Seventh Row Podcast

Emerald Fennell's new film, Saltburn, comes out today, so we're re-releasing our 2021 episode about two very different depictions of rape culture from 2020: Fennell's revenge thriller Promising Young Woman and Kitty Green's The Assistant, a portrait of a young woman working in a misogynistic office environment. This is a landmark episode of the podcast, which kickstarted a series of episodes on rape culture on film. This episode features Editor-in-Chief Alex Heeney, Executive Editor Orla Smith, and special guest Lindsay Pugh. Want to support the podcast? Become a member today, and access our entire archive of 150+ episodes. It helps us pay our expenses to keep the podcast going and continue to improve the podcast. For detailed show notes, visit: https://seventh-row.com/2021/01/06/ep-73-explorations-of-rape-culture-in-promising-young-woman-and-the-assistant/ Follow Seventh Row on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, and read our articles at seventh-row.com. Related episodes: Ep. 86 (Members Only)Una&Slalom: Ep. 92 (Members Only)Sugar DaddyAn Easy Girl Ep. 132 (Free)Women Talking Coming Soon: Abortion on Film Season In this six-episode season, we discuss how socially progressive depictions of abortion on film have changed and developed since the 1950s. We’re putting the finishing touches on the season now, and hoping to have it out in about a month’s time. Members get early access to the Abortion on Film season! Once the season starts, we’ll be releasing new episodes every two weeks, but members will get the first three episodes immediately, and early access to the remaining episodes. Become a member.

In the fifth and final episode of our Creative Nonfiction Film podcast season, Alex Heeney talks to Penny Lane about her experimentations with documentary form in Confessions of a Good Samaritan. The film is a trip inside Penny’s brain as she goes through the stressful process of anonymously donating her kidney and investigates why kidney donations are necessary. Lane weaves almost all of the techniques from her previous films (and a few more!) into Confessions of a Good Samaritan, offering a thoughtful, educational, and funny look at the complicated feelings that come with doing good in the world at some personal expense. Click here to read the episode show notes. You will also find an AI-generated transcript in the show notes. Useful links Creative Nonfiction Podcast homepagefilms of Joachim Trier Existential detours: Joachim Trier's cinema of indecisions and revisions More on creative nonfiction Download a FREE excerpt from Subjective Realities here. Get your copy of the ebook Subjective Realities: The art of creative nonfiction film here. Get your copy of the ebook In their own words: Documentary Masters vol. 1 Listen to the podcast on the ebook Subjective realities: The art of creative nonfiction film Become a Member Members receive early access to all new episodes of our season. Members can also access the entire podcast archive of 150+ episodes. Our recent episodes from our seasons and regular episodes from the last six months are free to all for a limited time. To get full access to the podcast, including episodes from past Sundance Film Festivals and past Sundance films, become a member. As a member, you will also be supporting what we do, and helping us cover the (expensive) costs of hosting, running a website, podcast equipment, and more. This helps to ensure we can continue producing the podcast. Related Episodes Members Only Episodes Ep. 12: Penny Lane on Hail Satan?Hail Satan Ep. 40: Dead MothersLouder Than BombsMouthpieceStories We Tell Ep. 122: Joachim Trier's The Worst Person in the World Free Episodes Ep. 105: Subjective Realities: The art of creative nonfiction film:Subjective Realities Ep. 99: Creative Nonfiction with Penny Lane and Carol Nguyen Ep. 123: Sundance 2022: Creative Nonfiction Credits Host Alex Heeney is the Editor-in-Chief of Seventh Row. Find her on Twitter @bwestcineaste. Email us at contact This episode was edited, produced, and recorded by Alex Heeney.

In the fourth episode of our Creative Nonfiction Film podcast season, Alex Heeney talks to Sam Green about 32 Sounds and his work exploring the possibilities of his work that he describes as "live documentaries". These are part locked footage, part live performance, usually including a live band on stage performing the film's music. On this episode, we give some background on Sam Green's work in live documentary, talk about how A Thousand Thoughts (2018), co-directed with Joe Bini, felt like a turning point for his work in the form, and discuss what makes 32 Sounds such a wonderful and innovative film. Finally, Alex talks to Sam Green about making 32 Sounds, and more broadly about how he thinks about live documentary and why this is a space he likes working in. The episode features a conversation between Alex Heeney and Orla Smith about 32 Sounds and live documentary, recorded in January 2022 right after the world premiere of 32 Sounds. The interview with Sam Green was conducted via Zoom in January 2022 the day after 32 Sounds had its world (virtual) premiere at Sundance. This is an edited version of the complete conversation; the complete conversation is available on our website here. Click here to read the episode show notes. You will also find an AI-generated transcript in the show notes. Useful links Read32 SoundsFind screenings of Sam Green's live documentariesFind screenings of 32 SoundsRead Sam Green's introduction to live documentaryUtopia in Four Movements More on creative nonfiction Download a FREE excerpt from Subjective Realities here. Get your copy of the ebook Subjective Realities: The art of creative nonfiction film here. Get your copy of the ebook In their own words: Documentary Masters vol. 1 Listen to the podcast on the ebook Subjective realities: The art of creative nonfiction film Become a Member All of our episodes that are over 6 months old are available to members only. We also regularly record members only episodes. To get full access to the podcast, including episodes from past Sundance Film Festivals and past Sundance films, become a member. As a member, you will also be supporting what we do, and helping us cover the (expensive) costs of hosting, running a website, podcast equipment, and more. This helps to ensure we can continue producing the podcast. Related Episodes Members Only Episodes Ep. 67: Frederick Wiseman’s Ex Libris and City Hall Ep. 95: No Ordinary Man and John Ware Reclaimed: Reclaiming history in documentary (Members only) Free Episodes Ep. 99: Creative Nonfiction with Penny Lane and Carol Nguyen Ep. 123: Sundance 2022: Creative Nonfiction Credits Host Alex Heeney is the Editor-in-Chief of Seventh Row. Find her on Twitter @bwestcineaste. Email us at contact This episode was edited, produced, and recorded by Alex Heeney.

