Fostering Faith: A Conversation with Brendan Muldowney
What is faith? What does it mean to actively have faith in something? How necessary is it to have faith in yourself versus a higher power? These are just some of the philosophical questions I discuss with Irish director Brendan Muldowney on this edition of the Cinephellas Podcast. I got keen insight into the quest for spirituality that informs his new film Pilgrimage, which premiered at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival in New York.
A Conversation with Marko Zaror
On this episode of the Cinephellas Podcast, I’m talking with Marko Zaror about his role in film Savage Dog. The film is written and directed by Jesse V. Johnson and produced in association with our good friends XLrator Media. It stars Scott Adkins in the origin story of the myth that gives itself to the title. Set in Indochina at an anarchic moment in 1959, the story takes place after the French military had left the area and a few years before the American presence during the Vietnam War. The region is filled with Vietnamese warlords and European war criminals avoiding prosecution in the wake of both World War II and the Korean War. Scott Adkins plays “Martin Tillman,” a former-champion boxer that ends up stuck competing in an underground fighting ring, battling for his life. That’s until he’s forced on a journey of revenge. Marko Zaror plays “Rastignac,” the man responsible for destroying Martin’s last vestiges of hope.
Following Passion : A Conversation with Mathieu Ratthe
What scares you most? For me, it’s the unknown. If Freddie Kruger, Jason Vorhees, or Chucky showed up at my door, I’d have to check my underwear. But at least I’d know how to defend myself. The first step to conquering a fear is facing it. But what about terror you can’t see?
Translation of Beauty : A Conversation with Michael Alago
We’re often reminded that beauty exists in the eye of the beholder. But that revelation takes for granted that the beholder is already positioned in front of the subject she or he is admiring. Seldom do we hear about the influencers that make the relationship between subject and admirer possible. Without them, how would we even have the opportunity to recognize beauty? Michael Alago has made a career of interpreting art and presenting it for large audiences. Who the F**k is that Guy?: The Fabulous Journey of Michael Alago, director Drew Stone’s documentary about Alago’s life and career, explores Michael’s ability to translate his personal passions into shareable ideas. Whether in the role of show booker for the legendary Ritz club in New York, A & R (Artist & Repertoire) scout for Elektra Records, or as an independent photographer, Alago has a vision for understanding the talent that makes his subjects unique and different. And in the film, we get to see the world through his eyes.
Removing Borders: A Conversation with Peter Spirer and Peter Baxter
On this episode of the Cinephellas podcast I’m talking to the Peter Spirer and Peter Baxter, co-directors of Spirit Game: Pride of a Nation. The documentary uses lacrosse, which the Iroquois nation calls its “medicine game,” as a lens through which to explore Iroquois history and indigenous peoples’ relationships with the United States and Canada. How is it, the film asks, that countless schools and universities across North America play teach the game to its students without relating its ceremonial past? To answer that question, the Peters and I discuss the Catholic Church’s oppressive Doctrine of Discovery, the Iroquois challenges to traditional ideas of sovereignty, and how sports can be used as a tool for activism. Spirit Game is a powerful statement about how popular culture can help change the world for the better.
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