Director Mathieu Amalric on Letting Go in ‘Hold Me Tight’
French director and actor Mathieu Amalric talks with PopMatters about the power of imagination and its phantoms in Hold Me Tight.
Paul Risker
While technically an English-based film critic and interviewer, Paul shows his political disgruntlement towards his homeland by identifying instead as a European writer. You’ll often find him agreeing with the late great French filmmaker, François Truffaut, preferring the reflection of life to life itself – he’ll even tell you that the cinema is more important than life. Often mistaken for a cynic, he prefers to think of himself as a disappointed idealist. Unsurprisingly he likes skulking in the sanctuary of the dark confines of the cinema.
Described as "philosophically inclined", he has a broad taste in cinema. His film writing has been published by academic and non-academic publications, including amongst others: PopMatters, Little White Lies, Cineaste, DMovies, VideoScope, Eye For Film, Film International, The Quarterly Review of Film and Video, and Filmmaker Magazine. He’s also on the advisory board of Mise-en-scène: The Journal of Film & Visual Narration (MSJ), the official film studies journal of Kwantlen Polytechnic University and serves as interview editor. He regularly contributes to the Arrow Films blog, the FrightFest festival programmes and online blog.
Director Leah Purcell on Reimagining ‘The Legend of Molly Johnson’
Indigenous Australian writer, director, and actress Leah Purcell talks about reimagining Henry Lawson’s short story and inserting her family history into The Legend of Molly Johnson.
Director Charline Bourgeois-Tacquet on Debut Romantic Comedy ‘Anaïs in Love’
Director Charline Bourgeois-Tacquet talks with PopMatters about challenging the idea of cinema as an image-based art with her romantic comedy, Anaïs in Love.
Directors Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige Recall Making ‘Memory Box’
Directors Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige talk about the making of Memory Box and reactivating the past through adolescent eyes.
Director Alli Haapasalo on Politicising Feel-Good Film ‘Girl Picture’
Director Alli Haapasalo talks with PopMatters about the radical politics of Girl Picture and and calls for removing bias about queer and women’s stories.
‘Land of Gold’ Asks How Do You Raise a Brown Child in Today’s Hostile America?
Talking with Land of Gold director Nardeep Khurmi at Tribeca, he explains how his road trip drama serves as a badly needed “empathy machine” for divided America.
Lebanese Director Mounia Akl on Expressing Her Truth with ‘Costa Brava, Lebanon’
Lebanese director Mounia Akl talks with PopMatters about the act of resistance in making and participating in art and her feature debut, Costa Brava, Lebanon.
Juliette Binoche on Her Starring Role in Romance Thriller ‘Both Sides of the Blade’
Juliette Binoche talks with PopMatters about acting, understanding others, and her admiration for her character’s selfish nature in Both Sides of the Blade.
Fantasia International Film Festival 2022: Preview
In our preview of Fantasia International Film Festival 2022, we highlight several films that stimulate viewers’ emotional, cultural, and social intellect.
SFFilm Festival 2022: Tia Lessin and Emma Pildes on Pro-Choice ‘The Janes’
From pro-choice clergy to profit-seeking mafia, The Janes directors Tia Lessin and Emma Pildes on what they’ve learned about America while researching for this urgent documentary.
SFIFF 2022: ‘Emily the Criminal’ Director on Rejecting the American Dream
Director John Patton Ford discusses his debut feature Emily the Criminal, a critique of American society borne within the death of the American Dream.
SFIFF 2022: Director Daniel Roher on Navalny, Master of Russian Politics
Director Daniel Roher met face-to-face with the intensely intelligent and deeply motivated Alexei Navalny and together created a film that compels global political action.