In the third episode of our Creative Nonfiction Film podcast season, Philippe Falardeau discusses Lac-Mégantic: This is Not An Accident is a four-part documentary series about the catastrophic 2013 trainwreck in Lac-Mégantic, its inevitability, the aftermath, and the government failure to change safety requirements to avoid another "accident" in future. Lac-Mégantic had its world premiere at the HotDocs Film Festival where all four episodes were screened back-to-back. The Lac-Mégantic rail disaster was the fourth-deadliest rail accident in Canadian history (47 people died) and the deadliest involving a non-passenger train. The documentary Lac-Mégantic not only chronicles the disaster and its devastating effects on the town Lac-Mégantic, but also how blame was handled and how similar disasters continue to happen. The series reclaims the history of the Lac-Mégantic rail disaster by showing how systemic problems lead to a disaster that has been blamed on individuals. The series also reveals how appropriate safety measures have not been taken in the intervening years to prevent a similar disaster from happening (and other, smaller disasters have indeed continued to happen). At the beginning of the episode, Alex Heeney introduces the series Lac-Mégantic, and why she thinks it's worthy of discussion. Next, we play your Alex's interview with Falardeau about the film. Finally, we wrap up with how the film fits into the framework for creative nonfiction that we at Seventh Row created in our ebook Subjective realities, and offer some suggestions for what to watch and listen to next. Click here to read the episode show notes. You will also find an AI-generated transcript in the show notes. Useful links our masterclass with Philippe Falardeau and Mina Shumour interview with Philippe Falardeau on My Internship in Canada More on creative nonfiction Download a FREE excerpt from Subjective Realities here. Get your copy of the ebook Subjective Realities: The art of creative nonfiction film here. Get your copy of the ebook In their own words: Documentary Masters vol. 1 Become a Member All of our episodes that are over 6 months old are available to members only. We also regularly record members only episodes. To get full access to the podcast, including episodes from past Sundance Film Festivals and past Sundance films, become a member. As a member, you will also be supporting what we do, and helping us cover the (expensive) costs of hosting, running a website, podcast equipment, and more. This helps to ensure we can continue producing the podcast. Related Episodes Members Only Episodes Bonus Episode 25:This is Going to HurtEp. 41:In the LoopMy Internship in Canada Ep. 67: Frederick Wiseman’s Ex Libris and City Hall Ep. 95: No Ordinary Man and John Ware Reclaimed: Reclaiming history in documentary (Members only) Free Episodes Ep. 99: Creative Nonfiction with Penny Lane and Carol Nguyen Ep. 123: Sundance 2022: Creative Nonfiction Credits Host Alex Heeney is the Editor-in-Chief of Seventh Row. Find her on Twitter @bwestcineaste. Email us at contact This episode was edited, produced, and recorded by Alex Heeney.

In the second episode of our Creative Nonfiction Film podcast season, Sophie Fiennes discusses The Four Quartets and how she approaches documenting live performance on screen. In The Four Quartets, she captures the stage play of the same name, directed by and starring her brother, actor Ralph Fiennes. For the production, Ralph Fiennes adapted the T.S. Eliot poem for the stage — which was never originally intended to be performed that way — and then toured this production around the UK in 2021. Sophie Fiennes’s film of The Four Quartets is neither live capture nor a full adaptation of the play. Instead, Fiennes remarkably documents the theatre production on screen, maintaining all the original lighting and blocking. Her choices of framing and camera movement really puts us in the black box theatre with Ralph Fiennes. Unlike most recorded theatre, where there is a constant sense of information loss, Sophie Fiennes gives us a sense of the theatrical space so we get a better sense of what we’re missing when we’re missing it. It’s built into Sophie Fiennes’s direction. Sophie Fiennes discusses Ralph Fiennes’s production, the challenges of documenting the play on screen, and how working with Declan Donnellan of Cheek by Jowl just before she shot The Four Quartets changed how she thinks about acting and theatre. Click here to read the episode show notes. The show notes also include excerpts from Sophie Fiennes's director's script. You will also find an AI-generated transcript in the show notes. Useful links T.S. Eliot’s The Four Quartets Not True But Useful podcast episode on thresholds and space Read our interview with Sophie FiennesGrace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami More on creative nonfiction Download a FREE excerpt from Subjective Realities here. Get your copy of the ebook Subjective Realities: The art of creative nonfiction film here. Get your copy of the ebook In their own words: Documentary Masters vol. 1 Become a Member All of our episodes that are over 6 months old are available to members only. We also regularly record members only episodes. To get full access to the podcast, including episodes from past Sundance Film Festivals and past Sundance films, become a member. As a member, you will also be supporting what we do, and helping us cover the (expensive) costs of hosting, running a website, podcast equipment, and more. This helps to ensure we can continue producing the podcast. Related Episodes on creative nonfiction Ep. 99: Creative Nonfiction with Penny Lane and Carol Nguyen Sundance 2023 Ep. 7: Best of the fest + documentaries Fantastic Machine, Is There Anybody Out There, and more Ep. 123: Sundance 2022: Creative Nonfiction Members Only Episodes Ep. 67: Frederick Wiseman’s Ex Libris and City Hall (Members only) Ep. 95: No Ordinary Man and John Ware Reclaimed: Reclaiming history in documentary (Members only) Credits Host Alex Heeney is the Editor-in-Chief of Seventh Row. Find her on Twitter @bwestcineaste. Email us at contact This episode was edited, produced, and recorded by Alex Heeney.

In the first episode of our Creative Nonfiction Film podcast season, Alex Heeney previews what to expect in this five-episode season and discusses what is creative nonfiction film. Click here to read the episode show notes. You will also find an AI-generated transcript in the show notes. Get the tote bag with the Céline Sciamma quote "Cinema is the only art form ever where you share somebody else's lonelines" More on creative nonfiction Download a FREE excerpt from Subjective Realities here. Get your copy of the ebook Subjective Realities: The art of creative nonfiction film here. Get your copy of the ebook In their own words: Documentary Masters vol. 1 Become a Member All of our episodes that are over 6 months old are available to members only. We also regularly record members only episodes. To get full access to the podcast, including episodes from past Sundance Film Festivals and past Sundance films, become a member. As a member, you will also be supporting what we do, and helping us cover the (expensive) costs of hosting, running a website, podcast equipment, and more. This helps to ensure we can continue producing the podcast. Related Episodes on creative nonfiction Ep. 99: Creative Nonfiction with Penny Lane and Carol Nguyen Sundance 2023 Ep. 7: Best of the fest + documentaries Fantastic Machine, Is There Anybody Out There, and more Ep. 123: Sundance 2022: Creative Nonfiction Members Only Episodes Ep. 67: Frederick Wiseman’s Ex Libris and City Hall (Members only) Ep. 95: No Ordinary Man and John Ware Reclaimed: Reclaiming history in documentary (Members only) Credits Host Alex Heeney is the Editor-in-Chief of Seventh Row. Find her on Twitter @bwestcineaste. Email us at contact This episode was edited, produced, and recorded by Alex Heeney.

