Seventh Row Podcast

If you look back on the last year, how many African films have you watched? And how does this compare to the other international films you've seen from other continents? Chances are, you're seeing way more films from every other continent than from Africa. That's not your fault. That's how the film industry works. So on today's episode, Alex talks about why it's so hard to see African films and what you can do if you'd like to add more of them to your cinematic diet. **Become a Seventh Row insider: http://email.seventh-row.com **If you'd like to join Reel Ruminators in May to watch an exquisite work of queer South African Cinema, sign up here: http://seventh-row.com/reelruminators

Today on the podcast, Dr. Angelo Muredda joins Alex Heeney to discuss one of the year's best films: David Cronenberg's The Shrouds. We talk about why The Shrouds is a good entry point if you're new to Cronenberg, but will also please diehard fans. And we discuss how what we love about Cronenberg's films isn't necessarily the selling point you'll often hear. Yes, he sometimes directs body horror, and he often makes movies about sex and the body. But we also love his films because they're talky chamber dramas with a wry sense of humour and great performances. Plus, Cronenberg has a unique angle on changing bodies, illness, and disability. **Become a Seventh Row insider: http://email.seventh-row.com **Purchase access to Angelo's talk "Does this look like a sick man? Disability, aging, and illness in David Cronenberg's The Fly": http://seventh-row.com/thefly

Alex reviews Andrew Ahn's 2025 adaptation of the 1993 film The Wedding Banquet, starring Lily Gladstone, Youn Yuh-jung, and Joan Chen (and many more). The film is about two queer couples who end up conspiring to marry one half of each couple in exchange for a green card and money for IVF treatments. Alex discusses the film's unexpected delights — including the wonderful, tender sound design and lovely blocking — and how the film thoughtfully updates (and even queers some more) Ang Lee's classic queer rom-com. **Stay updated on the best under-the-radar films that just might shift your perspective by joining the Seventh Row Newsletter: http://email.seventh-row.com **Want to join Alex and a group of movie lovers to watch and discuss a Queer African film in May 2025? Join the waitlist for Reel Ruminators: http://seventh-row.com/reel-ruminators **Want Seventh Row's ebook on Céline Sciamma's Portrait of a Lady on Fire? It's available at http://sciammabook.com

Pope Francis died today, which means it will soon be time to elect a new pope. Instead of rewatching Oscar Winner Conclave, Alex recommends catching the delightful Italian comedy We Have a Pope. On this episode, Alex talks about why watching Conclave made her immediately want to rewatch Nanni Moretti's We Have a Pope, and what Moretti's film has that Conclave lacks. If Conclave is a film about how everyone wants to be pope, We Have a Pope is a film about a man who has a panic attack as soon as he becomes pope...and then runs away from the Vatican while he has an existential crisis. **If you want to stay updated on the best new under-the-radar films, become a Seventh Row Insider at http://email.seventh-row.com

What if one of the most important movies of this decade, maybe even this century, flew under your radar? What if it won major awards in its country of origin, including audience awards at festivals, and yet you still hadn't heard of it? Would you want to see it? We're watching one of those movies this month in the April 2025 edition of Reel Ruminators. On today's episode, Alex discusses the film we're watching — an Indigenous film from so-called Canada — without revealing the title. And she introduces four criteria the she used to define what makes this film 'important' and how the film meets these criteria. **If this movie sounds like something you'd like to see, join the April 2025 edition of Reel Ruminators: http://seventh-row.com/reel-ruminators

Today, Alex Heeney recommends Alain Giraurdie's multi-César-nominated erotic thriller Misericordia. Since the film takes many twists and turns that she doesn't want to spoil, she introduces the film briefly before delving into what we can learn from the opening sequence. In excellent movies like this one, the opening scene can teach us so much about how to watch the film and what's to come. Alex teaches how to read a film's opening scene in Reel Ruminators: A Movie-of-the-Month Experience. *** Want to watch an Indigenous film by an Indigenous woman director that's one of the most important films of the 2020s? And then dig into how it works and how it makes you feel? Join the waitlist for the April 2025 edition of Reel Ruminators: A Movie-of-the-Month Enrichment Experience https://email.seventh-row.com/reelruminators ------- Stay updated on Seventh Row Follow Seventh Row on Twitter, Bluesky and Instagram. Read our articles at seventh-row.com. Follow Alex Heeney on Bluesky, Twitter and Instagram.

Today, Alex Heeney recommends Steven Soderbergh's new spy thriller, Black Bag, starring Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender. It's the rare film for adults that's a taut 90 minutes, character-focused, heaps of fun, and also screening in cinemas. Alex discusses why she's been a Soderbergh devotee for 25 years and how Black Bag showcases Soderbergh at his best. *** Want to discover more fun movies for grownups from around the world? Join the waitlist for Reel Ruminators: A Movie-of-the-Month Enrichment Experience https://email.seventh-row.com/reelruminators ------- Stay updated on Seventh Row Follow Seventh Row on Twitter, Bluesky and Instagram. Read our articles at seventh-row.com. Follow Alex Heeney on Bluesky, Twitter and Instagram.

