Shows
Seventh Row Podcast186. Heated Rivalry: the queer Canadian hockey romance taking the internet by stormThe best directed TV show of 2025 is a queer hockey romance from Canada called Heated Rivalry. And like the rest of the internet, host Alex Heeney has become quite a fan. But she's been thinking a lot about what makes it good and what has made it popular, and how those two things definitely intersect, but the Venn diagram isn't just a circle. So on today's episode, Alex talks about why she, too, was very excited for the cottage, why the show is hitting in this cultural moment, what still felt lacking — and how...
2026-01-0639 min
Seventh Row Podcast185. Chloé Zhao's Hamnet with Angelo MureddaEarly screenings of Chloé Zhao's Hamnet had critics weeping in the aisles Host Alex Heeney left it dry-eyed — and so did her guest, Angelo Muredda. We're Shakespeare fans, long-time film critics, and not exactly immune to a good cry — so in this episode, we try to figure out why the film didn't land. We dig into what works in the film (a short list) and what doesn't (a longer one), where the adaptation of Maggie O'Farrell's novel went awry, and whether having read a synopsis of Hamlet on Wikipedia might actually impede your enjoy...
2025-12-121h 28
Deep Cut: A Film Podcast109. Luca Guadagnino: Call Me By Your Name (featuring Alex Heeney)We are joined by special guest Alex Heeney, the founder and editor in chief of Seventh Row, to dive into Luca Guadagnino's 2017 coming-of-age masterpiece, Call Me By Your Name. They talk about their deep personal connections to the film, with Alex recounting her experience at the world premiere at Sundance and Wilson sharing his obsessive journey preparing for the New York Film Festival premiere of the film. Eli discusses the film's sensual direction, and Ben explains why he thinks this is Guadagnino’s most mature work. Links:Find more of Alex on Seventh Row. They are...
2025-09-071h 45
Seventh Row Podcast177. 45 Years (dir. Andrew Haigh) with Lindsay Pugh (10th anniversary)Ten years on, 45 Years hasn't lost an ounce of its emotional weight. In fact, it might just cut deeper. On this episode, host and Seventh Row Editor-in-Chief Alex Heeney is joined by Lindsay Pugh (Woman in Revolt) to revisit Andrew Haigh's masterpiece about a childless couple celebrating their 45 the wedding anniversary in the same week that a traumatic secret from the past comes to light. We talk about: What makes this story hit differently as we have aged Why the film's focus on emotional repression, delayed gratification, and public performance feels...
2025-06-271h 07
The Film Stage PresentsThe B-Side Ep. 164 – Mike Leigh (with Alex Heeney)Welcome to The B-Side! Here we talk about movie directors! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones that they made in between.
Today we discuss Mike Leigh, one of our greatest living filmmakers. Born in England in 1943, Leigh remains an artist for the everyday person more than most. And this descriptor is quite reductive, as the writer/director’s aesthetic is deceivingly simple and incredibly effective. Our B-Sides are Life is Sweet, Career Girls, All or Nothing, and Peterloo. Our guest is Alex Heeney, Editor-in-Chief of The Seventh Row, co-author of Peterloo in Pro...
2025-06-201h 40
The B-Side: A Film Stage PodcastEp. 164 – Mike Leigh (feat. Alex Heeney)Welcome to The B-Side! Here we talk about movie directors! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones that they made in between.
Today we discuss Mike Leigh, one of our greatest living filmmakers. Born in England in 1943, Leigh remains an artist for the everyday person more than most. And this descriptor is quite reductive, as the writer/director’s aesthetic is deceivingly simple and incredibly effective. Our B-Sides are Life is Sweet, Career Girls, All or Nothing, and Peterloo. Our guest is Alex Heeney, Editor-in-Chief of The Seventh Row, co-author of Peterloo in Pro...
2025-06-201h 40
Seventh Row Podcast173. Beginnings and Endings: Jane Austen Wrecked My LifeJane Austen Wrecked My Life is one of the best films of 2025. In this episode, Alex Heeney zooms in on its beginning and ending scenes to show how they set up and pay off the film's emotional arc. From the start, you know you're in a warm, fun place (with a touch of sadness); by the end, you land on a romantic high the film truly earns. Alex unpacks how choices from structure to song lyrics to blocking work together to deliver that strong emotional payoff. 🎧 Full breakdown of the film: Episode 172 💌G...
2025-05-3018 min
Devised and Directed: The Films of Mike LeighBONUS: Mike Bio & Process Deep Dive (with Alex Heeney)Next week we’re back to our regularly scheduled programming, but first… Ian kicks off this bonus episode with some background on the man himself in the form of a quick, condensed Mike Leigh bio from birth to Bleak Moments. He’s then joined by co-editor of Peterloo in Process: A Mike Leigh Collaboration and founder of Seventh Row Alex Heeney for a conversation on the particulars of Mike’s unique process, as well as some contemporary filmmakers who are (perhaps, in their own ways) following in his footsteps. All episodes in this series contain spoilers.
2025-05-2138 min
Seventh Row Podcast165. Misericordia (directed by Alain Guiraudie) and what the opening scene can teach usToday, Alex Heeney recommends Alain Guiraudie'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 m...
2025-03-2813 min
Seventh Row Podcast164. Black Bag directed by Steven Soderbergh: finally, a fun thriller for grownupsToday, 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
2025-03-2120 min
Seventh Row Podcast163. Joan Micklin Silver's Chilly Scenes of Winter + Crossing Delancey - from flop to hit (feat. Lindsay Pugh)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 o...
2025-03-141h 09
Seventh Row Podcast160. How the Oscars impact what international movies you hear about (feat. C.J. Prince)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 ge...
2025-02-1454 min
Seventh Row Podcast159. Macbeth with David Tennant + why I recommend recorded Shakespeare productionsThis 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. The best time to watch Shakespeare is when it's fresh. You learn something new from every Shakespeare production you see. Watching a bunch of productions of a Shakespeare play is one of the best ways to learn about directing. Watching a bunch of p...
2025-02-0726 min
Seventh Row Podcast158. 3 films to watch by Tunisian women directorsAt 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 Tunis...
2025-01-3125 min
Seventh Row Podcast157. myfrenchfilmfestival: A Real Job, No Love Lost, Through The NightThe 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 + T...
2025-01-2423 min
Seventh Row Podcast156. Three myths about Mike Leigh's process debunked***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 re...