In honour of Justine Triet's historic Palme d'Or win, we are republishing our in-depth discussion of her two most recent films for free. This episode was originally released on September 8, 2020 as episode 56. This week on the podcast we look at two of Justine Triet's feature films, In Bed With Victoria (2016) and Sibyl (2019). Both films are non-judgemental character studies of career women in their thirties who are falling apart in various ways. We discuss how Triet's blending of multiple genres emphasizes the multiple facets of a character's life, and more. In Bed With Victoria (2016) had its world premiere in the Critics' Week section at Cannes. Sibyl (2019) had its world premiere in the Official Competition at the Cannes Film Festival. Justine Triet is now the third woman director to receive the Palme d'Or, and the second woman director to not share the prize with a man. This episode features Editor-in-Chief Alex Heeney, Executive Editor Orla Smith, Editor at Large Mary Angela Rowe, and special guest Lindsay Pugh. For detailed show notes, visit: https://seventh-row.com/2020/09/08/ep-56-justine-triets-women-on-the-verge-in-bed-with-victoria-and-sibyl/ Follow Seventh Row on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, and read our articles at seventh-row.com.

On this episode, Editor-in-Chief Alex Heeney talks about several highlights of the 2023 Berlinale from the festival's sidebars. First, Alex discusses the best film of the festival she saw, Here (dir. Bas Devos), which screened in the Encounters section where it won the top prize. Next, Alex discusses two films from the Panorama sidebar (the not quite prestigious enough for competition sidebar): award winner The Teachers' Lounge and the low key Danish film The Quiet Migration. Finally, Alex discusses two films from the Generation sidebar, a sidebar of Young Adult films for Young Adults: Delegation and Le Paradis. Finally, Become a Member All of our episodes that are over 6 months old are available to members only. We also regularly record members only episodes. To get full access to the podcast, including episodes from past Sundance Film Festivals and past Sundance films, become a member. As a member, you will also be supporting what we do, and helping us cover the (expensive) costs of hosting, running a website, podcast equipment, and more. This helps to ensure we can continue producing the podcast. Show Notes our interview with the director and star of Ninjababy, to our podcast on Ninjababy our interview with the director of Brother's Keeper,The Teachers' Lounge our review of Magnus von Horn's The Here AfterLe ParadisThe Lost Boysour podcast on My Small LandThe Quiet MigrationMy Small Landall of our Berlinale coverage from this year and past years Related episodes mentioned on this episode Ep. 83: Berlinale 2021 Part 1: The sidebars Ep. 84: Berlinale 2021 Part 2: The CompetitionEp. 125: Berlinale 2022 Ep. 101 Magnus von Horn’s films: The Here After and Sweat How to listen to episodes marked "MEMBERS ONLY" Click here to become a member, and access our entire podcast archive, as well as new Members Only episodes. When you purchase your membership, you wil be given a personal podcast feed link, which you can then open in your favourite podcatcher. After that, the Premium Seventh Row Podcast (MEMBERS ONLY), will update in your podcatcher with new episodes just like every free podcast you listen to. All of our podcasts that are more than six months old are only available to members. We also regularly release members only bonus episodes. Many of the episodes listed here are now only available to members (Members Only). Speakers on the episode This episode features Editor-in-Chief Alex Heeney You can find Alex on Twitter @bwestcineaste, Instagram @bwestcineaste, and Letterboxd @bwestcineaste.

In the seventh and final episode of the Sundance 2023 podcast season, we discuss the documentaries at Sundance 2023, focusing on the films Fantastic Machine, Is There Anybody Out There?, The Stroll, and Plan C. We also discuss the best films of Sundance and wrap up our discussion of the festival. And the King Said What a Fantastic MachineIs There Anybody Out There?The StrollPlan CMilisuthandoAgainst the Tide Click here to read the episode show notes. You will also find an AI-generated transcript in the show notes. Become a Member All of our episodes that are over 6 months old are available to members only. We also regularly record members only episodes. To get full access to the podcast, including episodes from past Sundance Film Festivals and past Sundance films, become a member. As a member, you will also be supporting what we do, and helping us cover the (expensive) costs of hosting, running a website, podcast equipment, and more. This helps to ensure we can continue producing the podcast. About the Sundance 2023 season Visit https://seventh-row.com/sundance for links to all of the episodes in the season, a downloadable bingo card, as well as a list of all of the films covered on this season. You will also find links to the show notes on each of the episodes and information on our coverage of Sundance dating back to 2015. Show Notes our ebook Subjective realitiesSearchersThe Strollour 2016 Sundance interview with Penny Lane on NUTS!Axel Danielsen and Maximilien Van Aertryck’s short film Ten Meter TowerGuy Goma’s hilarious interview on the BBCFantastic Machine Orla’s review of I Didn’t See You ThereAlex’s review of Gleason Orla’s interview with Chase Joynt and Morgan M. Page on Framing AgnesThe StrollOrla's interview with the filmmakers behind No Ordinary ManThe Stroll Orla’s review of All That BreathesAlex’s review of Captains of Za’atariOrla’s Letterboxd rankingAlex’s Letterboxd ranking Sundance 2023 bingo cardour last podcast season our comprehensive list of all the women filmmakers who have been programmed by Cannes. Related episodes mentioned on this episode For more information on how these episodes relate to this episode, click here. To listen to each episode, or find out more about the episode, click on the link below Ep. 123: Sundance 2022: Creative nonfiction Ep. 99: Creative nonfiction with Carol Nguyen and Penny Lane Ep. 106: Christine and Kate Plays Christine: Reviving Christine ChubbuckEp. 53: Boys State and First Stripes Ep. 95: No Ordinary Man and John Ware Reclaimed: Reclaiming histories in documentaries How to listen to episodes marked "MEMBERS ONLY" Click here to become a member, and access our entire podcast archive, as well as new Members Only episodes. When you purchase your membership, you wil be given a personal podcast feed link, which you can then open in your favourite podcatcher. After that, the Premium Seventh Row Podcast (MEMBERS ONLY), will update in your podcatcher with new episodes just like every free podcast you listen to. All of our podcasts that are more than six months old are only available to members. We also regularly release members only bonus episodes. Many of the episodes listed here are now only available to members (Members Only). Speakers on the episode This episode features Editor-in-Chief Alex Heeney and Executive Editor Orla Smith. You can find Alex on Twitter @bwestcineaste, Instagram @bwestcineaste, and Letterboxd @bwestcineaste. You can find Orla on Twitter @orlamango, Instagram @orla_p_smith, and Letterboxd @orlamango

