On this episode we discuss how two films, Una and the recent Slalom, depict the trauma of childhood sexual assault. We discuss the films’ messy navigation of depiction and questions of empathy and catharsis.
Orla Smith podcast
Ep. 85: The films of Naomi Kawase, featuring True Mothers
Naomi Kawase is one of the most prolific women directors in international cinema. In this episode, we look at her latest film True Mothers, re-visit the divisive Still the Water, and discuss other highlights from her filmography.
Ep. 84: Berlinale 2021, Part 2: The Competition
We conclude our deep dive on Berlinale 2021, discussing the films in competition
Ep. 83: Berlinale 2021, Part 1: The Sidebars
We begin our deep dive on Berlinale 2021, discussing the festival overall and the sidebar competitions.
Ep. 82: Quo Vadis, Aida and Our Lady of the Nile: Genocide on film
Jasmila Žbanic’s Quo Vadis, Aida is one of the best films of the year. On this episode, we discuss it in context of Atiq Rahimi’s Our Lady of the Nile, another film approaching the theme of genocide with tremendous empathy towards the human cost rather than being a spectacle of suffering.
Ep. 81: In Their Own Words: Fiction Directors
We’ve gathered a panel of editors who worked on our new ebook, In their Own Words: Fiction Directors, to talk about what is in the book, how it was made, and why it’s so exciting.