2025-01-1720 min
Seventh Row Podcast155. Halina Reijn's Babygirl with Lindsay Pugh***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 t...
2025-01-1056 min
Seventh Row Podcast154. Three key ingredients to a great year of movies***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...
2025-01-0812 min
Seventh Row Podcast153. Maura Delpero's Vermiglio: A film about systems of knowledge in rural Italy at the end of WWII***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 p...
2025-01-0312 min
Seventh Row Podcast152. 3 Reasons You Need A Curated Watchlist for 2025Happy 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...
2025-01-0111 min
Seventh Row Podcast151. Luca Guadagnino's Call Me by Your Name***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...
2024-12-2726 min
Seventh Row PodcastHow I got interested in Indigenous films from Australia feat. Ivan Sen's Limbo***Join the Seventh Row newsletter to stay updated and find out about more great under-the-radar character dramas: http://email.seventh-row.com ------- One of Alex's deep cuts of 2024 is Limbo, an Australian film by Indigenous writer-director-cinematographer Ivan Sen. It's one of her top 3 films of the year. Fewer than 4000 people have logged it on Letterboxd and only 54 critics reviewed it on Rotten Tomatoes (mostly positive!). Even though it had its world premiere in Competition at the Berlinale and is by one of the most important filmmakers working today and certainly one of the m...
2024-12-1118 min
Seventh Row PodcastThe key to great character dramas + The Girl with the Needle (feat. Magnus von Horn)***Join the Seventh Row newsletter to stay updated and find out about more great under-the-radar character dramas: http://email.seventh-row.com ------- What separates a good character drama from a great character drama is a film that actually places the character in a very particular context — a place, a culture, a group of people — so we understand what constraints and opportunities they're responding to. In this episode, Alex talks about how Magnus von Horn's The Girl with the Needle exemplifies this definition of a great character drama. In fact, it's one of the best...
2024-12-0433 min
Royale Without Cheese[ENG] How the Past Haunts the Present in Andrew Haigh's "45 years" (feat. Alex Heeney of Seventh Row)Today we are joined by Alex Heeney of Seventh Row podcast to discuss Andrew Haigh's "45 years". We take a deep dive into how the relationship between the main characters is portrayed and how the flaws and complexities of each of them are displayed by the film's structure and Haigh's blocking.
2024-11-271h 07
Seventh Row PodcastWhy is it so hard to see the new Cillian Murphy movie?** Doors are now open for Reel Ruminators: Explorer, an annual membership which curates 12 incredible films you may have missed. ** Find out more here: http://seventh-row.com/explorer ** Or purchase your membership now: http://reelruminators.com/payment ------- Last week on the podcast, Alex recommended the Cillian Murphy Irish drama Small Things Like These, directed by Tim Mielants. A listener raised that the film had terrible distribution, so in this episode, Alex looks at why it's so hard to see Small Things Like These. She compares the film's distribution to other...
2024-11-2220 min
Seventh Row PodcastSmall Things Like These: the Cillian Murphy drama you don't want to missOn today's episode, Alex recommends the Cillian Murphy Irish drama Small Things Like These, directed by Tim Mielants. Based on the novella by Claire Keegan, the film addresses a dark chapter of Irish history from a side angle: the story of a man who realizes he can no longer be silently complicit in the abuse of unwed mothers by the Catholic Church. Want to discover and watch more under-the-radar films with my expert guidance and a community of movie lovers? Join the waitlist for Reel Ruminators so you'll be the first to know when doors o...
2024-11-1318 min
Seventh Row PodcastWe Have a Pope (Nanni Moretti, 2011) - Alt programming for ConclaveOn today's episode, Alex recommends alternative programming to the newly released Oscar-tipped Conclave, with another film about a new pope: Nanni Moretti's 2011 film We Have a Pope. It's fun and funny, a backstage movie that's still aware of the audience, and full of rich characters with actual motivations. Seeing Conclave made me wish I had been rewatching this instead. For my thoughts on Conclave, check out my TIFF 2024 episode on the film. Want to discover and watch more under-the-radar films with my expert guidance and a community of movie lovers? Join the waitlist fo...
2024-10-2509 min
Seventh Row PodcastThe Old Man and the Land and the line between cinema and radio play**To sign up for the Reel Ruminators (Free Trial), visit https://email.seventh-row.com/trial.** In this episode, Alex Heeney discusses the new independent British film The Old Man and the Land, which was just released in the U.K. The film is told almost entirely as a series of voicemails from a farmer's two adult children (played by Rory Kinnear and Emily Beecham). On screen, we only ever see the farmer (their father) tending to the land, doing his chores and daily activities. We never see the people whose voices we hear. The film r...
2024-10-0713 min
Seventh Row PodcastTIFF 24 #6: Ralph Fiennes x 2: The Return and ConclaveIn this episode of the TIFF 2024 season, Alex discusses two films starring Ralph Fiennes: Uberto Pasolini's The Return and Edward Berger's Conclave. In them, Fiennes respectively plays Odysseus at the end of his journey and a cardinal in charge of the process for selecting a new pope. The episode is spoiler-free. About the TIFF 2024 season: In the TIFF 2024 season, Editor-in-Chief Alex Heeney will discuss some of the best under-the-radar gems at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival through themed episodes. This is for you if: You're attending TI...
2024-09-1524 min
Seventh Row PodcastTIFF 24 #5: Bicultural daughters and their absent fathers: My Father's Daughter, Winter in Sokcho, and A Missing PartIn this episode of the TIFF 2024 season, Alex discusses three films about bicultural daughters and their absent fathers. Fittingly, the films are about identity, the role of the father-daughter relationship, and what it may mean for both father and daughter for that relationship to be severed. To discuss the films' differing cultural contexts, I quote from interviews with the filmmakers, who share many similar insights despite their disparate backgrounds. All three films are world premieres at TIFF and are still seeking North American/UK distributors. The films are: Egil Pederson's M...
2024-09-1034 min
Seventh Row PodcastTIFF24 #4: British social realism - Andrea Arnold's Bird and Mike Leigh's Hard TruthsIn this episode of the TIFF 2024 season, Alex discusses two new films from masters of British social realism: Andrea Arnold's Bird and Mike Leigh's Hard Truths. Bird had its world premiere at Cannes in May; Hard Truths had its world premiere at TIFF. Alex finds similarities in subject matter and storytelling approach between the films, including the very strong performances from some Seventh Row favourites, and discusses what each of them is individually doing that's worth noting. Alex wrote the book on Mike Leigh's Peterloo and his process, so her discussion of Hard Truths...