In the sixth episode (and third dispatch) of the Sundance 2023 podcast season, we discuss highlights like Ira Sachs's film Passages, Nicole Holofcener's film You Hurt My Feelings, Sebastián Silva's Rotting in the Sun, and Angus MacLachlan's A Little Prayer, as well as other buzzed-about films at the festival. FremontInfinity PoolBad BehaviourRye LaneDriftA Thousand and OneYou Hurt My FeelingsRotting in the SunPassagesA Little PrayerFair PlayCat PersonPromising Young Woman Click here to read the episode show notes. You will also find an AI-generated transcript in the show notes. In this episode, we discuss four of our favourite films of Sundance 2023, each in the Premieres section: Nicole Holofcener's dreamed, You Hurt My Feelings, Sebastián Silva's black comedy Rotting in the Sun, Ira Sachs' relationship drama Passages, and Angus MacLachlan's quietly insightful family drama. We also talk briefly about the disappointing films that have forged themselves in the image of Promising Young Woman: Fair Play and Cat Person. Orla discusses one of her most hated films of the festival, Infinity Pool, and Alex defends Alice Englert's troubled feature debut Bad Behaviour. Alex also adds her thoughts on Fremont, which Orla first discussed in episode 3 (Alex agrees it's excellent). Finally, we both discuss some minor highlights of the festival. We were underwhelmed by British rom-com Rye Lane, though think it's a good depiction of the city. Alex liked Anthony Chen's (Ilo Ilo and Wet Season) English-language debut Drift, starring Cynthia Erivo and Alia Shawkat, despite its problematic script, because the direction and performances were so good (Honor Swinton-Byrne also shows up!). Orla also weighs in on the US Grand Jury Prize Winner One Thousand Nights. Become a Member All of our episodes that are over 6 months old are available to members only. We also regularly record members only episodes. To get full access to the podcast, including episodes from past Sundance Film Festivals and past Sundance films, become a member. How to follow our Sundance 2023 coverage Subscribe to our newsletter for updates on the 2023 Sundance podcast season and coverage on the website. Follow Seventh Row on Twitter and Instagram @SeventhRow; Alex Heeney @bwestcineaste on Twitter and Instagram; and Orla Smith @orlamango on Twitter and @orla_p_smith on Instagram. Show Notes Indiewire’s article on the making of Rotting in the Sunour interview with Sebastián Silva on his film Magic MagicFranz Rogowski on Instagram.our profile of Geraldine ViswanathanCat PersonKristen Roupenian’s original Cat Person short story episode three of our Sundance 2023 podcast seasonSlowfarCat Person our interview with Ana KatzThe Dog Who Wouldn’t Be Quiet Sundance 2023 bingo cardour last podcast season our comprehensive list of all the women filmmakers who have been programmed by Cannes. Related episodes All of our podcasts that are more than six months old are only available to members. We also regularly release members only bonus episodes. Many of the episodes listed here are now only available to members (Members Only). Click here to become a member, and access our entire podcast archive, as well as new Members Only episodes. Episodes related to the Franz Rogowski in the film Passages Ep. 5: Christian Petzold’s TransitPassagesEp. 119: Mike Leigh’s NakedPassagesNaked Episodes about Ben Whishaw, co-star of Passages Ep. 69: Paddington and Paddington 2Bad BehaviourPassagesPaddington Bonus ep. 25: This is Going to HurtThis is Going To Hurt Related episodes to the films A Little Prayer, Rotting in the Sun, and You Hurt My Feelings. Ep. 40: Remembering dead mothers in Stories We Tell, Louder Than Bombs, and MouthpieceA Little PrayerLouder Than BombsLouder Than BombsYou Hurt My FeelingsEp. 94: HBO’s LookingLookingRotting in the Sun Related episodes to Cat Person and Fair Play Ep. 73: Explorations of rape culture in Promising Young Woman and The AssistantFair PlayCat...

In the fifth episode of the Sundance 2023 podcast season, we discuss some of this year's buzziest titles, including William Oldroyd's film Eileen, Andrew Durham's film Fairyland, and some hidden gems like Babak Jalali's film Fremont and Rachel Lambert's film Sometimes I Think About Dying. MuttCassandroPolite SocietyTheater CampSometimes I Think About DyingFremontEileenFairyland Click here to read the episode show notes. You will also find an AI-generated transcript in the show notes. Become a Member All of our episodes that are over 6 months old are available to members only. We also regularly record members only episodes. To get full access to the podcast, including episodes from past Sundance Film Festivals and past Sundance films, become a member. How to follow our Sundance 2023 coverage Subscribe to our newsletter for updates on the 2023 Sundance podcast season and coverage on the website. Follow Seventh Row on Twitter and Instagram @SeventhRow; Alex Heeney @bwestcineaste on Twitter and Instagram; and Orla Smith @orlamango on Twitter and @orla_p_smith on Instagram. Show Notes analysis of Thomasin McKenzie’s performance in Leave No Traceebook Leave No Trace: A Special IssueLeave No TraceEileen Alex Heeney's analysis of Gael García Bernal's performance in Ema,CassandroSundance 2023 seasonSundance 2023 seasonDiscover all of our past podcast episodes on films that screened at Sundance Related episodes All of our podcasts that are more than six months old are only available to members. We also regularly release members only bonus episodes. Many of the episodes listed here are now only available to members (Members Only). Ep. 1: Leave No TraceLeave No TraceEileenEp. 22: The KingThe King Ep. 91: AIDS on screen, featuring It’s a SinFairylandFairylandEp. 98: Angels in America adaptationsAngels in America