Today, we're celebrating pioneering American woman director Joan Micklin Silver by looking at her biggest flop, the excellent Chilly Scenes of Winter (1979), and her biggest hit, Crossing Delancey (1988). Although both films are over 35 years old, they mostly still read as very modern. Woman in Revolt Editor-in-Chief Lindsay Pugh joins Alex Heeney to discuss why we love Joan Micklin Silver, why her films have aged so well (and the few things that haven't), and what makes her such a great filmmaker both as a visual stylist and a modern storyteller. *** Want to discover more recent restorations of films by and about diverse groups? Subscribe to the Globetrotting Watchlist: http://seventh-row.com/globetrotting *** Wondering who will be the next Joan Micklin Silver? Alex programs some of the contenders in Reel Ruminators. Join the waitlist for Reel Ruminators: A Movie-of-the-Month Enrichment Experience https://email.seventh-row.com/reelruminators ------- Stay updated on Seventh Row Follow Seventh Row on Twitter, Bluesky and Instagram. Read our articles at seventh-row.com. Follow Alex Heeney on Bluesky, Twitter and Instagram.

Now that the Oscars are over, the best movies of the year are heading to cinemas in the next 3-4 months. In this episode, Editor-in-Chief Alex Heeney is joined by C.J. Prince of Acquired Cinema to discuss four must-see films coming to cinemas this spring. This episode is an addendum to our two-part series on how the Oscars affect the international films you hear about in episode 160 and 161. Listen to episode 160: https://seventh-row.com/2025/02/14/ep-160-how-the-oscars-affect-the-international-films-you-hear-about/ Listen to episode 161: https://seventh-row.com/2025/02/21/ep-161-beyond-the-oscars-world-cinema/ ---- *** If you're interested in joining Seventh Row's movie-of-the-month membership: DM the word 'explorer' to: @SeventhRow on Instagram or @SeventhRow.bsky.social on BluSky Or send an email with subject line 'Explorer' to contact@seventh-row.com. ---- Stay updated on the US distribution status of festival films at C.J. Prince's Acquired Cinema: http://acquiredcinema.substack.om

Contrary to popular belief, when Oscar season ends, good movie season begins. The 3-4 month window after the Oscars and before summer movie season is when 90% of the year's best movies get released. Today on the podcast, we look back on the wide variety of excellent international movies that have directly followed the Oscars in this window in past years. We explain some of the attributes that define these films, which are diverse demographically (e.g., women, LGBTQ+, Indigenous), as well as in content and form. We discover that it's a challenge to package these films into neat categories for listeners because what makes these films so interesting is that they don't fit neatly into pre-defined genres and categories. E.g., they're period pieces aren't conventional period pieces. They're quiet, contemplative films that may be ambitious but low-budget. --- To join the Radical Adaptations movie group in which we will watch Fabian: Going to the Dogs an read the book on which it's based, sign up for an invitation at http://seventh-row.com/radicaladaptations To join Reel Ruminators: A Movie-of-the-Month Enrichment Experience in March, get on the waitlist at http://email.seventh-row.com/reelruminators . -- Stay updated on the US distribution status of festival films at C.J. Prince's Acquired Cinema: http://acquiredcinema.substack.om

The Oscars are changing for the better, but the field is not nearly as wide open as you might think, nor is it reflective of the wide variety of high-quality films that exist. Even if you don’t care about the Oscars, what’s considered Oscar-worthy deeply impacts what films you hear about. Because arthouse and international distributors divide films into two categories: movies they think can win Oscars and movies that can’t. Oscar movies get massive marketing budgets, come out in the fall, and screen for months. So you hear about them. The rest get dumped in the spring and summer, and they might not even tell press the films exist, no matter how good the movies are. In this episode, Alex is joined by film critic C.J. Prince of Acquired Cinema to discuss how and why the Oscars are becoming more international and how this impacts what movies you hear about and see. They also delve into what makes a movie an Oscar movie and how this relates to the way the movie business functions. *** Interested in discovering the films that are too nuanced to be Oscar hopefuls? Join the waitlist for Reel Ruminators: A Movie-of-the-Month Enrichment Experience http://seventh-row.com/reelruminators *** Want to stay updated on future opportunities to see great movies that don't have the same visibility as Oscar movies? Subscribe to the Globetrotting Watchlist: http://seventh-row.com/globetrotting ------- Stay updated on Seventh Row Follow Seventh Row on Twitter, Bluesky and Instagram. Read our articles at seventh-row.com. Follow Alex Heeney on Bluesky, Twitter and Instagram.