2024-09-0840 min
AFL Today ShowAFL Finals Week 1 Wrap - Heeney lifts Swans, Cats Embarrass Port & Flag Hawks? | AFL TodayAFL Finals Week 1 Wrap - Heeney lifts Swans, Cats Embarrass Port & Flag Hawks? | AFL Today, Thursday September 8. The AFL Today Show is full of finals fever, with a huge podcast brought to you by TopSport! Breaking down all four finals games of Week 1, talking about the dominance of Geelong and Hawthorn, shaky Port Adelaide and the TopSport odds of the Premiership from here! The panel break down the big news points about Jack Ginnivan and the Demons President, go through the stats for every game and chat about the best team and players of the...
2024-09-0859 min
Seventh Row PodcastTIFF 24 #3: Sports movies for people who don't like sports moviesIn this episode of the TIFF 2024 season, Alex discusses three films from around the world that take place within the world of sports but aren't really about sports. Alex finds common ground in how the films are shot and tell stories, often through gestures and blocking rather than dialogue. These films are: Leonardo van Dijl's Julie Keeps Quiet – Belgium/Sweden (sales title) Frida Kempff's The Swedish Torpedo - World Premiere - Sweden (sales title) Hiroshi Okuyama's My Sunshine - Japan (Film Movement will distribute) About the TIFF 2024 season: In the...
2024-09-0728 min
Seventh Row PodcastTIFF 24 #2: Palestinian films: No Other Land, To a Land Unknown, Happy Holidays, and From Ground ZeroIn this episode of the TIFF 2024 season, Alex discusses the four Palestinian films at this year's festival. These films are: No Other Land (Yuval Abraham, Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Rachel Szor) - Norway/Palestine To a Land Unknown (Mehdi Fleifel) - Germany, France, United Kingdom, Greece, Netherlands, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia Happy Holidays (Scandar Copti) - Germany, France, Italy, Palestine, Qatar From Ground Zero (22 directors), France, Jordan, Palestine, Qatar About the TIFF 2024 season: In the TIFF 2024 season, Editor-in-Chief Alex Heeney will discuss some of the best under-the-radar gems at the 2024 Toronto International Film F...
2024-09-0618 min
Seventh Row PodcastTIFF24 1: Why this season is for you, even if you aren't attending the festivalThe 2024 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) kicks off on Thursday, September 5, and Editor-in-Chief Alex Heeney will cover it with a series of podcast episodes. In this episode, Alex introduces the podcast season and explains why this season is for you and whether or not you're attending TIFF this year. I'll explain what to expect from this podcast season and why TIFF and our coverage are relevant to you if you're interested in exploring world cinema. About the TIFF 2024 season: In the TIFF 2024 season, Editor-in-Chief Alex Heeney will discuss some of the b...
2024-09-0411 min
Seventh Row PodcastGood One (feat. India Donaldson): A teenager heads into the woods with her divorced dadAnnouncement: I'm covering TIFF, the Toronto International Film Festival! Sign up to receive my five essential tips for the film adventurer seeking a fantastic festival experience, whether at TIFF (or any other festival) at email.seventh-row.com/tiff24. --- Alex Heeney interviews writer-director (and Seventh Row fan!) India Donaldson about her debut feature, Good One. Inspired by Seventh Row favourites Kelly Reichardt and Joanna Hogg (we wrote the books on both of them!), Donaldson's film is a quiet story of a teenage girl who goes camping in the woods with her self-absorbed divorced fat...
2024-08-1636 min
Seventh Row PodcastMy Lady Jane: An addictive, swashbuckling, Tudor-era romanceToronto film critic Nathalie Atkinson joins Alex Heeney to discuss their latest obsession -- Amazon Prime's swashbuckling fantasy series, My Lady Jane -- and why we can't stop thinking about it. From husbands that are sometimes horses, to intimacy coordination by Ita O'Brien (Normal People), to an incredible cast (Edward Bluemel!), the show is a whole lot of fun with impressive craft behind it. The limited series reimagines the story of Lady Jane Grey, the Tudor Queen who, at age 16, was queen for nine days. The show asks, what could have happened if Lady Jane lasted a...
2024-08-091h 18
Seventh Row Podcast140. Mapantsula (1988) with director Oliver SchmitzAnnouncement: Our new membership, Reel Ruminators: A Movie-of-the-Month Discussion Club is now open for new members in August! Doors close on August 9 at 11:59 p.m. EST. Once doors close, we won't be opening them again until October. Find out more and reserve your spot by clicking here. --- Alex Heeney interviews South African director and co-writer Oliver Schmitz about the 4K restoration of his landmark 1988 film, Mapantsula. Mapantsula was the first movie about the realities of apartheid that was actually made by South Africans in South Africa. In the press notes fo...
2024-08-0141 min
SportsbyFryRound 18 AFL Fantasy Preview (Ep. 353)Struggling to determine how to handle the Isaac Heeney suspension and Max Gawn's injury? I have ALL the answers for fantasy coaches with rookie advice, Q&A, plus much more ahead of Round 18.
Enjoy ✌
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/fantasysportsbyfry
2024-07-1227 minAFL Today ShowHeeney or Cripps for the Brownlow? + AFL Umpiring & Dusty to Gold Coast | AFL TodayHeeney or Cripps for the Brownlow? + AFL Umpiring & Dusty to Gold Coast | AFL Today - Episode 55, Wednesday July 3. The AFL Today Show presents a huge Midweek Madness show, going through all AFL news, debating who should win the Brownlow, if Dustin Martin should head North, AFL Umpiring standards and Jordan Boyd surviving the tribunal! The panel go through the Midweek Winner of the Week, Andrew Dillon comments, Yeah/Nah questions to debate, before a huge breakdown of the Brownlow and Coleman Medal ladder being two thirds of the way through the season. Get a...
2024-07-0334 min
Seventh Row PodcastGreen Border with Agnieszka HollandAnnouncement: Our new membership, Reel Ruminators: A Movie-of-the-Month Discussion Club is now open for new members in July! Doors close on July 4 at 11:59 p.m. Find out more and reserve your spot by clicking here. ---- Alex Heeney interviews legendary Polish filmmaker Agnieszka Holland about her Venice Jury Prize-Winning film, Green Border. Holland discusses why she wanted to make the film, how it's in conversation with her other work, and why she chose to shoot it in black and white. Green Border is about the ongoing migrant crisis at the Polish-Belarusian bo...
