the Curb

Filmmaker, critic, and cultural historian Bill Mousoulis has forged a career as, in the truest sense of the word, an independent filmmaker in Australia. His filmography spans over decades, with his works showcasing a keen sense of curiosity for the world around him, whether it be Greece, Melbourne, or as in his latest film My Darling in Stirling, the humble city of Stirling in the Adelaide Hills.

In the following interview, recorded ahead of the world premiere at the Adelaide Film Festival, Bill talks about the inspiration for My Darling in Stirling, while also touching on what it means to be an Australian filmmaker working right now.

I've long respected and looked up to Bill for his work alongside Chris Luscri as they champion Australian independent cinema with their ongoing screenings under the banner of Unknown Pleasures, all the while Bill has fostered a support for alternative Australian cinema with his website Pure Shit. It was a pleasure to be able to talk with Bill about his work, both as a filmmaker and a writer.

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Garth Davis is a filmmaker who has explored the human need for connection in his films. Whether it's in his Best Picture nominee Lion, or in his latest film, Foe, that sense of being one with the person you love is a tangible thread throughout his career. In the following interview, Garth talks about that sense of connection, while also talking about one of the core themes of the film: Artificial Intelligence.

Foe stars Saoirse Ronan as Hen and Paul Mescal as Junior. They are Midwest lovers in the future who find their lives upturned when an unexpected visitor played by Aaron Pierre arrives to tell them that Junior is to be sent to space for some time. As a replacement and for company, Pierre's mysterious man proposes that they create an artificial clone of Junior to keep Hen company. From here, the science-fiction and dramatic tone of Foe interweaves Ronan and Mescal bouncing off one another.

Foe is in Australia cinemas from November 2.

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Filmmaker Anupam Sharma talks about his new documentary Brand Bollywood Downunder in this in depth interview which touches on the cross-cultural relationship between India and Australia on screen, what makes a Bollywood film a Bollywood film, and about the Australian Indian Visual Co-Production treaty.

Anupam is the director of cross-culture films like UNindian and The Run, and has worked on a line producer for major Bollywood films like Love Story 2050 and Prem Aggan, both of which feature in Brand Bollywood Downunder.

To launch the film, Anupam is touring around Australia, with screenings in Adelaide, Perth, Sydney, the Gold Coast, and more. To find out where Brand Bollywood Downunder is screening, visit the Facebook page for the film here.

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In this episode, Andrew interviews celebrated author Paullina Simons about her latest novel, Light at Lavelle. It tells the story Finn Evans, a Bostonian banker who at the end of the 1920s finds his life unexpectedly swirling into the orbit of Isabelle Lazar, a young Ukrainian farmer. Light at Lavelle takes readers on a journey over the breadth of its five hundred plus pages of romance fiction through stories of war, unspeakable hardships, and the unexpected unions that arise during these difficult times.

In the following interview, Paullina talks about her own emotional journey of bringing her characters stories to life, especially as she is the first person to get to know them and hear their stories. Paullina also talks about the emotional connection that her readers have built up with her over the years since her worldwide best seller debut Tully and her bestselling novel The Bronze Horseman. She also talks about bringing herself into the world of her novels, amongst many other fascinating topics.

Light at Lavelle is published in Australia through Pan Macmillan, who provided a copy of the book for the purpose of this interview. Light at Lavelle releases in Australia on 31 October 2023 and is available online and in all good bookstores.

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On this episode, Andrew chats with director Matt Vesely about his feature film debut Monolith.

Monolith is a chilling sci-fi thriller follows a journalist, played by Lily Sullivan, whose livelihood is at stake after a defamation case threatens her career. In a bid to escape the pressure of the case, she heads to her parents remote home and starts working on a podcast called Beyond Believable, a show that looks at unbelievable true stories. Over the following taut and tense ninety minutes, the journalists world unravels as a story about mysterious black bricks that appear in peoples lives come to her attention. The more she interviews people, the deeper the mystery takes her.

In this interview, Matt talks about the process that he employs to create a personality for an inanimate object, about how the writer Lucy Campbell, producer Bettina Hamilton, and himself gave Lily Sullivan the space to build a performance where she is the only character we see on screen, and just what exactly is going on in South Australia which has made it the hotbed for great Aussie films this year.

We also touch on the space of comedy in science-fiction, as previously shown in his short films My Best Friend is Stuck on the Ceiling and System Error, both of which are available to watch below.

Monolith is in Australian cinemas from October 26. To find out more, make sure to visit the Bonsai Films Facebook page for details.

Read Andrew's review of Monolith here and Nadine's interview with actor Lily Sullivan here.

My Best Friend is Stuck on the Ceiling

System Error

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In this double interview episode, Andrew chats with two of the creative minds behind Ben Affleck's latest film, Air. Air tells the story of how sports marketing executive Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon) pursued Michael Jordan and changed history for Nike and basketball with the creation of the iconic Air Jordan shoe.

First up is Academy Award winning editor William Goldenberg who reunites with Affleck for the fourth time, having won the Best Editing Oscar for Argo. Bill talks about the short hand that he and Ben have built up over the years, how he creates emotion within an edit, and more.

