Her Head in Films

In this episode, I talk about Agnieszka Holland's beloved 1993 children's film "The Secret Garden," which tells the story of Mary Lennox, a 10-year-old girl orphaned after her parents die in an earthquake in India. She is sent to England to live with her uncle, Lord Craven, and discovers a secret garden on his estate. I discuss not only the film itself and its themes of love, connection,...

In this episode, I talk about Lee Chang-dong's devastating 2010 film "Poetry". It tells the story of 66-year-old Mija, who is struggling with her health and with the revelation that her grandson, Wook, is connected to the death of a young girl named Agnes. As all this is happening, Mija is also taking a poetry class and desperately wants to write a poem. Consider making this podcast sust...

In this episode, I talk about Andrea Arnold's 2009 film "Fish Tank." It's about 15-year-old Mia who lives on a housing estate in England with her mother and younger sister. Mia has a passion for dance and spends a lot of time alone choreographing dance routines. The film explores issues like poverty, the mother-daughter relationship, and desire. Andrea Arnold is one of my favorite direct...

In Laura Citarella and Veronica Llinás's 2015 Argentine film "Dog Lady," a woman lives in the woods with no companionship except that of her dogs. This nameless woman lives outside of society, either by necessity or by choice or perhaps a little bit of both. The film provides little information about her and prefers to linger in silences and the sounds of nature. It's a slow, immersive c...

Released in 1970, Barbara Loden's "Wanda" is a monumental achievement of American independent cinema. It tells the story of a woman living on the margins of society, rejected by almost everyone, a failure in just about everything she does. Loden was inspired to make the film after reading about a woman who was sentenced to 20 years in prison and thanked the judge. "Wanda" was L...

In this episode, I talk about Katell Quillévéré's "Heal The Living" (2016) and Radu Jude's "Scarred Hearts" (2016), two films that explore illness, disability, physical vulnerability, and the thin line between life and death. I delve into many issues, including the harmful rhetoric we use to talk about illness and how health is too often attached to morality and personal charac...

In this episode, I talk about the ways in which Vadim Perelman's 2003 film "House of Sand and Fog" foreshadowed many of the issues that would dominate American life in the years after its release, including growing anti-immigrant sentiment and people losing their homes during the 2008 Recession. I also discuss my own personal experience of losing my house and almost becoming homeless. &q...

In this episode, I talk about Sally Potter's 1997 film, "The Tango Lesson." The film stars Potter as herself in a semi-autobiographical story about a film director who becomes interested in learning how to tango. The film explores her complex, fraught, and intense relationship with her dance instructor, Pablo Veron, also playing himself. Films about dance often end up being about human r...

In this episode, I examine Agnès Varda's 1985 film, "Vagabond". It won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival and Sandrine Bonnaire won a César Award for her performance as Mona Bergeron, a drifter in Southern France who ends up dead due to exposure to cold. The film begins with Mona's death and then goes backward, exploring her life through the various people she met while on the r...

In this episode, I talk about Alain Resnais's 1959 classic "Hiroshima Mon Amour." I combine excerpts from Marguerite Duras's screenplay for the film and portions of John Hersey's "Hiroshima" to explore how the film represents (or resists representing) horror and atrocity. I also look at how it portrays memory and grief. As Duras writes, "Impossible to talk about Hiroshima....

In this episode, I explore the controversies and complexities of Abdellatif Kechiche's 2013 film "Blue is the Warmest Color," which also took home the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Consider making this podcast sustainable by supporting it on Patreon. Subscribe to the Her Head in Films Newsletter . Follow me on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , and Tumblr . Original artwork by Dh...

In this deeply personal episode, I discuss Ken Loach's Palme d'Or winning "I, Daniel Blake," which is a searing indictment of how the poor and disabled are treated in modern-day Britain and a powerful plea for humanity and justice. Consider making this podcast sustainable by supporting it on Patreon . Subscribe to the Her Head in Films Newsletter . Follow me on Facebook , Twitter , Insta...

In this episode, I discuss Abbas Kiarostami's Koker Trilogy, which consists of the films "Where Is My Friend's House?," "Life, and Nothing More," and "Through the Olive Trees." They span the years 1987 to 1994. Film scholars have grouped these films together because they take place in the geographical region of Koker, a village in Northern Iran that was devastated by...

