Barbican Film Podcast

This week’s podcast – spanning both the Cinema and Contemporary Music programme – delves into the musical world of the cult director’s compelling cinematic oeuvre, from whiskey-soaked Tom Waits to John Lurie’s No Wave Sax. Ahead of the Jim Jarmusch Revisited show here in September 2017 (http://bit.ly/2g7X2v9), we talk to musical fans including Franz Ferdinand’s Alex Kapranos, David Coulter, Camille O’Sullivan, Mulatu Astatke, Jolie Holland and also to the journalist Karen Krizanovich.

French actor Lambert Wilson talks about playing the legendary oceanaut Jacques Cousteau and his environmental legacy, and working with the incredible Audrey Tautou.

Kasi Lemmons began her career playing supporting roles such as Jodie Foster’s roommate in 'Silence Of The Lambs' and Nicolas Cage’s victim in 'Vampire’s Kiss'. Frustrated by the limited opportunities available for black actresses in Hollywood, she started to write, using time between auditions to pen short stories and scenes for friends to perform in acting classes. In the latest from our ScreenTalks Archive, Lemmons discusses her debut film - Eve’s Bayou, widely viewed as a classic of contemporary black cinema, and cited as an influence on films like 'Beasts of the Southern Wild' and Beyonce’s visual album 'Lemonade'.

We talk to debut director Aisling Walsh about her biopic of the painter Maud Lewis (played by Sally Hawkins), who lived with her husband Everett (played by Ethan Hawke) in Nova Scotia and suffered from severe arthritis. Walsh talks us through how they created Maud’s house, why Sally Hawkins was ideal for the role, and why she didn’t take any artwork from the set of her first film.

We catch up with the comedian and director (Search Party, My Name is Doris) to discuss this summer’s most distinctive romantic comedy - starring Zoe Kazan and Silicon Valley’s Kumail Nanjiani – about how to keep the right balance between drama and comedy, why heckling it crushing, and why it was a dream come true to work with Holly Hunter.

We delve into our incredible archive and talk to journalist Ellen E Jones about her explorations of our past ScreenTalks with the likes of Ken Loach, Carol Morley, Amma Asante, Clint Mansell, and Park Chan-wook.

We catch up with filmmaker and producer Mohanad Yaqubi about his debut documentary, to discuss narrative, truth, and why it’s important for the audience to see him in the editing room.

One of the most well-known directors to come out of South Korea, Park Chan Wook made his name internationally with a string of bleak, brutal films released in the early noughties, Sympathy for My Vengeance, Old Boy and Lady Vengeance - dubbed The Vengeance Trilogy by critics.   But in this ScreenTalk from 2008, Park Chan-wook talks to film journalist Damon Wise about a  very different feature – the romantic comedy, I’m A Cyborg, But That’s OK.  

We talk to acclaimed documentary maker Nick Broomfield about his latest film, focussing on the life of singer Whitney Houston. Broomfield talks about getting access, and finding out about the real Whitney.

We talk to Brian Cox and Miranda Richardson about the new ticking-clock thriller Churchill, following the hours leading up to the D Day landings

We talk to Second Run DVD’s Mehelli Modi about the trailblazing Czech sci-fi Ikarie XB-1 came before 2001: A Space Odyssey and the original Star Trek series, and why he’d really like to hold an Ikarie dance party – all ahead our season Sci-Fi Sundays, running 18 Jun–20 Aug 17.

This week, we talk with author and Daphne du Maurier biographer Tatiana de Rosnay about the real life figure behind the character of Rachel, and director Roger Michell (Notting Hill, Le Week-end) about how he cast Rachel Weisz and Sam Claflin, and what compelled him to make this film.

In 1975, Horace Ove became the first black British filmmaker to direct a feature film with Pressure. In this conversation from 2005, Horace Ove talks to his friend, experimental filmmaker, John Akomfrah, about this seminal film, exploring how the issues explored in Pressure are still relevant to the Black British experience today and his refusal to be pigeon-holed as a ‘black filmmaker’. 

We caught up with the Academy Award-winning director about his new, wordless feature film and working on the first ever co-production with the legendary Studio Ghibli.

Prolific director François Ozon talks about the use of lies in artistic contexts, why Prince Charming doesn’t exist and how the politics of pacifism after the Great War are still relevant in today’s world.

Game of Thrones’ Ellie Kendrick and filmmaker Hope Dickson Leach join us to discuss their new film, why lead character Clover was interesting to play and why this family drama is also an intriguing detective story.

We hear from one of the freshest and most distinctive voices in British cinema today – Carol Morley. After receiving her first BAFTA nomination in 2002 for the autobiographical film, 'The Alcohol Years', she went on to earn further acclaim for the moving docudrama, 'Dreams of a Life' in 2011. In this ScreenTalk, the witty and engaging Morley talks to film curator and critic, Briony Hanson, about her 2014 feature, 'The Falling'.

We speak to the star and director of new independent film, Florence Pugh (The Falling) and William Oldroyd, about why the character of Katherine is so compelling and the themes of love and freedom that run through the film.

We talk to actor Gael Garcia Bernal about his new role, playing an antagonist to Chile’s most famous poet, Pablo Neruda, working with Jackie director Pablo Larraín and what he really thinks of the film.

We talk to actor Gael Garcia Bernal about his new role, playing an antagonist to Chile’s most famous poet, Pablo Neruda, working with Jackie director Pablo Larraín and what he really thinks of the film.