Deep Cut: A Film Podcast

Deep Cut rounds out its study of Malian/Mauritanian master director Abderrahmane Sissako with his first two fiction features: Life on Earth (1998) and Waiting for Happiness (2002). The documentary-fiction hybrids provide an illuminating keystone in understanding Sissako’s later, more complex works. Wilson prefers the deep well of sadness in Waiting for Happiness, but Eli adores the celebratory simplicity of Life on Earth. Meanwhile, Ben reconsiders his approach to the wholly unique, unplaceable films of Sissako. Wait for a Life of Happiness on Earth in our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.deepcutpod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Abderrahmane Sissako sets his late father’s backyard as a courtroom for the injustices of economic neocolonialism in his 2006 drama Bamako, our second of three forays into the work of the Malian/Mauritanian master director. In a work that inextricably binds the political and the personal, Wilson notes how Sissako creates a sense of place that makes an intellectual argument emotional and Eli suggests that the movie can be viewed as a testimonial. Meanwhile, Ben asks if a fiction narrative is the most cogent mode for Sissako’s argument. Tell it to the judge in our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.deepcutpod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Deep Cut begins a special three-episode run on Malian/Mauritanian director Abderrahmane Sissako with his poetic, vibrant tragedy Timbuktu (2014). Wilson contextualizes Sissako’s most well-known work within Sissako’s varied and inventive filmography, Ben considers the humanizing characterization of the film’s jihadist characters, and Eli breaks down one of his favorite shots in cinema history. Sissako is the first filmmaker born in Africa covered on the podcast, but tune in to find out why both Sissako and the DC Trio reject the notion of a singular “African Film” culture. Help shepherd the cattle in our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.deepcutpod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Stock up on some rosé and lose the shirt because we're going to FIRE ISLAND, baby! We are so delighted and honored to have director Andrew Ahn (SPA NIGHT, DRIVEWAYS) back on the podcast to preview his upcoming feature FIRE ISLAND. Coming to Hulu on June 3. Andrew shares with us his experience directing a studio rom-com, fighting to keep the film’s gayness, collaborating with Joel Kim Booster (STAR and screenwriter), and MUNA’s cover of an iconic Britney song. SPOILERS incoming, so watch the film before taking a listen. Also, Andrew selects a FIRE ISLAND adjacent Deep Cut pick, Alice Wu’s brilliant SAVING FACE, another wonderful queer AsAm romantic comedy to chat about alongside his film. There's your perfect Pride month double bill. Andrew Ahn's Instagram, Twitter. (@andrewahnfilms) Fire Island Socials (@fireislandmovie): Instagram, Twitter, Facebook. Take a trip to our very own Pines (the Deep Cut Discord server) to talk more Fire Island! Find our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.deepcutpod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

We’re not on our Lonesome anymore with special guest and friend, Graham Brown. Graham is an Assistant Preservation Officer at the George Eastman Museum and he has graced the pod with his extensive knowledge on the process of film preservation. Join us as we learn about Lonesome’s film preservation journey, and discuss the first silent film (okay… part-talkie) featured on the podcast! Wilson celebrates the kinetic cinematography of Paul Fejos’ Lonesome (1928), Eli hones in on its innovations in synchronized sound, and Ben examines Fejos’ anthropological approach to his working-class characters. We’ll be loving you always in our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.deepcutpod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Insider video on film preservation featuring Graham. View digitized films from the George Eastman Museum at: www.eastman.org  Get tickets to the The Nitrate Picture Show (June 2-6, 2022) at the George Eastman Museum in Rochester, NY.

Welcome to 2046: a place that you can never leave, and an era in Wong Kar-wai’s filmography that will never return. Wilson opens up about how his Deep Cut Pick is a forlorn love letter to Hong Kong, his "city of heartbreak." Meanwhile, Eli shares the pop music playlist that Wilson made the DC trio, and Ben shocks them both with his opinion on what may be Wong's last great film. Tune in for the grand finale of Deep Cut’s epic, tender, four-part series on the world of Wong Kar-wai! Recapture lost memories in our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.deepcutpod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Shhh, don’t tell the neighbors we cheated… because Ben’s Deep Cut pick isn’t really a deep cut at all! We enter the forlorn, romantic world of Wong Kai-wai’s most critically acclaimed film: In the Mood for Love (2000), starring the incomparable Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung. Ben tries his darndest to find the flaws in his favorite film of all time, Wilson admires the impeccable craft of Wong and all his key collaborators, while Eli finally tries his turn at being the villain (!!) in our discussion. Send noodles in our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.deepcutpod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

“Let’s start over” with Eli’s Deep Cut Pick from the filmography of arthouse legend Wong Kar-wai, Happy Together (1997). With lushly experimental cinematography and a quick temper, Happy Together tangos the Deep Cut Trio into a tizzy of passion. Wilson details why Wong’s film about gay main characters was groundbreaking for both 1997 Hong Kong and its stars, Ben unpacks the toxic romance at the movie’s center, and Eli opens up about his personal experience with getting lost in Argentina. Weep softly in our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.deepcutpod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Deep Cut launches into a new season with a mega-sized introduction to the cinema of Wong Kar-wai, and the film that shot him to international stardom: CHUNGKING EXPRESS. Wilson reveals why this is his favorite movie of all time, Ben establishes a scientific theory on Wong’s Magic Himbo Dream Boys in Tony Leung and Takeshi Kaneshiro, and Eli spots Wong’s knack for transforming emotions by repeating objects, songs, and shots. Join our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.deepcutpod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠; the password is: "愛你一萬年" ("love you for 10,000 years").

By the pricking of my thumbs, Deep Cut Upkeep this way comes! After splitting from his brother Ethan last year, Joel Coen went back to the book and then threw it out the window with his divisive, postmodern take on Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Glorious set design, gorgeous cinematography, but methinks that none of the Deep Cut Trio are convinced: Wilson isn’t moved by Denzel Washington’s lead performance, Ben finds the heightened artifice pointless, and Eli finds Coen’s examination of the themes in the text to be lacking. But hey: there’s always Skip Lievsay, shining golden boy of the aural sense. I have bought golden opinions from all sorts of people in our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.deepcutpod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