This weekend, you can catch a recording of the Donmar Warehouse production of Macbeth starring David Tennant and Cush Jumbo, directed by Max Webster. In this episode of the podcast, Alex discusses why this production is a must-see and why you should make time for it now and for recorded Shakespeare more generally. ***Want to stay updated on future opportunities to see this Macbeth or other great recorded theatre production? Subscribe to the Globetrotting Watchlist: http://seventh-row.com/globetrotting Related Episodes Bonus Ep. 17 Saoirse Ronan and James McArdle in The Tragedy of Macbeth Bonus Ep. 22: Joel Coen's The Tragedy of Macbeth ------- Stay updated on Seventh Row Follow Seventh Row on Twitter, Bluesky and Instagram. Read our articles at seventh-row.com. Follow Alex Heeney on Bluesky, Twitter and Instagram.

At Sundance 2025, Alex saw a lovely debut feature from a Tunisian woman director, Where the Wind Comes From. And it made her think about how difficult it can be to find films by women from Africa and the Middle East. But she can recommend several first features from Tunisian women directors that you can watch right now. In this episode, Alex discusses why it's so hard to see films by women from Africa and the Middle East. She talks about why you should watch for Where the Wind Comes From in the future and two films by Tunisian women that you can watch now: As I Open My Eyes (2015) and Under the Fig Trees (2022). ***Join the Seventh Row newsletter to stay updated on Reel Ruminators, free Q&As, and unique opportunities to watch under-the-radar films: http://email.seventh-row.com Related Episodes Women at Cannes Ep. 5: Reviews of Cannes 2022 films by women, including Under the Fig Trees ------- Stay updated on Seventh Row Follow Seventh Row on Twitter, Bluesky and Instagram. Read our articles at seventh-row.com. Follow Alex Heeney on Bluesky, Twitter and Instagram.

The worldwide online French film festival, myfrenchfilmfestival, is happening now until February 17, 2025, and it's a can't-miss event. Alex has been attending since 2017. In this episode, Alex discusses three reasons why you should make time for myfrenchfilmfestival and recommends three films to watch: A Real Job, No Love Lost, and Through the Night. ***Join the Seventh Row newsletter to stay updated on myfrenchfilmfestival and other unique opportunities to watch under-the-radar films: http://email.seventh-row.com Related Episodes 148. How I almost missed the best film of the 2010s 135. Promising Young Woman + The Assistant: Rape culture on film in 2020 132. Sarah Polley's Women Talking 86. Depictions of childhood sexual assault: Una and Slalom ------- Stay updated on Seventh Row Follow Seventh Row on Twitter, Bluesky and Instagram. Read our articles at seventh-row.com. Follow Alex Heeney on Bluesky, Twitter and Instagram.

***Join the Seventh Row newsletter to stay updated on myfrenchfilmfestival and other unique opportunities to watch under-the-radar films: http://email.seventh-row.com Legendary British filmmaker Mike Leigh has a new film out in cinemas called Hard Truths, which is one of the best films of the year. What makes Mike Leigh's films so good and so uniquely Mike Leigh Films is inextricable from the process he uses to make them. But there are quite a few common myths and misconceptions about his process, including that his films are improvised and, confusingly, that his films are rehearsed. In this episode, Alex debunks these myths using research for her 2018 book Peterloo in Process: A Mike Leigh Collaboration. The book dives deeper into Leigh's process through interviews with him and his collaborators on the film, both behind and in front of the camera. You can purchase a copy of Peterloo in Process at http://mikeleighbook.com Related Episodes TIFF 2024 #4: British social realism: Mike Leigh's Hard Truths and Andrea Arnold's Bird Ep. 119 Mike Leigh's Naked Ep. 32 Sorry We Missed You and Peterloo Ep. 11 Mike Leigh's Peterloo ------- Stay updated on Seventh Row Follow Seventh Row on Twitter, Bluesky and Instagram. Read our articles at seventh-row.com. Follow Alex Heeney on Bluesky, Twitter and Instagram.

***Join the Seventh Row newsletter to stay updated and find out about more great under-the-radar character dramas: http://email.seventh-row.com ------- Woman in Revolt Editor-in-Chief joins Alex to discuss Halina Reijn's Babygirl, a movie we liked but didn't love but we think is worth digging into. Nicole Kidman stars as Romy, a high-powered CEO married to a theatre director, played by Antonio Banderas, but unsatisfied with her sexual relationship in her marriage. When a new intern at her company, played by Harris Dickinson, clocks her desire for submission, they begin a pas-de-deux that turns into a sexual power-exchange relationship. On the episode, we discuss the film's best scenes, why Harris Dickinson steals the film, whether the film is as racy as it thinks it is, some of its missteps, and compare it to other recent films it's in conversation with (from Fifty Shades of Grey to Elle). Related Episodes also featuring Lindsay Pugh Promising Young Woman + The Assistant: Rape culture on film in 2020 (Redux) 101. Magnus von Horn's films The Here After and Sweat Stay updated on Seventh Row Follow Seventh Row on Twitter, Bluesky and Instagram. Read our articles at seventh-row.com. Follow Alex Heeney on Bluesky, Twitter and Instagram.