In the fourth episode of the Sundance 2023 podcast season, we discuss the North American films by and about Indigenous Peoples at the festival, including Twice Colonized, Bad Press, Murder in Big Horn, and Fancy Dance. Click here to read the episode show notes. You will also find an AI-generated transcript in the show notes. Fancy DanceMurder in Big HornTwice ColonizedBad PressHeroicSorceryAgainst the Tide More about the episode In this episode, we discuss Indigenous Films at Sundance: films directed or co-directed by Indigenous people as well as a couple of films about Indigenous people but directed by settlers. We kick off with our favourite Indigenous film at the festival, Fancy Dance, about Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) which we already went deep on in episode 3. We then dig into the disappointing documentary miniseries Murder in Big Horn (dir. Razelle Benally who is Oglala Lakota/Diné and Matthew Galkin), which looks at MMIWG in the Crow and Northern Cheyenne Nations. The Sundance miniseries Murder in Big Horn is told through the lens of an Indigenous investigative journalist looking into the case and uses the tropes of true crime. We talk about the often thoughtful but inchoate Twice Colonized, which was directed by a settler The film Twice Colonized follows the wonderful Inuk lawyer Aaju Peter (who also appears in Angry Inuk). Next, we talk briefly about another disappointing Sundance US Indigenous film, a documentary co-directed by an Indigenous director, Bad Press (dir. Muscogee filmmaker Rebecca Landsberry-Baker and Joe Peeler), about the Mvskoke Media in the Muscogee Creek Nation navigating gaining and then losing and then trying to regain their status as free press. We also touch briefly on Fox Maxy's New Frontiers experimental film. Finally, we briefly discuss Heroic, a World Dramatic Competition film about an Indigenous character and mention the other World Cinema films that are about (but not made by) Indigenous people. About the Sundance 2023 season This is the fourth episode of our new podcast season on the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. Subscribe to our newsletter for updates on the 2023 Sundance podcast season and coverage on the website. Sundance 2023 runs from January 19-28, and we'll be covering this year's festival in a new podcast season about the films this year and how the programming fits into the festival's history. This is Seventh Row's second podcast season (the first was on Women at Cannes in 2022). Become a Member All of our episodes that are over 6 months old are available to members only. We also regularly record members only episodes. To get full access to the podcast, including episodes from past Sundance Film Festivals and past Sundance films, become a member. How to follow our Sundance 2023 coverage Subscribe to our newsletter for updates on the 2023 Sundance podcast season and coverage on the website. Follow Seventh Row on Twitter and Instagram @SeventhRow; Alex Heeney @bwestcineaste on Twitter and Instagram; and Orla Smith @orlamango on Twitter and @orla_p_smith on Instagram. Show Notes About the Sundance 2023 season This is the thid episode of our new podcast season on the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. Subscribe to our newsletter for updates on the 2023 Sundance podcast season and coverage on the website. Sundance 2023 runs from January 19-28, and we'll be covering this year's festival in a new podcast season about the films this year and how the programming fits into the festival's history. This is Seventh Row's second podcast season (the first was on Women at Cannes in 2022). Sundance 2023 Bingo Because the festival loves to program films by slot and quota, we are also introducing our annual Sundance Bingo Card, which you can download here. Play along during the festival (or look at past festival editions and the films you've caught which screened there). You can find this year's bingo card in the show notes on our website. In each...

In our first dispatch on the world premieres at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, we delve into the under-discussed and oft-ignored World Dramatic Competition. We go deep on our favourite World Dramatic Competition title so far: Slow (dir. Marija Kavtaradze), Scrapper (dir. Charlotte Regan), and When It Melts (dir. Veerle Baetens). Finally, we turn to two early US highlights: Erica Tremblay's Fance Dance and Luke Lorentzen's documentary A Still Small Voice. Click here to read the episode show notes. You will also find an AI-generated transcript in the show notes. SlowHeroicScrapperWhen It MeltsMamacruzGirlFancy DanceA Still Small Voice More about the films discussed in the episode Erica Tremblay's Fancy Dance is in the US Dramatic Competition and about an Indigenous woman (Lily Gladstone) searching for her sister who recently went missing (MMIWG) while suddenly finding herself the sole guardian for her 12-year-old niece. The documentary A Still Small Voice(dir. Luke Lorentzen) in the US Documentary Competition is about the toll on a hospital chaplain of constantly extending empathy to others. Slow is a Lithuanian film about a dancer navigating a new relationship with her asexual partner. The film Scrapper is about a working class twelve-year-old girl in Dagenham who recently lost her mother and reconnects with her estranged father (an excellent Harris Dickinson). When It Melts is about a traumatic childhood event in a twelve-year-old girl's life that has devastating consequences for her as an adult. We also discuss Heroic (dir. David Zonana, Workforce) and Mamacruz (dir. Patricia Ortega), which also screened in the World Dramatic Competition. In past years, we've found some of our favourite films at Sundance in this section, including The Dog Who Wouldn't Be Quiet (2021), Charter (2020), The Souvenir (2020), God's Own Country (2017), Mammal (2016), Sand Storm (2016), and Homesick (2015). Unfortunately, these films also have the tendency to disappear so we wanted to throw a spotlight on the competition this year (as we do every year!), to draw attention to films you'll want to watch out for at local film festivals, which may be your only opportunity to watch them, or could get buried on VOD in the future. And hopefully, we can help get these films noticed and distributed! About the Sundance 2023 season This is the third episode of our new podcast season on the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. Subscribe to our newsletter for updates on the 2023 Sundance podcast season and coverage on the website. Sundance 2023 runs from January 19-28, and we'll be covering this year's festival in a new podcast season about the films this year and how the programming fits into the festival's history. This is Seventh Row's second podcast season (the first was on Women at Cannes in 2022). Sundance 2023 Bingo Because the festival loves to program films by slot and quota, we are also introducing our annual Sundance Bingo Card, which you can download here. Play along during the festival (or look at past festival editions and the films you've caught which screened there). You can find this year's bingo card in the show notes on our website. In each expisode we'll track our progress on the Bingo card, individuall and as a Seventh Row team. Become a Member All of our episodes that are over 6 months old are available to members only. We also regularly record members only episodes. To get full access to the podcast, including episodes from past Sundance Film Festivals and past Sundance films, become a member. How to follow our Sundance 2023 coverage Subscribe to our newsletter for updates on the 2023 Sundance podcast season and coverage on the website. Follow Seventh Row on Twitter and Instagram @SeventhRow; Alex Heeney @bwestcineaste on Twitter and Instagram; and Orla Smith @orlamango on Twitter and @orla_p_smith on Instagram. Show Notes on E3 of the Sundance 2023 podcast season: Fancy Dance, Slow, Scrapper, A Still Small Voice and...

