In 2020, we wrote an ebook called Portraits of resistance: The cinema of Céline Sciamma, after Sciamma's fourth feature (and first Cannes Competition film), Portrait of a Lady on Fire, was released. We were surprised and delighted to see Sciamma gaining a huge following after years of being so underappreciated. On this episode, we talk about Sciamma's greatness and how the industry was slow to catch up with it. We also fall into a long conversation about the wider pattern in the film industry...

On today's episode, we look back on the career of one of our favourite filmmakers, Kelly Reichardt (First Cow, Certain Women), and ask why it's taken until her 8th feature, Showing Up, for her to get a slot in the Cannes Competition. Get the box set of books about women directors — Kelly Reichardt, Céline Sciamma, and Lynne Ramsay — who have screened films in the Cannes Competition. Sign up for updates on the podcast and other news about women directors at Cannes this year.  Find out what...

We kick off our #WomenAtCannes podcast season with an episode on the history of women at Cannes. We examine how Cannes works and uncover a number of surprising stats. This episode features Editor-in-Chief Alex Heeney, Executive Editor Orla Smith, and Associate Editor Brett Pardy. Get the box set of books about women directors — Kelly Reichardt, Céline Sciamma, and Lynne Ramsay — who have screened films in the Cannes Competition. Sign up for updates on the podcast and other news about women...

Cannes 2022 kicks off on May 17, so let’s celebrate the wonderful work by women who have been at Cannes this year and in the past. Join us for a podcast season starting May 11 on women directors in the Cannes Competition, and get the Box Set of books on women directors at Cannes.

The film world has responded to COVID with a surprising indifference. In this episode, we look at the current gold standard of pandemic depiction, examine several half-hearted engagements with COVID, and consider the future of COVID in movies.  This episode features Editor-in-Chief Alex Heeney, Executive Editor Orla Smith, and Associate Editor Brett Pardy Show notes and related episodes: Follow airborne transmission expert Dr. Linsey Marr on Twitter Read Per Morten Mjølkeråen's interview...

As authors of the ebook Portraits of resistance: The cinema of Céline Sciamma, the first book to be written about the French director, we had to talk about her new film, Petite Maman, on the podcast. This episode features Editor-in-Chief Alex Heeney, Executive Editor Orla Smith, Associate Editor Brett Pardy, and Contributing Editor Lindsay Pugh. On this episode: Why we love Céline Sciamma and Portraits of resistance (1:45) Related episodes (2:49) Petite Mamam summary (5:07) Lindsay's...

We're joined by Lindsay Pugh to continue our ongoing conversation around films about female artists, and how the way these stories are being told is changing, including The Souvenir, Mothering Sunday, Bergman Island, and more. This episode features Editor-in-Chief Alex Heeney, Executive Editor Orla Smith, and Contributing Editor Lindsay Pugh Show notes and related episodes: Ep. 44: Shirley and portraits of female artists (Member's Only) Ep. 122: Joachim Trier’s The Worst Person in the...

We're joined by Andrew Kendall to discuss the new German film Fabian: Going to the Dogs, directed by Dominik Graf, and how it portrays life in a totalitarian state. This episode features  Editor-in-Chief Alex Heeney, Executive Editor Orla Smith, and special guest Andrew Kendall On this episode: Related episodes (1:52) Fabian: Going to the Dogs synopsis (4:36) Connecting the past to the present (6:57) Adapting a 1932 novel with the knowledge of hindsight (15:01) The film's tone (33:40)...

On this episode we dig into how Run Woman Run explores coming of age in your thirties through an Indigenous perspective. This episode features  Editor-in-Chief Alex Heeney, Executive Editor Orla Smith, and Contributing Editor Lindsay Pugh. On this episode: Coming of age in their 30s episodes (1:42) Run Woman Run (5:16) How the film depicts trauma (13:43) Asivak Koostachin as the spirit of Tom Longboat (19:00) The anti-romcom (24:02) Land depiction (34:37) Health and "tough love" (37:06) Why...

Associate Editor Brett Pardy recently defended his PhD about film and empathy. We discuss his research, what inspired him to get into the topic, and how Seventh Row ties in. This episode also features Editor-in-Chief Alex Heeney and Executive Editor Orla Smith. On this episode: Brett's Doctoral Dissertation (0:45) Related episodes (4:48) Brett's origin story for getting into this study (9:36) Cultural perceptions of films as just entertainment (18:24) What does empathy through film look...

We discuss Benedict Cumberbatch at his best, worst, & poshest, from The Power of the Dog to The Courier to The Electrical Life of Louis Wain. This episode features Editor-in-Chief Alex Heeney, Executive Editor Orla Smith, and regular guest Caitlin Merriman.  Show notes: The Power of the Dog is streaming on Netflix The Courier is available on VOD and streaming on Prime The Electrical Life of Louis Wain is streaming on Prime Stuart: A Life Backward (David Attwood, 2007) is streaming on...

Alex and Orla report from the 2022 Berlinale Film Festival, and introduce you to the films they loved, from Laia Costa-starrer Lullaby, to Swedish YA film about grief, Comedy Queen. On this episode: Related episodes (1:10) Joachim Trier challenge (2:14) What we had screeners for (5:22) Berlin's films for young audiences (11:21) Alis (Clare Weiskopf & Nicolás van Hemelryck) (14:31) Comedy Queen (Sanna Lenken) (16:44) Lullaby (Alauda Ruiz de Azúa) (20:56) My Small Land (Emma Kawawada)...

We discuss This is Going to Hurt, an early contender for best show of the year, the excellence of Ben Whishaw, why Ambika Mod is such an exciting newcomer, and how it brilliantly discusses the mental health of National Health Service workers. This episode features  Editor-in-Chief Alex Heeney, Executive Editor Orla Smith, and Contributing Editor Lindsay Pugh Content warning: This episode discusses suicide Show notes and related episodes: Ep. 69: Paddington and Paddington 2 (Member's...

