We are a completely independent and ad free website that lives on the support of listeners and readers just like you. Visit Patreon.com/thecurbau, where you can support our work from as little as $1 a month. If you are unable to financially support us, then please consider sharing this interview with your podcast loving friends.

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Writer-director Domini Marshall is a talent on the rise. With short films like Go with Grace, Slap, and now her finest work yet, Howl, under her belt, Marshall is a force to be reckoned with. Her work is deeply personal, written from a perspective that invites audiences to engage with the internal mindset of her characters, and through that process, we're able to see the world differently.

Guiding Domini's creative output is producer Josie Baynes, a equally impressive talent on the rise. Alongside Domini, Josie has worked with emerging talents like Annelise Hickey on her films Stranger, Brother. and Hafekasi, while also allowing cinematographer Matthew Chuang to build a body of work that is also reshaping how Australian stories are seen on screen.

I highly recommend you seek out Domini's work on her website, DominiMarshall.com, where you can also seek out her web series her words, released during 2017-2019. It's a deeply informative series, one that pairs well with books like Taboo by Hannah Ferguson.

In the following conversation, Domini and Josie talk through their creative process, how they manage to bring us into the internal mindset of their characters, and a lot more.

Howl is screening at the Melbourne International Film Festival as part of the Aussie shorts package, alongside Stranger, Brother., I'm the Most Racist Person I Know, Mango Seed, and more. Screenings are held on 11 and 22 August, with online screenings taking place from 24 August. Visit MIFF.com.au for more details.

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Grant Hardie is the co-founder of Monster Pictures, one of Australia and New Zealand's leading distributors of horror and genre films. In 2011, Monster Pictures birthed the darkly delightful Monster Fest, which has quickly become Australia's flagship horror and genre film festival.

Now, in 2025, Monster Pictures, in partnership with Head Gear Films and White Hot Productions, have morphed into their next stage of evolution, launching Monster Pictures Studios, a full-service genre film studio which aims to work with Aussie creatives to bring genre films to life with the intention of becoming a defining force of Australian genre cinema.

There's a giddy level of delight when you read a press release like this one, as if we're honouring the scrappy genre-roots of Aussie cinema, splashing back to the era of Ozploitation where anything was possible. While the Age of Ozploitation is over, that doesn't mean Aussie filmmakers can't birth a new movement, and hopefully Monster Pictures Studios is going to do just that.

First films off the ranks includes the action-thriller Seven Snipers, directed by Sandra Sciberras, featuring Radha Mitchell, Tim Roth, Ioan Gruffudd, and Ryan Kwanten. The next wave includes films from horror legends Greg McLean & Sean Byrne, while Matt Day will be making his feature directorial debut.

I caught up with Grant Hardie to talk about Monsters Pictures ability to engage with audiences, filmmakers, and to shape how horror and genre films are embraced in Australia.

To find out more, visit MonsterPicturesStudios.com.

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky @thecurbau. We are a completely independent and ad free website that lives on the support of listeners and readers just like you. Visit Patreon.com/thecurbau, where you can support our work from as little as $1 a month. If you are unable to financially support us, then please consider sharing this interview with your podcast loving friends.

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