Ellen E Jones and Mark Kermode revisit Titanic in its 25th anniversary year, looking at James Cameron's epic blockbuster as both a disaster film and a story of immigration.
Ellen explores the forgotten tales of immigration onboard the Titanic, talking to journalist Ray Hanania about the Syrian refugee stories only hinted at in the 1997 film. She also speaks to Sally El-Hosaini, director of new Netflix film The Swimmers. They discuss how immigration is depicted on screen and how Sally wanted to portray immigration in her own work.
Inspired by the grand spectacle and ground breaking special effects of Titanic, Mark talks about disaster films with theme park ride designer Peter Alexander and legendary sound designer Randy Thom from Skywalker Sound. They discuss the 1974 film Earthquake, the theme park ride it inspired and the innovative Sensurround sound system created for the movie.
This week’s Viewing Note is courtesy of Joanna Hogg, director of The Souvenir and the new A24 film, The Eternal Daughter, and disaster movie fan.
Producer: Freya Hellier A Prospect Street production for BBC Radio 4