Many of the best recent Canadian films tell stories about young adults. This episode features YA fiction expert Joe Lipsett as we discuss what counts as YA, what is unique about Canadian YA films, and focus on six great films.
Canadian Film - Podcasts
The Seventh Row Podcast prides itself on curating and highlighting the best Canadian films for a Canadian and international audience. These films tend to pass under-the-radar, even in Canada. We especially focus on Québécois cinema, films by women, and Indigenous films.
Past episodes include deep dives on Canadian filmmakers (e.g., Anne Émond, Pascal Plante, Jeff Barnaby), spotlights on Indigenous films (Run Woman Run, Remembering Jeff Barnaby, Indigenous YA Part 1 and Part 2), and other highlights (e.g., Take This Waltz, Paper Year, Sugar Daddy, Mouthpiece).
We've covered several Canadian documentaries, including No Ordinary Man, John Ware Reclaimed, and First Stripes.
Finally, we often do podcasts episodes where we compare an under-seen Canadian film to a more well-known American or international film. E.g., Spinster (Canada) and The Forty-Year-Old Version, My Internship in Canada and In the Loop, First Stripes (Canada) and Boys State.
When we cover the Toronto International Film Festival, we make a point of discussing the Canadian films, as we did in TIFFHighlights of 2022 Fall Festivals, TIFF 2021 Part 1, TIFF 2021 Part 2, TIFF 2020 Part 1, and TIFF 2020 Part 2, and Canadian Cinema at TIFF 2019.
Ep 46: A conversation between Mina Shum and Philippe Falardeau
This episode highlights a session from our Lockdown Film School with writer-directors Mina Shum and Philippe Falardeau. In it, the two discuss their craft, compare notes on process, and discuss how they were inspired by each other.
Ep 45: The films of Anne Émond, from Nuit #1 to Nelly
Anne Émond is one of the most exciting Canadian directors working today and deserves wider international attention. Her films play with time and genre as they explore the connection between the physical and the emotional aspects of her characters.
Ep. 43: Take This Waltz and Paper Year: Canadian marriage stories
Take This Waltz and Paper Year are two standout Canadian films exploring the end of a marriage with empathy and emotional complexity. We discuss the film’s complex characters, considerate direction, and Canadianess
Ep. 41: In the Loop and My Internship in Canada: Political satires
This episode compares two political satires about nations on the bring of war, Armando Iannucci’s modern classic In the Loop and Canadian unseen gem Philippe Falardeau’s My Internship in Canada.
Ep. 40: Stories We Tell, Louder Than Bombs, & Mouthpiece: Dead mothers
This episode is on Stories We Tell, Louder Than Bombs, and Mouthpiece, formally expressive explorations of grief, memory, and subjectivity.