2024-07-0323 min
Seventh Row PodcastGhostlight: An interview with Kelly O'Sullivan and Alex ThompsonAlex Heeney interviews co-directors Alex Thompson and Kelly O'Sullivan whose new film Ghostlight was a hit at Sundance. Ghostlight is the story of middle-aged construction worker Dan (Ian Keiser) who discovers that theatre and Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet are excellent outlets for working through his complicated feelings of grief, guilt, and anger. >> Subscribe to our FREE newsletter for updates on the best new under-the-radar films and streaming theatre productions
2024-06-1925 min
Seventh Row Podcast137. Luca Guadagnino's Challengers with Andrew KendallIn this episode, we discuss Luca Guadagnino's new film Challengers (2024), which stars Zendaya, Mike Faist, and Seventh Row favourite Josh O'Connor as competitive tennis players and romantic rivals. Film critic and Katherine Hepburn obsessive Andrew Kendall joins host Alex Heeney for the episode. We are both Josh O'Connor super-fans and liked the film. But we had a lot of issues with it. We discuss why we can't stop thinking about it and where it disappoints. Get your copy of Alex's book on Luca Guadagnino's Call Me by Your Name. Get your copy of...
2024-05-081h 27
Hazel & Katniss & Harry & StarrMockingjay Part 2 feat. Alex HeeneyWe're wrapping up Mockingjay which means our resident The Hunger Games expert Alex Heeney of Seventh Row is back!We're closing out the back half of Suzanne Collins' book (Chapter 13 -> End) and Francis Lawrence's Mockingjay Part 2 (2015) with a discussion about PTSD, the Capitol as arena, and the heteronormative baby-centric ending. Plus: settling the Peeta vs Gale debate once and for all, the ugly visual palette of the film and Katniss as soldier. Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:>...
2023-11-141h 17
Seventh Row PodcastCreative Nonfiction #4: Sam Green on 32 Sounds and live documentaryIn the fourth episode of our Creative Nonfiction Film podcast season, Alex Heeney talks to Sam Green about 32 Sounds and his work exploring the possibilities of his work that he describes as "live documentaries". These are part locked footage, part live performance, usually including a live band on stage performing the film's music. On this episode, we give some background on Sam Green's work in live documentary, talk about how A Thousand Thoughts (2018), co-directed with Joe Bini, felt like a turning point for his work in the form, and discuss what makes 32 Sounds such a...
2023-06-151h 21
Seventh Row PodcastCreative Nonfiction #3: Philippe Falardeau on Lac-Mégantic: This Is Not An Accident and rethinking the true crime docIn the third episode of our Creative Nonfiction Film podcast season, Philippe Falardeau discusses Lac-Mégantic: This is Not An Accident is a four-part documentary series about the catastrophic 2013 trainwreck in Lac-Mégantic, its inevitability, the aftermath, and the government failure to change safety requirements to avoid another "accident" in future. Lac-Mégantic had its world premiere at the HotDocs Film Festival where all four episodes were screened back-to-back. The Lac-Mégantic rail disaster was the fourth-deadliest rail accident in Canadian history (47 people died) and the deadliest involving a non-passenger train. The documentary Lac-Mégantic not only chron...
2023-06-071h 00
Seventh Row PodcastCreative Nonfiction #1: An introductionIn the first episode of our Creative Nonfiction Film podcast season, Alex Heeney previews what to expect in this five-episode season and discusses what is creative nonfiction film. Click here to read the episode show notes. You will also find an AI-generated transcript in the show notes. Get the tote bag with the Céline Sciamma quote "Cinema is the only art form ever where you share somebody else's lonelines" More on creative nonfiction Download a FREE excerpt from Subjective Realities here. Get your copy of the ebo...
2023-05-2922 min
Seventh Row PodcastBerlinale 2023: Here, Delegation, The Teachers' Lounge, Le Paradis, and moreOn this episode, Editor-in-Chief Alex Heeney talks about several highlights of the 2023 Berlinale from the festival's sidebars. 0:00 Intro to the Berlinale & the episode 4:12 Here (Belgium, dir. Bas Devos) 12:20 The Teacher's Lounge (Germany, dir. İlker Çatak) 16:59 The Quiet Migration / Stille Liv (Denmark, dir. Malene Choi) 23:17 Intro to the Generation sidebar 25:30 Delegation (Israel/Poland/Germany, dir. Asaf Savan) 30:15 Le Paradis / The Lost Boys (Belgium/France, dir. Zeno Gratan) 37:20 Wrap up First, Alex discusses the best film of the festival she saw, Here (dir. Bas Devos), which screened in the Encounters section where it won the top prize. Next, Alex di...
2023-03-0142 min
CODE Bet DailyMartinez to score in the Champions League, Heeney to soar in the AFL | CODE Bet DailyCODE Bet Daily - Episode 56, Wednesday February 22 - Champions League value, AFL Futures, NBL Final and Test Cricket! CODE Bet Daily today searches the globe for the best player props, match bets and game picks, looking at the goalscoring value of Lautaro Martinez in the Champions League and a dominant year from Isaac Heeney in the AFL. Plus there's a look at some head to head picks for the England v New Zealand Test match and the Champions League Round of 16. CODE Bet Daily's Alex Donnelly and Liam 'Stats Guy' McAllion delve into...
2023-02-2218 min
Seventh Row PodcastSundance 2023: Passages, You Hurt My Feelings, Rotting in the Sun, A Little Prayer, and more.In the sixth episode (and third dispatch) of the Sundance 2023 podcast season, we discuss highlights like Ira Sachs's film Passages, Nicole Holofcener's film You Hurt My Feelings, Sebastián Silva's Rotting in the Sun, and Angus MacLachlan's A Little Prayer, as well as other buzzed-about films at the festival. 00:00 Introduction 01:10 Brief thoughts on Fremont, Infinity Pool, Bad Behaviour, Rye Lane, Drift, A Thousand and One 39:20 You Hurt My Feelings by Nicole Holofcener 52:04 Rotting in the Sun by Sebastián Silva 1:04:22 Passages by Ira Sachs 1:21:55 A Little Prayer by Angus MacLachlan 1:33:30 Fair Play, Cat Person, and the legacy of Pr...