Following this interview is costume designer Charlese Antoinette Jones. Charlese talks about her work creating era-specific clothing for the actors, the difficulty of sourcing material from the 80s, and how she helps the actors create their characters with their costumes.

Air is currently available to watch on Amazon Prime. Read Nadine's review of Air here.

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On this episode, Andrew chats to writer, director, and editor Adrian Powers about his new film Love is in the Air. This romantic drama tells the story of Dana, played by Delta Goodrem in her return to acting. Dana is a seaplane pilot in Far North Queensland and when she's not monitoring the region from the skies, she's delivering much needed supplies to remote communities. Her job is thrown into disarray when the business that helps fund the operation sends the handsome William (Joshua Sasse) to come and value the business with the intention of decommissioning it. Naturally, romance ensues. Supporting actors include Aussie icons like Roy Billing and Steph Tisdell.

In the following interview, Adrian talks about working in a Hallmark-model of film and TV production in Australia with Jaggi Entertainment, he also talks about the contrast of a film like Love is in the Air with his earlier work like the short film Brolga, which was partially shot in the Chernobyl exclusion zone. We also talk about the need for light and fluffy films like this, before heading into a discussion about working with the elements in Far North Queensland and how the beards of characters are decided.

Love is in the Air is on Netflix internationally right now, while Adrian's next film, A Royal in Paradise, will receive a limited theatrical release in Australia next week.

To listen to further interviews, make sure to subscribe to the podcast feed so you never miss an episode. New interviews are released on Fridays, with bonus interviews appearing on Wednesdays. To read reviews, head over to TheCurb.com.au.

Watch Adrian's short film Brolga below and read an earlier interview with Adrian about the short here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbc2cbM_kRY 

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In this episode, Andrew interview filmmaker Heidi Lee Douglas about her new film Suka. Written by Tsu Shan Chambers and Lily Cheng, this neon-soaked action flick tells a story that spans decades, detailing the the fury that rages between two feuding families in Western Sydney. Suka is both a multi-cultural Romeo and Juliet style revenge film, with a touch of real-life events thrown into the mix.

In this interview Heidi talks about the importance of casting actors who could handle both the acting requirements as well as the fighting sequences, while also touching on the value of global appreciation of the banner term 'genre filmmaking' when it comes to horror, action, and sci-fi films. Additionally, Heidi talks about the role that neon plays in storytelling.

Suka is available on demand right now and is released by Umbrella Entertainment.

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Listeners are advised that this podcast includes mention of sexual assault and trauma.

In this episode, Andrew interviews writer and director Matthew Holmes about his latest film, The Cost. This is a searing vigilante thriller that tells the story of two men, David and Aaron, who abduct the newly released felon Troy to inflict their own version of justice and retribution. While on paper The Cost appears to be a routine rape-revenge film, it eschews the genre trappings to become a grounded thriller that explores the potential brutality of masculinity.

In the following interview, which contains slight spoilers, Matthew talks about the construction of the film, how he framed the tension with cinematographer Cable Williams, and what work the actors did to get into the mindspace of three characters who are pushed to horrifying places.

The Cost is receiving a limited run in Australian cinemas from October 5th before heading to physical media by Madman films. To find out the details for screenings and where to buy tickets, visit The Cost's Facebook page. To purchase The Cost on Bluray, visit Madman here.

Read Andrew's review of The Cost here. To listen to other interviews head over to TheCurb.com.au. New podcast interviews appear each Friday, with bonus interviews appearing on Wednesdays. 

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In this episode Andrew interviews Dena Curtis and Citt Williams who are the producers behind the new NITV four part series Rebel With a Cause. This compelling and engaging documentary series follows four First Nations trailblazers - Senator Neville Bonner, poet Oodgeroo Noonuccal, magistrate Pat O'Shane, and radio presenter and media icon Tiga Bayles - and ultimately asks the question of what does it take to make a difference in the world?

In the following interview Dena and Citt talk about their work as producers and what it means to delve into culturally sensitive archives and present these stories on screen. Additionally, they reflect on the importance of recontexutalising archives that have so often been curated or managed by white people. 

To say that Rebel With a Cause is an essential series feels like an understatement. It's arriving at a time where Australia as a nation is going through a major change, with the referendum on the Voice to Parliament being decided on October 14. Within the stories of Neville, Oodgeroo, Pat, and Tiga, we see four people who saw the potential within themselves and their community to change history and the future of Australia. It encourages viewers to consider and contemplate the impact of their actions, and the manner that they have helped amplify, support, and better the lives of First Nations people in Australia.   

Rebel With a Cause is directed by EJ Garret, Jill Robinson, S.F. Tusa and Douglas Watkin. It will screen on NITV from October 1st, with episodes dropping each week. 

To listen to other interviews and read reviews, head over to TheCurb.com.au. New podcast interviews appear each Friday, with bonus interviews appearing on Wednesdays. 

For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander listeners, the trailer included in this podcast contains the voices of people who have passed away. 

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