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PODCAST

Celebrating Cinema

From cult classics to today’s popular movies, Celebrating Cinema, from Amsterdam’s LAB111, explores the films that shape how we see the world. Each week, Laura Gommans (film journalist), Hugo Emmerzael (film critic), Kiriko Mechanicus (filmmaker), and Tom Ooms (film programmer) take turns diving into movies old and new — revealing what they tell us about ourselves, our culture, and the times we live in. Insightful, nostalgic, and sometimes delightfully absurd, this is a podcast for anyone who loves

tv & film

All Episodes

00:35:54

The Most Controversial Filmmaker in Dutch History w/...

Celebrating Cinema ·

2025/04/02

Dutch Nazi propagandist Jan Teunissen was once one of the most powerful—and now largely forgotten—figures in Dutch cinema. Rising to prominence during World War II, he seized the opportunity to shape ideology through film, aligning himself with the Nazi regime to fulfil his artistic ambitions. In De Propagandist (2025), director Luuk Bouwman unearths Teunissen’s unsettling legacy, tracing his trajectory from outcast filmmaker to the chief propagandist of the NSB and Nederlands SS. In conversation

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00:35:25

Why Short Films Matter w/ Go Short Film Festival

Celebrating Cinema ·

2025/03/26

In collaboration with Go Short, the Netherlands’ premier short film festival (April 1–6 in Nijmegen), we explore the power of short-form cinema. Host Hugo Emmerzael sits down with artistic director Mathieu Jansen to explore why short films aren’t just stepping stones but playgrounds for experimentation, bold storytelling, and pushing cinematic boundaries. From urgent reflections on war and occupation to the festival’s first-ever dive into video games, this year’s lineup is breaking new ground and

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00:34:54

Is The Room The Best Worst Movie Ever Made?

Celebrating Cinema ·

2025/03/19

Hailed as the Citizen Kane of bad movies, The Room (Tommy Wiseau, 2003) has transcended its origins as an enigmatic vanity project to become a bona fide cult phenomenon. But how did it achieve such status, and what, beneath its layers of unintentional surrealism, is it really about? Hosts Laura Gommans and Tom Ooms unravel the film’s bizarre legacy, offering an essential guide to its chaotic production, the rituals of its legendary interactive screenings, and its place in the pantheon of

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00:55:15

Bong Joon-ho's Bloody Brilliance and the Rise of...

Celebrating Cinema ·

2025/03/12

When Parasite won Best Picture, it put Korean cinema in the global spotlight, but it was the result of decades of bold filmmaking. With Mickey 17 now out, it’s the perfect time to dive into the bloody brilliance of the Korean New Wave. Hosts Laura Gommans and Kiriko Mechanicus explore Korea’s obsession with vengeance, shaped by its turbulent history and uncensored filmmaking. They also examine why Bong Joon-ho’s Hollywood work feels so different from his Korean films.Korean cinema captures vengeance

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00:36:30

Do two Robert Pattinsons make Mickey 17 twice the fun?

Celebrating Cinema ·

2025/03/06

In our latest review round-up, Bong Joon-ho’s Mickey 17 has Laura and Hugo at odds, Mike Leigh’s Hard Truths steals their hearts, and Brazilian awards darling I’m Still Here sparks a heated debate between our two hosts—is it Oscar bait or a worthy contender? Tune in and have your say on this month’s biggest releases!Book tickets to Mickey 17 @ LAB111Book tickets to Hard Truths @ LAB111Book tickets to I'm Still Here @ LAB111Book tickets to CC Film Club: Old Boy @ LAB111

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00:25:35

Is 'The Monkey' Better Than 'Longlegs'?

Celebrating Cinema ·

2025/02/20

In this review roundup, hosts Laura Gommans and Hugo Emmerzael dive into three films that have caught their attention. Oz Perkins’ latest offbeat horror, The Monkey, leaves them both questioning if the American director knows how to land an ending. Hugo shares insights from his Cannes conversation with Jia Zhang-ke about his latest work, Caught by the Tides. But while Hugo sees something transcendental, Laura isn’t so convinced—questioning whether it’s all just pretension and an easy ride to the

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00:49:37

What Happened to Musical Biopics?