2023-02-072h 03
Seventh Row PodcastSundance 2023: Sometimes I Think About Dying, Fremont, Eileen, Fairyland, and moreIn the fifth episode of the Sundance 2023 podcast season, we discuss some of this year's buzziest titles, including William Oldroyd's film Eileen, Andrew Durham's film Fairyland, and some hidden gems like Babak Jalali's film Fremont and Rachel Lambert's film Sometimes I Think About Dying. 00:00 Introduction 01:49 Brief thoughts on Mutt, Cassandro, Polite Society, Theater Camp 17:58 Sometimes I Think About Dying directed by Rachel Lambert 28:45 Fremont by Babak Jalali 36:16 Eileen by William Oldroyd 51:43 Fairyland by Andrew Durham 1:08:59 Sundance bingo Click here to read the episode show notes. You will also find an AI-generated transcript in the show...
2023-02-011h 19
Seventh Row PodcastSundance 2023: The Spotlight Program and The Eight MountainsIn the second episode of the Sundance 2023 podcast season, we discuss Sundance's Spotlight Program, its only feature film program dedicated to films that premiered at other festivals. We discuss the program's history of picking great films and giving them the spotlight they needed (but didn't get at other festivals). We discuss four of the five films programmed in the Spotlight section: Other People's Children, Joyland, L'Immensità, and The Eight Mountains. Since we already talked about Other People's Children in depth on a previous episode, we only discuss it briefly here. Additionally, we go deep on The Eight M...
2023-01-2145 min
Seventh Row PodcastSundance 2023: What we're looking forward to at the festivalThis is the first episode of our new podcast season on the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. Subscribe to our newsletter for updates on the 2023 Sundance podcast season and coverage on the website. Sundance 2023 runs from January 19-28, and we'll be covering this year's festival in a new podcast season about the films this year and how the programming fits into the festival's history. This is Seventh Row's second podcast season (the first was on Women at Cannes in 2022). In this episode, we discuss the films we're looking forward to at the 2023 Sundance Film Festivals based on...
2023-01-1939 min
Seventh Row PodcastWomen Talking by Sarah PolleyIn this episode, we discuss why the film Women Talking didn't work on every level. This includes the didactic screenplay, the bland and placeless production design, the typecasting, and the poor direction of group scenes. We are joined by special guest Dr. Angelo Muredda, who has a PhD in CanLit. To read the show notes and get the AI-generated transcript of the episode, click here. At Seventh Row, we've been long-time fans of Sarah Polley. We have even published episodes on her films Take This Waltz and Stories We Tell. Women Talking is her first...
2023-01-111h 39
Seventh Row PodcastRemembering Jeff BarnabyToday, we pay tribute to the great films and enormous impact of Mi'gmaq filmmaker Jeff Barnaby who passed away on October 13, 2022. He is best known for writing and directing (and editing and composing for) two landmark Indigenous feature films out of Canada: Rhymes for Young Ghouls (2013) and Blood Quantum (2019). This episode features Editor-in-Chief Alex Heeney, Executive Editor Orla Smith, as well as Associate Editor Dr. Brett Pardy. To read the show notes and get the AI-generated transcript of the episode, click here. More about the episode Mi'gmaq filmmaker Jeff Barnaby passed away unexpectedly...
2022-12-2359 min
Seventh Row PodcastJerzy Skolimowski's Eo (Excerpt)This is an excerpt of a members only episode. To listen to the full episode, become a member at http://seventh-row.com/join One of the best movies of 2022, Jerzy Skolimowski's visually and aurally inventive Eo, is now in cinemas for a limited time. The film is about injustice in the animal world seen through the eyes of a donkey. It's a great big screen experience (for sound and image) so we're going deep on the film this week. Editor-in-Chief Alex Heeney and Executive Editor Orla Smith are joined by Associate Editor Dr. Brett "Empathy" Pardy.
2022-11-2520 minHazel & Katniss & Harry & StarrMockingjay Part 1 feat. Alex HeeneyOn its eighth anniversary (and with one year until the prequel film drops), Joe returns to Panem to revisit Mockingjay Part 1. Along for the ride is Alex Heeney, who guested on our episode on The Hunger Games and has strong opinions about Suzanne Collins' book and Francis Lawrence's film. Please note: we're only discussing Chapters 1-13 for this episode.We're still chatting about love triangles and dystopian world-building, as well as whether director Lawrence is better suited to directing action than actors, the mega stunt casting and why the film doesn't deserve its "cash grab" moniker.
2022-11-221h 07
Seventh Row PodcastHighlights from the fall film film festivals (Excerpt of Members Only Episode)This is an excerpt of a members only episode. To listen to the full episode, become a member at http://seventh-row.com/join Editor-in-Chief Alex Heeney and Executive Editor Orla Smith discuss the highlights of the fall film festival circuit, the new and troubling dominance of Netflix (and other streamers') films, and exciting (or not-so-exciting) first features. We discuss favourites like The Eternal Daughter, Saint Omer, Other People's Children — many of which will get a full-length episode of their own in the coming months. We also discuss some of the biggest disappointments. Orla shares her experience at th...
2022-11-1619 min
Seventh Row PodcastWomen at Cannes 2022On today's episode, we look back at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival: both its many institutional failings when it comes to encouraging and promoting diversity and bunch of great films by women that we watched from the programme. This episode of the podcast features Editor-in-Chief Alex Heeney and Executive Editor Orla Smith 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.
2022-06-081h 04
Seventh Row PodcastNaomi Kawase at CannesOn today's episode of the podcast, we discuss Japanese filmmaker Naomi Kawase who has been programmed at the Cannes Film Festival more than almost any other director this century, and why she's one of the best and most under-appreciated filmmakers. This episode features Editor-in-Chief Alex Heeney, Executive Editor Orla Smith, Associate Editor Brett Pardy, and special guest Milly Gribben. 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...
2022-06-011h 24
Seventh Row PodcastCéline Sciamma at CannesIn 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 of recognising female writer-directors for their writing rather than their directing, and why these fields a...
2022-05-251h 07
Seventh Row PodcastB29: Where is COVID in the movies?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 with Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn director Radu Jude Read Brett's review of 76 Days from TIFF 2020 Read Alex's review of Both Sides of the...
2022-05-041h 30
Seventh Row PodcastPetite Maman and Céline Sciamma's temporary utopiasAs 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 history with Céline Sciamma's films (6:37) Céline Sciamma's precise attention to detail (9:02) Why we like this film - a no...