In this episode, I focus on two films and the ways in which they portray friendship and childhood. The first film I talk about is Abbas Kiarostami's 1987 film "Where Is My Friend's House?" The second film I discuss is Mohammad-Ali Talebi's 2000 film "Willow and Wind," which was written by Kiarostami. I discuss the similarities between the movies and how Kiarostami depicts child...

In this episode, I discuss depression, suicide, and Abbas Kiarostami's 1997 film "Taste of Cherry." Note: In the episode, I misspoke when, at one point, I say "Iranian new cinema." I meant to say "Iranian New Wave" cinema. Consider making this podcast sustainable by supporting it on Patreon . Subscribe to the Her Head in Films Newsletter . Follow me on Facebook , Twit...

In this episode, I talk about class and crime in Claude Chabrol's 1995 masterpiece, "La Cérémonie." Spoilers are discussed in this episode. Consider making this podcast sustainable by supporting it on Patreon . Subscribe to the Her Head in Films Newsletter . Follow me on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , and Tumblr . Original artwork by Dhiyanah Hassan

In this episode, I discuss Christian Petzold's 2014 film, "Phoenix," which is about a woman who survives the Auschwitz death camp, undergoes facial reconstructive surgery, and tries to re-connect with her husband who is the reason she was imprisoned in the first place. This is a masterful film about trauma, survival, and how difficult, even excruciating it is, to rebuild oneself and one'...

In this episode, I discuss trauma, the Holocaust, and Meryl Streep's astonishing performance in "Sophie's Choice." Consider making this podcast sustainable by supporting it on Patreon . Subscribe to the Her Head in Films Newsletter . Follow me on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , and Tumblr . Original artwork by Dhiyanah Hassan Full show notes: Watch part 1 and part 2 of this documentary...

In this episode, I share my thoughts, feelings, and emotions about Satyajit Ray's monumental Apu Trilogy, which consists of Pather Panchali (1955), Aparajito (1956), and Apur Sansar (1959). Note: This episode contains SPOILERS and goes into specific plot details in the trilogy . Correction: I mention the Partition of India that happened in 1947. The Apu Trilogy is set well before that time. Apolog...

In this episode, I talk about Satyajit Ray's 1955 masterpiece "Pather Panchali." Consider making this podcast sustainable by supporting it on Patreon . Subscribe to the Her Head in Films Newsletter . Follow me on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , and Tumblr . Original artwork by Dhiyanah Hassan

In this episode, I discuss two films about Jean-Dominique Bauby, who was an editor at Elle Magazine in France and suffered a stroke in 1995 at the age of 43. The stroke plunged him into a rare condition known as locked-in syndrome. He wrote his memoir, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, by blinking his left eyelid. Consider making this podcast sustainable by supporting it on Patreon . Subscribe to...

In this episode, I talk about David Lean's dreamy 1955 film "Summertime." Consider making this podcast sustainable by supporting it on Patreon. Subscribe to the Her Head in Films Newsletter . Follow me on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , and Tumblr . Original artwork by Dhiyanah Hassan

In this episode, I talk about Krzysztof Kieślowski's "The Double Life of Veronique," which is my favorite film. I discuss why I love the film so much and why Krzysztof Kieślowski is my favorite director. I do apologize if the volume is low. You might have to increase the volume on your speaker or headphones. Consider making this podcast sustainable by supporting it on Patreon . Subscribe...

In this episode, I talk about Satyajit Ray's 1963 film "The Big City." Consider making this podcast sustainable by supporting it on Patreon . Subscribe to the Her Head in Films Newsletter . Follow me on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , and Tumblr . Original artwork by Dhiyanah Hassan Full show notes: Listen to my episode on "Moonlight" Read Angelica Jade Bastién's essay on empa...

In this episode, I talk about João Dumans and Affonso Uchoa's 'Arábia,' a powerful and haunting film about a Brazilian laborer. Note: At the 41 minute mark, the audio does go silent. It comes back again around the 45 minute mark. It's a technical glitch that I have no control over. I'm not sure what happened. Consider making this podcast sustainable by supporting it on Patreon . Subscribe to the H...