In the second episode of the Sundance 2023 podcast season, we discuss Sundance's Spotlight Program, its only feature film program dedicated to films that premiered at other festivals. We discuss the program's history of picking great films and giving them the spotlight they needed (but didn't get at other festivals). We discuss four of the five films programmed in the Spotlight section: Other People's Children, Joyland, L'Immensità, and The Eight Mountains. Since we already talked about Other People's Children in depth on a previous episode, we only discuss it briefly here. Additionally, we go deep on The Eight Mountains, which Alex loved, and briefly discuss the other two films in the program that we've seen which we weren't too keen on. We've actually written books featuring several of the films that screened in Spotlight, including You Were Never Really Here, Girlhood, and The Worst Person in the World. And several of the films previously programmed in the last decade have made our list of the best films of the 2010s. Click here to read the episode show notes. You will also find an AI-generated transcript in the show notes. About the Sundance 2023 season This is the second episode of our new podcast season on the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. Subscribe to our newsletter for updates on the 2023 Sundance podcast season and coverage on the website. Sundance 2023 runs from January 19-28, and we'll be covering this year's festival in a new podcast season about the films this year and how the programming fits into the festival's history. This is Seventh Row's second podcast season (the first was on Women at Cannes in 2022). Sundance 2023 Bingo Because the festival loves to program films by slot and quota, we are also introducing our annual Sundance Bingo Card, which you can download here. Play along during the festival (or look at past festival editions and the films you've caught which screened there). You can find this year's bingo card in the show notes on our website. In each expisode we'll track our progress on the Bingo card, individuall and as a Seventh Row team. Become a Member All of our episodes that are over 6 months old are available to members only. We also regularly record members only episodes. To get full access to the podcast, including episodes from past Sundance Film Festivals and past Sundance films, become a member. How to follow our Sundance 2023 coverage Subscribe to our newsletter for updates on the 2023 Sundance podcast season and coverage on the website. Follow Seventh Row on Twitter and Instagram @SeventhRow; Alex Heeney @bwestcineaste Twitter and Instagram; and Orla Smith @orlamango on Twitter and @orla_p_smith on Instagram. Show Notes Links to articles/books on films that previously screened in Spotlight Read our list of Seventh Row's 50 Favourite Films of the 2010sOslo, August 31stTheir FinestRawYou Were Never Really HereYou Were Never Really Here: A Special Issue Get our ebook on the Céline Sciamma, Portraits of resistance: The cinema of Céline SciammaGirlhood Orla Smith's interview with writer-director Haifaa Al-Mansour on The Perfect Candidate,Alex Heeney's interview with writer-director Rebecca Miller on Maggie’s PlanAlex Heeney's interview with director Lone Scherfig on Their Finest Sundance 2023 bingo card Related episodes to E2: Sundance 2023 Spotlight program Discover all of our past podcast episodes on films that screened at Sundance. To listen to all of these related episodes, become a member. Ep. 116: Virtual film festivals: Taking stock of their past, present, and future Ep. 129: Highlights of 2022 Fall Film FestivalsOther People's Children Episodes on Films featured in the Spotlight section Ep. 112: Joachim Trier's The Worst Person in the World(Free)The Worst Person in the World (2021) Ep. 73: Explorations of rape culture in Promising Young Woman and The Assistant (Members Only)The AssistantPromising Young WomanEp. 107: Another Round and Oslo, August 31st: Are...

This is the first episode of our new podcast season on the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. Subscribe to our newsletter for updates on the 2023 Sundance podcast season and coverage on the website. Sundance 2023 runs from January 19-28, and we'll be covering this year's festival in a new podcast season about the films this year and how the programming fits into the festival's history. This is Seventh Row's second podcast season (the first was on Women at Cannes in 2022). In this episode, we discuss the films we're looking forward to at the 2023 Sundance Film Festivals based on directors we love, actors we love, and films we're hearing buzz about. We talk about the festival's importance in the film year, why we're pleased the festival has continued to offer a virtual option when other festivals are all returning to in-person only, and more. Because the festival loves to program films by slot and quota, we are also introducing our annual Sundance Bingo Card, which you can download here. Play along during the festival (or look at past festival editions and the films you've caught which screened there). You can find last year's bingo card here. Click here to read the episode show notes. Become a Member All of our episodes that are over 6 months old are available to members only. We also regularly record members only episodes. To get full access to the podcast, including episodes from past Sundance Film Festivals and past Sundance films, become a member. How to follow our Sundance 2023 coverage Subscribe to our newsletter for updates on the 2023 Sundance podcast season and coverage on the website. Follow Seventh Row on Twitter and Instagram @SeventhRow; Alex Heeney @bwestcineaste Twitter and Instagram; and Orla Smith @orlamango on Twitter and @orla_p_smith on Instagram. Show Notes Links to articles/books related to the 2023 selections Watch Lockdown Film School with Lily GladstoneFancy Dance Read an excerpt from our interview with Lily GladstoneRoads to nowhere: Kelly Reichardt's broken American DreamsFancy Danceanalysis of Thomasin McKenzie's performance in Leave No TraceLeave No Trace: A Special IssueLeave No TraceEileenan excerpt of Alex Heeney's interview with Matthieu Rytz on Anote's Ark The 2019 Canadian Cinema Yearbook,available to purchase hereDeep RisingAlex Heeney's interview with Sebastian Silva on Magic MagicRotting in the SunGod's Own Country: A Special IssueRead our interview with Eliza Hittman on Beach Ratswe named Dickinson as one of the fifty screen stars of tomorrowScrapper Discover past Sundance coverage related to this year's selections Read our past reviews of Sundance filmsLiltingSurgePassagesBadBehaviourRead Orla Smith's review of FreshDiscover all of our past podcast episodes on films that screened at Sundance Download the Sundance 2023 Bingo Card here. Related episodes to the Sundance 2023 preview All of our podcasts that are more than six months old are only available to members. We also regularly release members only bonus episodes. Many of the episodes listed here are now only available to members (Members Only). To listen to all of these related episodes, become a member. Ep. 116: Virtual film festivals: Taking stock of their past, present, and futureEp. 94: HBO's Looking (Members Only)LookingCassandroLooking Sundance Film Festival episodes Ep. 123: Sundance 2022: Creative nonfiction Bonus Episode 23: Sundance 2022: Fiction FilmsSharp StickLivingEp. 78: Sundance 2021 part 1 Ep. 79: Sundance 2021 part 2 Ben Whishaw episodes Bonus Episode 25: This is Going to Hurt and physician mental health (Members Only)This is Going to Hurt, Ep. 69: Paddington and Paddington 2Lilting