Celebrating Cinema ·

2025/02/13

With a new wave of nostalgia-driven musical biopics—A Complete Unknown, Better Man, Maria—flooding theaters, hosts Laura Gommans and Hugo Emmerzael ask: what does it take to make a great musical biopic these days? A genre weighed down by formulaic storytelling and its own well-worn bingo card of narrative beats, the musical biopic too often settles for a greatest-hits retelling rather than embracing the radical possibilities of cinema. In this episode, we revisit the films that transcend mere

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00:31:01

Review Roundup: Does AI in The Brutalist Even Matter?

Celebrating Cinema ·

2025/02/06

In our first edition of the Review Roundup, a new biweekly cinematic dispatch, Laura Gommans and Elliot Bloom get into the latest films everyone's talking about. From the swirling controversies surrounding Brady Corbet’s Academy-nominated The Brutalist to the unexpected Marvel-like crossover in Pablo Larraín’s Maria, Laura and Elliot share their reactions. Also in focus: the enduring allure of Luis Buñuel’s Belle de Jour, a film as provocative and hypnotic now as it was upon its release, returning

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00:50:53

Ernest R. Dickerson on Do The Right Thing, Malcolm X...

Celebrating Cinema ·

2025/01/29

Legendary filmmaker Ernest Dickerson joins host Elliot Bloom for a compelling journey through his remarkable career. From his early love of sci-fi and fascination with the practical elements of filmmaking to meeting long-time collaborator Spike Lee on his first day of film school, Dickerson reflects on the defining moments that have influenced his work. With an encyclopaedic knowledge of cinema, he discusses his pivotal role in shaping Black American cinema over the last 40 years and the stories

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00:28:05

Jeroen Houben on Torch Song (2025)

Celebrating Cinema ·

2025/01/24

Fresh off winning the Dutch Film Critics’ Choice Award at the Netherlands Film Festival, LAB111 resident filmmaker Jeroen Houben joins host Kiriko Mechanicus to discuss his bittersweet, offbeat drama Torch Song. The film tells the story of an eccentric former pop singer who reconnects with her estranged half-brother in the Netherlands, only to unravel his life when she discovers a muse in his girlfriend. Houben delves into his aim to craft a raw, nuanced portrayal of a struggling artist,

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00:36:49

Raoul Peck on Ernest Cole: Lost and Found (2025)

Celebrating Cinema ·

2025/01/21

A fearless voice against systemic injustice, Raoul Peck has crafted a body of work that interrogates the legacies of colonialism, racism, and power with unflinching clarity. In this episode, Peck joins our producer Elliot to discuss his latest film, Ernest Cole: Lost and Found, an intimate exploration of South Africa’s first apartheid-era photographer. Reflecting on Cole’s haunting images, Peck draws striking parallels between apartheid South Africa, modern systems of segregation, and the enduring

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00:58:43

From Dracula to Edward Cullen: The Immortal Cinema of...

Celebrating Cinema ·

2025/01/16

This year, vampires emerge from the shadows once more with Robert Eggers’ haunting reimagining of Nosferatu. But why does the vampire continue to linger in our cultural imagination?In this episode, hosts Laura Gommans and Tom Ooms embark on a cinematic journey through the dark, blood-soaked history of vampires and night stalkers. From terrifying symbols of society’s deepest fears to complex, oddly relatable figures, they explore how these creatures of the night have evolved. What began as a

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00:30:52

Basel Adra and Yuval Abraham on No Other Land (2024)

Celebrating Cinema ·

2025/01/09

In a village under constant threat of displacement, where homes and schools are torn down and the land is slowly seized, how does one resist? For Basel, the camera is a weapon in the fight to preserve his community of Masafer Yatta. No Other Land is an unflinching documentary of settler violence, created by two Palestinians and two Israeli filmmakers. What they capture is undeniable.On this episode of Celebrating Cinema, Basel and Yuval join Elliot for a powerful conversation about living under

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00:47:57

When Filmmakers Dream Big: The World of Megalomaniac...