2022-04-271h 08
Seventh Row PodcastFabian: Going to the Dogs and the rise of totalitarianismWe'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) Meret Becker as Frau Moll (47:03) How the film approaches the rise of Nazism (48:56) How this is like Tony Richardson's Tom Jones (54:07) Period c...
2022-04-131h 29
Seventh Row PodcastRun Woman Run: An Indigenous coming of age after 30 filmOn 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 Run Woman Run should have been longer (1:00:13) What settler critics often miss (1:15:34) Conclusion (1:18:16) Show Notes Read Alex's review of Run Woman Run Read Orla's interview with Kímm...
2022-04-061h 23
Seventh Row PodcastEmpathy on film with Dr. Brett PardyAssociate 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 like? (29:03) Having conversations about films (34:36) Expanding people's film horizons (43:31) How Seventh Row relates to this (48:36) Conclusion (1:02:18) Show notes: Read Brett's interview...
2022-03-301h 10
Seventh Row PodcastSundance 2022: Fiction films (Excerpt)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 with Andrew Haigh See Alex's Sundance Bingo Card Read Orla's review of Fresh Read...
2022-02-0913 min
Seventh Row PodcastJoachim Trier's The Worst Person in the WorldThe 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 (5:39) Is Julie the worst person in the world?(19:31) The film's structure (27:23) The film's style (33:57) Julie's relationships (45:06) The time freeze scene (56:57) The mushroom scene (1:10:42) Intellectualizing and romanticizing (1:18:07) T...
2022-02-021h 53
Seventh Row PodcastJoel Coen's The Tragedy of Macbeth (Excerpt)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 published on the films of Norwegian filmmaker Joachim Trier Related episodes: Bonus 17: Saoirse Ronan and James McArdle in The Tragedy...
2022-01-2617 min
Seventh Row Podcast121: Ninjababy & Obvious Child: Unwanted pregnancies in romantic comediesLindsay 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 (1:17:11) Show notes Read Alex's 2014 review of Obvious Child Read Lindsay's interview with Saint Frances director Alex Thompson and writer-star Kelly O'Sullivan Read Orla's interview with Ninjababy writer-director Yngvild Sve Flikke...
2022-01-191h 23
Seventh Row PodcastDavid Gulpilil: Remembering his work in Charlie's Country and beyondWe'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 domestic abuse conviction complicates that legacy. We discuss the issues that arise when representation of marginalised groups is so slim that...
2022-01-051h 45
Seventh Row PodcastMike Leigh's NakedWe 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 film's great performances (1:20:33) Conclusion (1:27:04) Show notes Purchase our ebook Peterloo in Process: A Mike Leigh collaboration. The book includes interviews with Mike Leigh himself, cinematographer Dick Pope, editor Jon...
2021-12-221h 31
Seventh Row PodcastB19: Who is the poshest actor in BritainEditor-in-Chief Alex Heeney and Executive Editor Orla Smith are joined by Fiona Underhill and Caitlin Merriman to battle it out: who is the poshest actor in Britain? And what defines 'posh' in such a class-conscious country? Show notes: Our ebook Tour of memories: The creative process behind Joanna Hogg's The Souvenir provides the trademark Seventh Row 360-degree view of Hogg's filmmaking process on The Souvenir. Read interviews with all of Hogg's key behind the lens collaborators, several of whom have been working with her since her first film, Unrelated. Read Alex's 2016 essay on Tom Hiddleston and the hollow charm thwarting...
2021-12-151h 11
Seventh Row PodcastThe North WaterThis episode focuses on site favourite Andrew Haigh's newest project, The North Water, starring Jack O'Connell and Colin Farrell. We discuss how this on-the-surface unusual work fits into Haigh's thematic interests. This episode features Editor-in-Chief Alex Heeney, Executive Editor Orla Smith, Associate Editor Brett Pardy, and special guest Fiona Underhill. It also features an excerpt from Alex's interview with Andrew Haigh. On This Episode: Intro (1:05) Why did Andrew Haigh do this series? (16:42) Andrew Haigh on upending expectations in his work (28:11) Who is the real evil? Drax, Cavendish, and Baxter (35:01) What does it mean to be civilized (45:12) Sumner and...
2021-11-241h 42
Seventh Row PodcastSaoirse Ronan and James McArdle in The Tragedy of Macbeth at the Almeida Theatre (Excerpt) The Tragedy of Macbeth at the Almeida Theatre was live streamed from October 27-30. We chat about Saoirse Ronan's and James McArdle's dynamite performances, the show's staging, and its attempts to give livestreamed theatre a cinematic look. This episode features Editor-in-Chief Alex Heeney, Executive Editor Orla Smith, and Editor-at-Large Mary Angela Rowe Show notes: Read Alex's review of Ammonite Read Alex's review of Ralph Fiennes in Richard III at the Almeida, directed by Rupert Goold Listen to the 21st Folio episode discussing the Almeida Theatre's 2012 production of King Lear starring Jonathan Pryce and directed by Michael Attenborough Read...
2021-11-1718 min
Seventh Row PodcastAbout Time and I'm Your Man: Sci-fi love storiesWe discuss two sci-fi-ish romantic comedies, Maria Schrader's I'm Your Man, which was one of our favourite films from the Berlinale earlier this year, and Richard Curtis' About Time, about which we have complicated feelings. This episode features Editor-in-Chief Alex Heeney, Executive Editor Orla Smith, and staff writer Lena Wilson. Show Notes: Read Alex's review of I'm Your Man Register for The Seventh Circle, a symposium on gender, sexuality, and disability in horror cinema. Sign up for updates on the first book to ever be published on the films of Norwegian filmmaker Joachim Trier Related Episodes: Ep. 110: Brief...
2021-10-132h 33
Seventh Row PodcastThe Deep Blue Seas reduxTo commemorate the passing of Terence Davies, we are re-releasing our discussion of his film The Deep Blue Sea. It was originally published on September 8, 2021. This week we are re-releasing our The Deep Blue Sea podcast in celebration of Terence Davies' new film, Benediction, and in memorial to Helen McRory, who passed away in April. This episode discusses two versions of Terence Ratigan's 1952 play, The Deep Blue Sea. Davies' 2011 film version is a moving portrayal of memory and Carrie Cracknell's National Theatre Live production from 2016 features strong characterization. We discuss adaptation choices, acting brilliance, how th...