In this episode, we discuss why the film Women Talking didn't work on every level. This includes the didactic screenplay, the bland and placeless production design, the typecasting, and the poor direction of group scenes. We are joined by special guest Dr. Angelo Muredda, who has a PhD in CanLit. To read the show notes and get the AI-generated transcript of the episode, click here. At Seventh Row, we've been long-time fans of Sarah Polley. We have even published episodes on her films Take This Waltz and Stories We Tell. Women Talking is her first bad, if well-intentioned, film. But it's been getting enormous Oscar buzz since its Telluride premiere. Angelo and Alex read the book by Miriam Toews, on which the film is based. We discuss the problems in the source text that get translated into the film — and how the film works (or doesn't) as a page-to-screen adaptation. This episode features Editor-in-Chief Alex Heeney, Executive Editor Orla Smith, as well as special guest Dr. Angelo Muredda. About the film Women Talking Based on a true story that happened in Bolivia, Women Talking is a fictional reimagining with an alternate ending. Almost every woman and girl in a small Mennonite community has been raped in their sleep by men or boys in the community. Traumatized and beaten down, a group of women volunteers from three families convene for a couple of days to discuss what the women should do. They must decide whether to stay and fight or to leave. The film then follows them through their discussions. The film Women Talking was adapted from the Miriam Toewes novel of the same name by Sarah Polley. Timings Women TalkingWomen TalkingWomen TalkingWomen TalkingWomen Talking Show Notes the 2019 New York Times articleWomen Talking Alex's interview with the writer-director of Felix & MeiraWomen TalkingAlex's interview with the writer-director of MenasheWomen TalkingMenace Angelo’s recent review of Armageddon TimeFilm Freak Central Related episodes Ep. 43: Take This Waltz and Paper Year: Canadian marriage storiesTake This WaltzPaper Year Ep. 40: Stories We Tell, Louder Than Bombs, & Mouthpiece: Dead mothersStories We Tell50 favourite films of the decade list Ep. 73: Promising Young Woman and The Assistant: Explorations of rape cultureThe AssistantPromising Young WomanWomen TalkingPromising Young Woman Bonus 27: Empathy on film with Dr. Brett PardyWomen Talking Where to find us Special Guest Angelo Muredda holds a PhD in disability studies on Canadian Literature and is a lecturer in the English department at Humber College. Angelo has also contributed to our ebook Portraits of resistance: The cinema of Céline Sciamma with an essay on the female gaze, and to our ebook Roads to nowhere: Kelly Reichardt's broken American dreams with an essay on Wendy and Lucy. You can find Angelo on Twitter and Instagram @amuredda. Host Alex Heeney is the Editor-in-Chief of Seventh Row. Find her on Twitter @bwestcineaste. Host Orla Smith is the Executive Editor of Seventh Row. Find her on Twitter @orlamango and on Instagram @orla_p_smith. Become a Member All of our episodes that are over 6 months old are available to members only. We also regularly record members only episodes. To get full access to the podcast, become a member at http://seventh-row.com/join

Today, we pay tribute to the great films and enormous impact of Mi'gmaq filmmaker Jeff Barnaby who passed away on October 13, 2022. He is best known for writing and directing (and editing and composing for) two landmark Indigenous feature films out of Canada: Rhymes for Young Ghouls (2013) and Blood Quantum (2019). This episode features Editor-in-Chief Alex Heeney, Executive Editor Orla Smith, as well as Associate Editor Dr. Brett Pardy. To read the show notes and get the AI-generated transcript of the episode, click here. More about the episode Mi'gmaq filmmaker Jeff Barnaby passed away unexpectedly from cancer on October 13, 2022. He was only 46. He is best known as the writer-director of two feature films in colonial Canada: the landmark film about residential "schools" Rhymes for Young Ghouls (2013) and the popular zombie film Blood Quantum (2019). But he has also made three excellent shorts, which we hope to help people discover: From Cherry English (2004), The Colony (2007), and Etlinisigu'niet: Bleed Down (2015). We've been huge fans of Barnaby's work and activism, and are still very much mourning the loss of this incredible talent who wasn't given the opportunities he deserved. There are so many films we will never get from him now. But we also wanted to talk about how many roadblocks were put in Barnaby's way while he was alive, preventing him from making all the films he could have and wanted to make in his time. This episode is a tribute to Jeff Barnaby — a complicated, difficult, visionary filmmaker — and what his work has revealed about Canada and the film industry. When Barnaby died, we didn't just lose so much future work from this important filmmaker that we all wanted to see (and he wanted to make), but we also lost a huge resource of cultural knowledge of the Canadian and Indigenous Film Industries. This episode features Editor-in-Chief Alex Heeney, Executive Editor Orla Smith, as well as Associate Editor Dr. Brett Pardy. On This Episode Rhymes for Young GhoulsBlood QuantumRhymes for Young GhoulsRhymes for Young Ghouls Show Notes on the podcast on remembering Jeff Barnaby Jeff Barnaby on Blood Quantum and colonialist zombiesSeventh Row's 50 favourite films of the decadeRhymes for Young GhoulsWatch Jeff Barnaby's short From Cherry English (2004)Watch Jeff Barnaby's short The Colony (2007)Watch Jeff Barnaby's NFB short made from archival footage, Etlinisigu'niet (Ble)ed Down (2015)Become a member Listen to our first podcast season Related episodes Bonus 27: Empathy on film with Dr. Brett PardyRhymes for Young Ghouls Ep. 39: Jeff Barnaby's Rhymes for Young Ghouls & Blood QuantumEp. 62: Indigenous YA, part 1BeansMonkey BeachTricksterEp. 63: Indigenous YA, part 2Rustic OracleTia and PiujukThe GrizzliesKuessipanRhymes for Young Ghouls Where to find us Follow Seventh Row on Twitter and Instagram @SeventhRow. Follow Alex Heeney @bwestcineaste, Orla Smith @orlamango, and Dr. Brett Pardy @DrAntiqueiPod on Twitter.