Over the course of one month, we challenge you to watch one Joachim Trier feature film per week, in chronological order, to catch up to The Worst Person in the World. Click here for more details.

On today’s episode, we’ll be doing something a little different. Instead of our usual discussions of films with a panel of critics,  Alex interviews British actress Olivia Vinall about performing Shakespeare. In this conversation, we talk about each of Olivia’s four Shakespearean roles: Desdemona, Cordelia, Juliet, and Rosalind. We talk about how she finds a way into the text, what it’s like working with different directors, and why she loves Shakespeare so much. On this episode: Other...

We've been harsh on Kenneth Branagh and his self-mythologising, including his recent Belfast. On this episode, we want to be kind and look back to Branagh's amazing Much Ado About Nothing. This episode features Editor-in-Chief Alex Heeney, Executive Editor Orla Smith, Associate Editor Brett Pardy, and regular guest Caitlin Merriman. Show notes and related episodes: See our 21st Folio podcast page Bonus 22: Joel Coen’s The Tragedy of Macbeth (Member's Only) Bonus 20: Belfast and the...

Alex Heeney & Orla Smith discuss the highlight of Sundance 2022: creative nonfiction. We discuss active listening, reframing history, and a risk taking volcanologist couple. On this episode: Related episodes (1:26) Sundance overview (4:22) 32 Sounds (Sam Green) (8:59) Reframing history: Framing Agnes (Chase Joynt), The Janes (Tia Lessin), & Tantura (Alon Schwarz) (29:27) I Didn't See You There (Reid Davenport) (44:10) Fire of Love (Sara Dosa) (47:34) All That Breathes (Shaunak Sen)...

We discuss the ups and downs of Sundance 2022, and chat about some of the festival's fiction films, including Sharp Stick and Living. This episode features Editor-in-Chief Alex Heeney and Executive Editor Orla Smith. Become a Seventh Row member and get access to the full episode, as well as all other podcast episodes older than six months. Show notes: Read our selections of the 10 best films of Sundance 2022 Read the source of the "blocking is everything" quote: Alex's 2018 interview...

The entire Seventh Row editorial team is here to talk about site favourite Joachim Trier's new film, The Worst Person in the World.This episode features Editor-in-Chief Alex Heeney, Executive Editor Orla Smith, Associate Editor Brett Pardy, Contributing Editor Lindsay Pugh, and Editor-at-Large Mary Angela Rowe.  On this episode: Existential detours: Joachim Trier's cinema of indecisions and revisions (2:21) Related episodes (4:15) The World Person in the World and our first reactions...

Joel Coen's first solo film is an adaptation of Macbeth starring Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand. We wonder why and discuss what makes for a good Macbeth adaptation. This episode features Editor-in-Chief Alex Heeney, Executive Editor Orla Smith, Associated Editor Brett Pardy and Editor-at-Large Mary Angela Rowe. Show notes: Read Alex’s 2015 review of Justin Kurzel’s Macbeth Listen to the 21st Folio episode discussing Kurzel’s Macbeth Sign up for updates on the first book to ever be...

Lindsay Pugh joins hosts Alex Heeney and Orla Smith for a discussion of two rom-coms about unwanted pregnancies, Ninjababy and Obvious Child. On this episode: Joachim Trier ebook (1:23) Related episodes (2:55) Why we are talking about these films (7:30) Obvious Child (11:40) The rom-com landscape of 2014 (16:59) Obvious Child's depiction of women's bodies (18:02) How has Obvious Child aged? (26:55) Ninjababy (36:53) The men of Ninjababy (54:08) The caveats of Ninjababy (1:07:49) Conclusion...

Alex and Orla count down the 30 best films of 2021 and discuss the process behind creating the list. On this episode: Why this bonus episode is free to everyone (0:00) Selecting the list and where we look for films (0:56) Another strong year for Indigenous films (7:37) Why we only have three American films (16:02) Films directed by women (19:00) The importance of psychological complexity and new approaches to social change (22:24) Documentaries (24:55) The list (26:41) Conclusion (1:10:01)...

We're celebrating the legacy of Aboriginal Australian actor David Gulpilil. Gulpilil died on November 29th 2021, at age 68, leaving behind him a career of rich performances, despite the many ways the industry underserved him for decades. On this episode, we particularly focus on Charlie's Country, as a film that was so personal to Gulpilil, and which features probably his best performance. We also survey Gulpilil's legacy, both his vital contributions to film, and also how his troubling...

We contextualize Kenneth Branagh's Belfast as the newest entry in his decades long self-mythologising project and discuss "the Branagh scale". This episode features Editor-in-Chief Alex Heeney, Executive Editor Orla Smith, Associate Editor Brett Pardy, and regular guest Caitlin Merriman. Show notes and related episodes: Ep. 118: The Souvenir Part I and II Bonus 19: Who is the Poshest Actor in Britain? (Member's Only) Ep. 69: Paddington and Paddington 2 (Member's Only) Ep. 22: The King...

We discuss the recent BFI restoration of Mike Leigh's 1993 classic Naked, starring David Thewlis. Podcast hosts Alex Heeney and Orla Smith are joined by regular guest Lindsay Pugh. On this episode Peterloo in Process: A Mike Leigh collaboration (2:21) Related episodes (9:06) Our favourite Mike Leigh films (14:52) Naked (21:57) David Thewlis (29:15) Why do we like this film? (35:44) Why this title? (1:02:26) London (1:06:29) Is there a parallel to Naked with a female lead? (1:15:58) The...