2021-09-081h 58
Seventh Row PodcastAnother Round and Oslo, August 31st: Are men OK? Masculinity, mental health, & addiction ReduxThis week, we're celebrating the 10th anniversary of Joachim Trier's Oslo, August 31, our favourite film of the 2010s. As part of the celebration, we are presenting a special edition of our December 2020 podcast episode, "Are men OK? Masculinity, mental health, & addiction in Another Round and Oslo, August 31st." This episode features Editor-in-Chief Alex Heeney, Executive Editor Orla Smith, Associate Editor Brett Pardy, and Editor-at-Large Mary Angela Rowe. Oslo, August 31st is available on VOD, and is streaming on Kanopy in Canada Another Round is available on VOD, and streaming on Crave in Canada and Hulu in the...
2021-09-021h 53
Seventh Row PodcastPascal Plante's films: Fake Tattoos and Nadia ButterflyWe discuss the two features of Quebecois filmmaker Pascal Plante, Fake Tattoo and Nadia, Butterfly. Plante is an expert at depicting turning points in his characters' lives and how they deal with major upheaval. This episode features Editor-in-Chief Alex Heeney, Executive Editor Orla Smith, Associate Editor Brett Pardy, and Contributing Editor Lindsay Pugh. On this episode Subjective realities: The art of creative nonfiction film discussion (1:38) Similar episodes (9:05) Why did we pair these two films (9:49) Fake Tattoos (12:10) Avoiding the manic pixie dream girl trope (24:07) Nadia, Butterfly (37:51) A very Canadian musical interlude (58:28) How the two films depict sex and sexuality (1:02:43) What are t...
2021-08-041h 30
Seventh Row PodcastMagnus von Horn's Films: The Here After and SweatWe discuss the two features of Swedish filmmaker Magnus von Horn: his latest, Sweat, and his first feature from 2015, The Here After, with particular focus on how empathy is so crucial to his work. The 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 paired these films (7:45) The Here After (12:42) Sweat (39:17) Comparisons (1:15:59) Preview for next week (1:28:36) Episode Notes Read Orla's interview with von Horn about Sweat Read Alex's 2015 review of The Here After Related Episodes Ep. 97...
2021-07-211h 36
Seventh Row PodcastFilms for the futureTo celebrate our 100th episode, Executive Editor Orla Smith hosts nine regular contributors sharing their picks for a film which can be constructive for the world and illuminate something about the people and society around us. On this episode Orla Smith and Support the Girls (3:35) Alex Heeney and Proxima (9:41) Caitlin Merriman and The Lady in the Van (15:21) Debbie Zhou and Lust, Caution (19:35) Lena Wilson and Teeth (24:28) Andrew Kendall and The English Patient (27:19) Emily Garside and Pride (32:23) Fiona Underhill and Empire of the Sun (36:39) Lindsay Pugh and Ishtar (41:00) Brett Pardy and The Farewell (45:57) Contributors: Emily Garside (@EmiGarside), Writer, Researcher...
2021-07-1455 min
Seventh Row PodcastCreative Nonfiction with Penny Lane and Carol NguyenThis episode highlights a session from last summer's Lockdown Film School with Penny Lane and Carol Nguyen. Lane and Nguyen discuss their approaches to creative nonfiction. It was recorded as a conversation between Lane, Nguyen, Editor-In-Chief Alex Heeney and Executive Editor Orla Smith in May 2020 as part of our Lockdown Film School series. On this episode Why this episode and the origins of creative nonfiction (1:17) Intro with Penny Lane and Carol Nguyen (4:18) Why creative nonfiction (7:03) Inspirations (17:03) Documentary vs creative nonfiction as a label (20:49) Editing and pre-screening (26:01) Animation in documentary (33:02) Audience questions (41:31) Show notes: Read Orla's article "What is...
2021-07-071h 01
Seventh Row Podcast90: A Chantal Akerman Mother's Day: Jeanne Dielman and Les Rendez-vous d'AnnaWe celebrate Mother's Day with an episode on the queen of on-screen mothers, Chantal Akerman, and her films Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles and Les Rendez-vous d'Anna. On this episode: Chantal Akerman's legacy (4:20) Jeanne Dielman (17:52) What to make of Jeanne Dielman's ending (34:31) Les Rendez-vous d'Anna (41:03) Mothers in the two films (55:25) Jewish identity in Akerman's films (1:00:52) Akerman's aesthetic (1:09:24) Conclusion (1:13:36) This episode features Editor-in-Chief Alex Heeney, Executive Editor Orla Smith, Associate Editor Brett Pardy, and Contributing Editor Lindsay Pugh. Episode Notes: Read Alex's review of Chantal Akerman's 2015 film, No Home Movie P...
2021-05-051h 21
The Film Stage PresentsEp. 399 – First Cow (with Alex Heeney)Welcome, one and all, to the latest episode of The Film Stage Show! Today, Brian Roan, Michael Snydel, and Bill Graham are joined by Alex Heeney to discuss Kelly Reichardt's First Cow, which is now available digitally. Heeney is part of the Seventh Row team that recently released Roads to Nowhere: Kelly Reichardt’s broken American dreams. One can also listen to our Intermission episode on Certain Women on this feed.
Enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel, and support new episodes by becoming a Patreon contributor. For a limited time, all new Patreon supporters will receive a...
2020-08-042h 08
Sapphic Culture ClubPortraits of Resistance: an Interview with Alex Heeney and Orla Smith of Seventh RowThis week we're joined by Alex Heeney and Orla Smith who co-authored and edited Portraits of Resistance, the first book dedicated to the filmography of our queen, Céline Sciamma. We talk to them about their interviews with Céline, Adèle, and Noémie; how Céline changed the way they think and talk to other directors about film; their top films of the decade; and much more.
Links from the show:
The book Portraits of Resistance
Lockdown Film School
Endings and Beginnings in Women-Directed Films
Seventh Row's 50 Favourite Films of the Decade
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2020-06-0557 min
Hazel & Katniss & Harry & StarrMay & June 2020 ForecastIt's time for another YA Forecast as we run down our top picks for May & June 2020. First up we discuss homework: Brenna lauds Tiffany D Jackson's fall release, Grown, as well as Nic Sheff's Tweak, while Joe praises Liz Lawson's The Lucky Ones.Then it's time for our interview with former The Hunger Games guest, Alex Heeney. She stops by to discuss Seventh Row's new ePub, The 2019 Canadian Cinema Yearbook, which includes several prominent coming of age films.Finally, it's time to forecast for May & June. Here are a few stand-out picks:Brenna:
2020-04-2845 min
21st Folio PodcastEp. 29: Hamlet & Richard III at the SchaubühneIn this episode, we discuss the Schaubühne Berlin's recorded productions of Hamlet and Richard III, both directed by Thomas Ostermeier and starring Lars Eidinger. The productions are in German with English subtitles, and were recently streamed on the Schaubühne's website as part of their quarantine programming. The productions are modern dress and in German, with modernized German dialogue, though the English subtitles reproduce Shakespeare's text (rather than translating the modern German back into English). We discuss Ostermeier's interpretations of the two plays, Eidinger's performances, the problematic misogyny in both, the excitement of the improvisations, the costumes, and much mo...