***Want help to sit down and make those tough decisions about what you're going to watch this year? Join the Curate Your 2025 Watchlist Workshop on January 12. Sign up here: http://seventh-row.com/watchlist ------- In this episode, Alex discusses what makes a truly remarkable year of movies, beyond just watching as many films as possible. Alex shares her insights on ensuring your year is filled with memorable and diverse movies that challenge and delight. Drawing from her journey of discovery through film festivals and indie films, she introduces three key ingredients for a fulfilling cinematic year. First, Alex discusses the importance of variety and diversity in your film choices. Whether it's films from different continents and genres, filmmakers from underrepresented groups, films from different eras, and beyond, variety is the spice of a rewarding movie year. Secondly, she highlights the need to include 'sure things' in your watchlist—films by directors or actors you love—to balance staying in your comfort zone while still discovering new films. Lastly, Alex emphasizes the value of planned risks. Taking chances on lesser-known films can lead to surprising and enriching experiences, expanding your cinematic horizons. Finally, Alex also introduces the Curate Your 2025 Watchlist Workshop, designed to help you create a personalized and diverse movie watchlist for the upcoming year. Sign up to ensure your movie year is both adventurous and satisfying. Related Episodes 152. Three reasons you need a curated watchlist for 2025 Stay updated on Seventh Row Follow Seventh Row on Twitter, Bluesky and Instagram. Read our articles at seventh-row.com. Follow Alex Heeney on Bluesky, Twitter and Instagram.

***Join the Seventh Row newsletter to stay updated and find out about more great under-the-radar character dramas: http://email.seventh-row.com ------- Today on the podcast, Alex discusses the new Italian film from Maura Delpero, Vermiglio, set in a remote village in the Italian Alps at the end of WWII. It's Delpero's second feature, which won the Grand Jury Prize at the Venice International Film Festival. It's in cinemas this week. The film is the story of the local teacher's family and the power of both formal and informal knowledge and how it's passed down. When the film opens, the family is hiding a Sicilian soldier who has escape from the army – an open secret in the town. He falls in love with the teacher's eldest daughter, and the film follows their budding relationship — and all the familial relationships around them — over the course of a year, as the seasons change and the war ends. Related Episodes: 139. Green Border: an interview with Agniezka Holland 147. Why is it so hard to see the new Cillian Murphy movie? Stay updated on Seventh Row Follow Seventh Row on Twitter and Instagram. Read our articles at seventh-row.com. Follow Alex Heeney on Twitter and Instagram.

Happy New Year! If you want 2025 to be the year you watch good movies, the secret to success is a curated watchlist. It's the best way to make sure that reaching for what's easy will be synonymous with reaching for films you actually want to see — including films that might have felt like aspirational achievements you'll never reach. In this episode, Alex shares three reasons you need a curated watchlist for 2025. ***Want help to sit down and make those tough decisions about what you're going to watch this year? Join the Curate Your 2025 Watchlist Workshop on January 12. Sign up here: http://seventh-row.com/watchlist ------- Stay updated on Seventh Row Follow Seventh Row on Twitter, Bluesky and Instagram. Read our articles at seventh-row.com. Follow Alex Heeney on Bluesky, Twitter and Instagram.

***Join the Seventh Row newsletter to stay updated and find out about more great under-the-radar character dramas: http://email.seventh-row.com ------- 2024 has been a landmark year for Luca Guadagnino, with the release of his tennis drama Challengers and his adaptation of William S. Burroughs' Queer. As these films garner attention, Alex Heeney takes this opportunity to revisit Guadagnino's 2017 masterpiece Call Me by Your Name, a film she deems his best work to date. In this episode, Alex explores connections between Call Me by Your Name and Guadagnino's latest films, noting how the opening credits of Queer serve as a direct homage to those of Call Me by Your Name. She delves into why she loves Call Me by Your Name, from how it works as a 'romance of stuff,' its attention to tactile details, its flirtatious editing style, and its ability to evoke a world beyond the frame. Purchase our ebook on Luca Guadagnino's Call Me by Your Name Related Episodes: Luca Guadagnino's Queer Luca Guadagnino's Challengers Find Me and adapting Andre Aciman for the screen Stay updated on Seventh Row Follow Seventh Row on Twitter and Instagram. Read our articles at seventh-row.com. Follow Alex Heeney on Twitter and Instagram.