Celebrating Cinema ·

2024/12/12

To mark the release of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis, a 40-year passion project with a staggering $140 million price tag, we turn our attention to cinema’s most audacious, eccentric, and underappreciated visions — the “ugly ducklings” that, against all odds, have found their place in the cultural canon. This episode explores the daring, often misunderstood passion projects of filmmakers who, like Coppola, have risked everything to bring their boldest dreams to the screen.From extravagant

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00:28:12

Mati Diop on Dahomey (2024)

Celebrating Cinema ·

2024/12/10

When 26 royal treasures from the Kingdom of Dahomey (modern-day Republic of Benin) would finally be returned from France, filmmaker Mati Diop was granted rare access to document this historic moment. Dahomey, Mati's deeply moving and thought-provoking documentary, is the result of that access—a cinematic meditation that not only chronicles the repatriation of these artefacts but also imagines the voices of the objects themselves while focusing on the emotional responses of the Beninese people.

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00:23:02

Shiori Ito on Black Box Diaries (2024)

Celebrating Cinema ·

2024/12/03

Trigger warning: Please be advised that this episode includes discussions about sexual violence.In this powerful episode, host Elliot sits down with Shiori Ito to discuss her film debut, Black Box Diaries. The documentary is a firsthand account of Shiori’s harrowing experience of sexual violence by media mogul Noriyuki Yamaguchi, a man with ties to Japan’s political elite, including former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Shiori’s decision to speak out in a culture where sexual assault is often silenced

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00:37:09

Rich Peppiatt on Kneecap (2024)

Celebrating Cinema ·

2024/11/27

In Kneecap, Rich Peppiatt delivers a raw and politically charged origin story about JJ, a Belfast teacher, and two self-proclaimed "low-life scum," Naoise and Liam, who form the first Irish-speaking hip-hop group. The film is a powerful act of cultural resistance, celebrating the revitalization of the Irish language through music.Peppiatt discusses with our host Elliot the film’s roots in Belfast's rich, turbulent history and the creative process that unfolded over many drinks with the Kneecap

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01:10:21

Why Wim Wenders?

Celebrating Cinema ·

2024/11/13

Join us for a cinematic road trip through the films of visionary director Wim Wenders, whose work has redefined cinematic storytelling. In conjunction with the LAB111 program Drifters and Dreamers: The Films of Wim Wenders and the stunning 4K restoration of Paris, Texas (1984), Tom Ooms and Elliot Bloom explore the recurring themes of transience, memory, and the search for meaning that define Wenders' expansive body of work.Known for his haunting cinematography (often crafted by Dutch

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00:54:16

The Art of Looking: Like Stories of Old on Knight of...

Celebrating Cinema ·

2024/10/30

Following a packed-out CC Film Club screening of Knight Of Cups, host Hugo chats with Tom van der Linden, the creator of the popular YouTube channel Like Stories Of Old, to explore this often-overlooked masterpiece by Terrence Malick. Like Stories Of Old combines media analysis with personal reflection in emotive video essays, offering viewers a fresh perspective on cinema. With millions of views, Tom inspires us to engage with films in new and meaningful ways. Whether you're a fan of Knight Of

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00:45:11

Tarsem Singh on The Fall (2006)

Celebrating Cinema ·

2024/10/19

Visionary director Tarsem Singh joins Kiriko to reflect on The Fall (2006), once dubbed by the filmmaker himself as “the most expensive passion project” until Megalopolis. A film nearly derailed by Harvey Weinstein, The Fall has since been reclaimed by a dedicated fanbase, championed by figures like Roger Ebert. Now with a stunning 4K restoration, this cult classic is ripe for rediscovery—an ode to the enduring power of storytelling. Seventeen years in the making, spanning 27 countries, the film

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143 results

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