This is an excerpt of a members only episode. To listen to the full episode, become a member at http://seventh-row.com/join One of the best movies of 2022, Jerzy Skolimowski's visually and aurally inventive Eo, is now in cinemas for a limited time. The film is about injustice in the animal world seen through the eyes of a donkey. It's a great big screen experience (for sound and image) so we're going deep on the film this week. Editor-in-Chief Alex Heeney and Executive Editor Orla Smith are joined by Associate Editor Dr. Brett "Empathy" Pardy. About the excerpt In this excerpt, we discuss whether Eo is presented as an "exceptional" animal/donkey in the film. Many films about animals depict them as exceptional, like Air Bud the golden retriever who can play basketball or Okja the superpig. In many ways, Skolimowski's film bucks convention here by making Eo a fairly normal donkey whose experiences (and the way he's depicted) render him a subject of interest rather than because he's a particularly special donkey. We ask, why do we care about animals on screen (in general) and why do we care about Eo? Does a home exist for a donkey like Eo? Become a member to listen to the rest of the discussion, which includes: In the full episode, we go even deeper on how the film creates empathy for a donkey and give a donkey the appearance of a full emotional inner-life. We also compare Eo to other recent films about (or featuring) animals — including White God, Lean on Pete, Cow, and Gunda — to help us understand how empathy is usually extended toward on-screen animals. Finally, we discuss how some of the best politically conscious films being made today, with youthful exuberance, are coming from directors over 70. 01:51 Why are we talking about Eo? 09:18 Placing Eo within the canon of donkey stories 13:53 Exceptional donkeys (this section is the only one available free) 32:00 Anthropomorphising animals 46:56 An older generation of political filmmakers Show Notes Become a member Listen to our previous podcast seasonRead Alex Heeney's review of EoGet your copy of our ebook on Lean on PeteAlex Heeney's White God interviewur ebook Road to nowhere: Kelly Reichardt's broken American dreamsFirst CowLean on PeteWatch the 2009 Sam Mendes Charlie Rose interview Related episodes Ep. 11: Mike Leigh's PeterlooPeterloo in process: A Mike Leigh collaboration Ep. 32: Sorry We Missed You and Peterloo Ep 93: The films of Agnieszka HollandEuropa EuropaWashington SquareCharlatan Ep. 104: Agnieszka Holland on directingEp. 7: Andrew Haigh's Lean on PeteLean on Pete: A Special Issue Where to find us Follow Seventh Row on Twitter and Instagram @SeventhRow. Follow Alex Heeney @bwestcineaste, Orla Smith @orlamango, and Dr. Brett Pardy @DrAntiqueiPod on Twitter.

This is an excerpt of a members only episode. To listen to the full episode, become a member at http://seventh-row.com/join Editor-in-Chief Alex Heeney and Executive Editor Orla Smith discuss the highlights of the fall film festival circuit, the new and troubling dominance of Netflix (and other streamers') films, and exciting (or not-so-exciting) first features. We discuss favourites like The Eternal Daughter, Saint Omer, Other People's Children — many of which will get a full-length episode of their own in the coming months. We also discuss some of the biggest disappointments. Orla shares her experience at the London Film Festival. Alex shares her experience attending the Toronto International Film Festival. Follow Seventh Row on Twitter and Instagram @SeventhRow. Follow Alex Heeney @bwestcineaste and Orla Smith @orlamango on Twitter. On this episode excerpt: Other People's ChildrenOther People's ChildrenOne Fine MorningThe Eternal Daughter FREE EXCERPT ENDS HERE Become a member to listen to the rest o the discussion, which includes: All the Beauty and the BloodshedDe Humani CorporisFabricaPalm Trees and Power LinesParis MemoriesStellarMatildaCausewayMy Small LandLullaby32 SoundsNelly and NadineFraming Agnes32 SoundsAftersun,Blue JeanPlan 75Palm Trees and Powe, Related episodes Women at Cannes SeasonEp. 125: Berlinale 2022:Ep. 109: TIFF 2021 Part 1:BenedictionThe Worst Person in the WorldEp. 111: TIFF 2021 Part 2:Power of the DogAli & AvaEp. 49:Split screen storytelling in Lungs and Conversations with Other Women:Matilda live-recorded theatre production of Lungs,Ep 60: Old Vic In Camera Productions: Three Kings and Faith Healer Three Kings and Faith Healer Show Notes TIFF 2022 coverageour film festival coverage from this fall here review of Matilda: The Musical on stage review of Stellarreview of Eoour review of Matilda director Matthew Warchus's Pride review of Palm Trees and Power LinesSam Green on his live documentary 32 Sounds Canadian immigration stories

In this episode, Editor-in-Chief Alex Heeney and Executive Editor Orla Smith discuss the Japanese hidden gem My Small Land, the first feature film from Emma Kawawada. We fell in love with the film at the Berlinale earlier this year, and are excited that it's finally getting a Canadian release this week. My Small Land, is the story of a Kurdish teenage girl, Sarya (Lina Arashi) who is an immigrant in Japan. She grew up just outside of Tokyo and has no memories of her home, which was colonised Kurdish territory in Turkey. Sarya ends up in an impossible situation when her family loses their work visas, and travel permission, and she suddenly becomes responsible for her younger siblings with no way to earn money legally. My Small Land follows in the tradition of social realism, and the style of filmmaking owes much to Kore-eda's small scale character dramas. My Small Land will be screening at TIFF in Toronto from November 9 to 16 and in Charlottetown PEI until November 8. The film has also screened at VIFF in Vancouver and the Montreal Cinematheque. Watch for it on VOD soon if it's not coming to your city.