2020-04-221h 53
The Film Stage PresentsEp. 389 – Portrait of a Lady on FireWelcome, one and all, to the latest episode of The Film Stage Show! Today, Brian Roan, Michael Snydel, and Bill Graham are joined by Alex Heeney, Editor-in-Chief of Seventh Row, to discuss Céline Sciamma's Portrait of a Lady on Fire. Be sure to pick up Seventh Row's latest ebook exploring the films of Sciamma here: http://sciammabook.com
Enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel, and support new episodes by becoming a Patreon contributor. For a limited time, all new Patreon supporters will receive a free Blu-ray/DVD. After becoming a contributor, e-mail podcast@thefilmstage.com f...
2020-03-101h 38SportsbyFryFry's Fast Five - 2nd February (Ep. 185)On today's Fry's Fast Five episode:
1. Super Bowl LIV Preview (1:19)
2. My favourite Super Bowl bets (3:15)
3. Isaac Heeney & Max Gawn's injury updates (6:07)
4. Damian Lillard's historic hot streak (8:15)
5. The non-event that is the NBA trade deadline (10:52)
Super Bowl LIV Preview: https://sportsbyfry.com/2020/02/02/super-bowl-liv-preview/
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2020-02-0214 min
21st Folio PodcastEp. 28: Groundling Theatre's Julius CaesarIn this episode, we discuss the Groundling Theatre Company's current production of Julius Caesar; the genius of Moya O'Connell, André Sills, and Michelle Giroux; and the influence of Nicholas Hytner.This production is heavily inspired by Nicholas Hytner’s 2018 production (which we discussed here) of the play, featuring similar approaches to gender-swapping characters, as well as much of the same blocking and sets. Directed by Chris Abraham, the Groundling production is in the round in a large space with high ceilings, often with the effect of it feeling like an intimate arena. Unlike Hytner’s production, this is very much Cassi...
2020-01-271h 05
21st Folio PodcastEp. 27: The KingIn the latest attempt to adapt Shakespeare for modern audiences, Australian director David Michôd (The Rover) directs Timothée Chalamet in The King, a sort-of rewriting of Shakespeare's Henry IV Part 1 & 2 and Henry V. The film is set in the original time period, but Shakespeare's language has been gutted, while his structure is preserved, in favour of modern English with the occasional "ye olde" touch. The script, written by Joel Edgerton (who stars as Falstaff) and Michôd, turns Falstaff into one of the stars of Henry V (instead of showing his death...) who goes to Agincourt with Hal. In...
2019-12-091h 22
RoyCastSuccession 2.8, "Dundee" with Alex HeeneyLogan is visited by old ghosts in his hometown of Dundee, Scotland, as Succession lays the ground for the season's endgame. Brendan and Gabi were joined by Alex Heeney to discuss one of the season's funniest episodes, plus King Lear, death, history, and Ken.W.A.
Alex Heeney is the Editor-in-Chief of Seventh Row (http://seventh-row.com), an online film criticism publication and publishing house that publishes an ebook every two months. Their most recent is the 2019 Canadian Cinema Yearbook, available at canadiancinemabook.com. Alex is also the host of 21st Folio and the Seventh Row podcast. Follow Alex on...
2019-10-021h 43Hazel & Katniss & Harry & StarrThe Hunger Games feat. Alex HeeneyBrenna, Joe and special guest Alex Heeney are ready to volunteer as tribute as we dive into the 74th annual Hunger Games, courtesy of Suzanne Collins and filmmaker Gary Ross.The trio have plenty of thoughts on the value of Peeta to the text, how the film sets up future franchise instalments for failure, why Collins is such a skilled world-builder and the retroactive damage of Mockingjay on perspectives of the first book/film.In Homework: Joe discusses YA Forecast pick Destroy All Monsters by Jeff Jackson, Brenna dips her toe into Buffy water with Kie...
2019-09-241h 28
The Film Stage PresentsEp. 353 - The Last Black Man in San FranciscoWelcome, one and all, to the latest installment of The Film Stage Show! Today, Bill Graham and Michael Snydel are joined by Alex Heeney of Seventh Row to discuss Joe Talbot's The Last Black Man in San Francisco, now in theaters.
Enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel, and support new episodes by becoming a Patreon contributor.
The Film Stage is supported by MUBI, a curated online cinema streaming a selection of exceptional independent, classic, and award-winning films from around the world. Each day, MUBI hand-picks a new gem and you have one month to watch it. Try...
2019-07-021h 06
Seventh Row PodcastMouthpieceOn our recap of 2018 Canadian Cinema (episodes 8 & 9), Alex, Orla, and Brett all selected Patrica Rozema's Mouthpiece as their favourite Canadian film of the year. To coincide with Mouthpiece's theatrical release, theatre artist and Seventh Row staff writer Laura Anne Harris (@lauraanneharri1) joins editor-in-chief Alex Heeney (@bwestcineaste) and associate editor Brett Pardy (@antiqueipod)to discuss the film's adaptation from stage to screen, Rozema's visual genius, complex character relationships, and more. This episode was edited by Edward von Aderkas. For show notes, visit: https://seventh-row.com/2019/06/07/ep-13-mouthpiece/ Follow Seventh Row on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, and read our articles at...
2019-06-0751 min
The Film Stage PresentsEp. 337 - TransitWelcome, one and all, to the latest installment of The Film Stage Show! Today, Michael Snydel, Bill Graham and I are joined by Alex Heeney of Seventh Row to discuss Christian Petzold's Transit, now in theaters. His previous two films, Barbara and Phoenix, are now streaming on MUBI.
We are also now on Spotify and Stitcher! Enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel, and support new episodes by becoming a Patreon contributor.
The Film Stage is supported by MUBI, a curated online cinema streaming a selection of exceptional independent, classic, and award-winning films from around the world. Each...
2019-03-181h 24