Deep Cut: A Film Podcast

Is traveling through Europe too expensive? Then hop aboard a train with the Deep Cut trio and Chantal Akerman for another sensitive, lightly autobiographical story of a surrogate character experiencing ennui and/or despair. Along the road trip, there’s sex, ‘70s outfits, and… windows. Ultimately, we struggle to decide: how well can we know Akerman through her work (or, for that matter, anyone)?Meet Ben, Wilson, and Eli (kinda) at our FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com Timestamps:00:00 Intro03:46 Summary04:27 General reactions11:33 Jeanne Dielman vs The Meetings of Anna16:39 Mom and Akerman herself22:37 Plot sequence and Akerman’s subjectivity30:32 Other Akerman films34:20 Akerman and loneliness37:39 Ending40:12 Sex43:29 Singing

We are joined by none other than friend of the pod and the artist behind all of our DC covers, Justina Yam! Justina comes on the podcast to take us back to the works of Chantal Akerman, with her first feature Je Tu Il Elle. Justina talks about her personal connection to Akerman’s films, and discusses how she continues to play with time in her filmography. Wilson and Eli talk about expressions through body language and narration, and Ben has a theory about Je Tu Il Elle being a non-linear film. Do you want DC merch? Tell us on the Discord!Links:Justina’s InstagramJustina’s recent photojournalism project: 風流 (Feng Liu)Ira Sachs on Je Tu Il ElleEat sugar at our FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com Timestamps:00:00:00 Intro00:01:44 Introducing Justina Yam00:07:09 Je tu il elle introduction00:08:04 General thoughts on Je Tu Il Elle from Justina and Wilson00:13:21 General context of the film00:15:27 General reactions from Ben and Eli00:18:09 Sugar? Long Takes?00:20:56 Feminism and Akerman 00:23:30 The three act structure00:27:44 Blocking and the body00:34:06 Long takes00:36:42 Sex scenes00:41:43 Autobiographical nature of the film00:47:16 Temporality 00:53:49 The ending and career context00:58:49 Discomfort within Akerman’s cinema 01:04:03 Outro

Ben got a chance to interview director Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke for his film A Useful Ghost (2025) that played at the 36th Singapore International Film Festival, where it also won the Special Mention Prize for the Asian Feature Film Competition. Learn about Boonbunchachoke’s creative process, how he developed the story, and his approach to filmmaking as a whole that tends towards artificiality, deadpan humour and an engagement with history.Special thanks to the SGIFF team for helping us with securing an interview time/location, and to Momo Film Co, the film’s Singapore co-production team for helping to coordinate the interview. Suck less at our FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com Timestamps:00:00 Intro02:47 Reception04:00 Queer readings07:39 Developing story and themes12:02 Political / historical references13:24 History, memory, surveillance18:19 Artificiality, worldbuilding, craft25:36 Spoilers: Frame story27:25 Spoilers: Ending31:43 Other appliance candidates33:42 Upcoming work34:35 Outro

Another festival coverage episode? We’re back to back with Asian film festivals and Ben returns to Singapore to cover the hottest films from the festival circuit and the region for the 36th Singapore International Film Festival. Our film coverage spans the most hotly contested tickets (Silent Friend, Girl, Resurrection, Sentimental Value), cinema classics (Matador, Water, Bye Bye Love), and promising first features from the region (Amoeba, A Useful Ghost, Old Man and His Car)This is a spicy and fun episode where Ben reflects honestly about his festival experience and Singapore’s cinema culture, as well as sharing his optimism with the concurrent ground-up efforts (The Daily, FFIGS) reinvigorating that culture. On top of all that, we also find the time to do a very special celebration in the middle of the episode.Links:Correspondence / The Daily⁠Ben’s piece on the Cinephile PassFFIGSDeepa Mehta Write-upLuca Guadagnino video on costumes Hilma af Klint: What Stands Behind the Flowers at MoMAMadame Morible Wicked Witch memeInterview with Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke (forthcoming!)Correspond with us at our FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com Timestamps:00:00:00 Intro00:03:15 Festival as a whole 00:08:45 Netflix acquisition of WB00:11:51 Festival operations00:20:33 Festival passes00:24:15 Banned films00:27:48 SGIFilmFeud00:28:25 Correspondence / The Daily00:30:56 FFIGS00:34:40 Optimism00:38:14 The films / Bye Bye Love (1974) dir. Fujisawa Isao00:43:10 How Dare You? (2025) dir. Mipo O00:46:14 Two Seasons, Two Strangers (2025) dir. Sho Miyake00:48:29 Audience behaviour00:51:25 Girl (2025) dir. Shu Qi00:56:20 Resurrection (2025) dir. Bi Gan01:02:25 Water (2005) dir. Deepa Mehta01:07:02 A Celebration01:09:00 Sentimental Value (2025) dir. Joachim Trier01:11:25 Hamnet (2025) dir. Chloe Zhao01:14:25 Late Fame (2025) dir. Kent Jones01:18:07 Matador (1986) dir. Pedro Almodovar01:21:20 Silent Friend (2025) dir. Ildikó Enyedi 01:27:00 SEA Shorts Programme01:31:36 The Old Man and His Car (2025) dir. Michael Kam01:36:50 Amoeba (2025) dir. Tan Siyou01:43:10 A Useful Ghost (2025) dir. Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke01:51:16 Wrapup01:57:30 Bonus

While attending the 38th Tokyo International Film Festival, Ben was able to interview director Pen-Ek Ratanaruang and lead actress Bella Boonsang for their film Morte Cucina.Morte Cucina follows Sao as she takes an unconventional path toward revenge against a man who has wronged her.Listen in to hear about Ratanaruang’s candid thoughts on his approach to filmmaking, Boonsang’s initial trepidation and determination to tackling this tricky role, and Ratanaruang’s evolving working relationship with the film’s DP, Christopher Doyle (their third feature film collaboration!).Special thanks to the TIFF team for arranging the interview!Get revenge at our FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com Timestamps:00:00 Intro02:22 Inspiration for the film04:30 Bella’s reaction to the script06:23 Casting Bella Boonsang09:45 Cinematography with Chris Doyle13:15 The movie is made on set17:30 What is love?22:17 Outro