Alle afleveringen
175 afleveringen, van nieuw naar oud
-
The American New Wave: How It Took Over Hollywood
6 november 2025 · 59 min
The American New Wave, or New Hollywood, launched the careers of some of the United States’ most iconic filmmakers, from Steven Spielberg and George Lucas to Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese. But what was this era, when studios granted directors unprecedented creative freedom, really about, and what did it reveal about 1970s America? Lees meer
Hosts Elliot Bloom and Tom Ooms dive into this transformative period, discussing the quintessential elements of the movement while spotlighting cult heroes like Robert Altman and John Cassavetes and overlooked filmmakers such as Barbara Loden and Elaine May. They also ask whether today’s social and political climate in the United States could spark a new wave of radical cinema.
Get tickets to New Hollywood: The Films of The American New Wave @ LAB111
-
What Bugonia Gets Wrong About Conspiracy Theorists + Kelly Reichardt On The Mastermind
30 oktober 2025 · 39 min
Yorgos Lanthimos’s Bugonia follows two conspiracy-obsessed men who kidnap a powerful CEO, convinced she’s an alien bent on destroying Earth. Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons shine, but while host Laura Gommans revels in their performances, Elliot Bloom questions whether Lanthimos’s satire lands in the world we live in today. Lees meer
Plus, Kelly Reichardt joins Hugo Emmerzael to discuss The Mastermind — a stripped-down art heist film set in 1970s suburban America — and her collaboration with Josh O’Connor.
Get tickets to Bugonia @ LAB111
-
Mark Cousins On Tilda Swinton And His Story Of A Life In Film
23 oktober 2025 · 36 min
In collaboration with Eye Filmmuseum’s exhibition Ongoing, celebrating the singular career of Tilda Swinton, Hugo Emmerzael sits down with filmmaker, writer, and lifelong cinephile Mark Cousins — Swinton’s longtime collaborator and one of cinema’s great chroniclers. Lees meer
Best known for The Story of Film and Women Make Film, which he created alongside Swinton, Cousins reflects on his wild years as a critic interviewing Hollywood legends in their homes, his boundless curiosity for the moving image, and how film endures as a universal language.
Get tickets to Caravaggio @ LAB111
-
Luca Guadagnino: The Master of Desire
17 oktober 2025 · 43 min
Few filmmakers explore desire with as much curiosity and elegance as Luca Guadagnino. His cinema doesn’t just show yearning, it makes us feel it. With After the Hunt now in cinemas, Laura Gommans and Tom Ooms trace how the great films of desire have shaped Guadagnino’s work, from the charged glances to the slow unraveling of restraint. Lees meer
But while Laura revels in the sensuality of his worlds, Tom questions the pretension that can often surround them, avoiding conflict. Together, they ask why cinema remains so obsessed with the ache of wanting, and where exactly the lines of attraction are drawn — both on screen and in ourselves.
Get tickets to After The Hunt @ LAB111
-
How Rietland Put Dutch Cinema Back on the Map w/ Director Sven Bresser
9 oktober 2025 · 38 min
Sven Bresser’s debut feature Rietland marks a striking moment for Dutch cinema — the first film in nearly 30 years to be selected for Cannes. This eerie, quietly devastating story follows a reed cutter whose discovery of a murdered girl’s body sets off an introspective search for truth, asking where violence really comes from — the world outside or something buried within. Set against the haunting stillness of the Dutch countryside, the film transforms landscape into witness. Lees meer
Speaking with producer Elliot Bloom, Bresser reflects on why he wanted to tell a story rooted in the land he grew up in, how local truths can hold universal weight, and why casting non-actors brought an essential honesty to the film. Together, they explore what makes Rietland resonate so deeply — both at home and far beyond The Netherlands.
Get tickets to Rietland @ LAB111
Get tickets to CC Film Club: Challengers @ LAB111
-
Eddington, Rietland and Tilly Norwood
2 oktober 2025 · 32 min
A lot can change in a week at the movies. One Battle After Another—the film we crowned as the year’s best—has stumbled at the box office, but does that tell the full story? Meanwhile, Dutch cinema is making international headlines, though for all the wrong reasons: AI actors. Lees meer
Alongside all this, new films demand our attention: Ari Aster returns with Eddington, a chaotic, unhinged attempt to wrestle with the Covid era, and Sven Bresser’s Rietland might just put The Netherlands back on the cinematic map. Hosts Laura Gommans and Elliot Bloom have plenty to unpack.
Get tickets to CC Film Club: Challengers @ LAB111
Get tickets to Eddington @ LAB111
Get tickets to Rietland @ LAB111
Get tickets to Yi Yi @ LAB111
Get tickets to One Battle After Another @ LAB111
-
One Battle After Another, Yi Yi and Him
25 september 2025 · 37 min
Paul Thomas Anderson’s $130 million blockbuster might just be the film of the year. In this episode, Laura and Elliot dive into the action-packed, satirical drama while lamenting Leonardo DiCaprio’s phenomenal performance—brilliant on screen, morally dubious off it. They also revel in the timeless elegance of Yi Yi, recently restored and returned to the big screen by Odyssey Classics, and ask why the thriller Him couldn’t live up to the hype, even with Jordan Peele’s name on it. Lees meer
Get tickets to CC Film Club: Challengers @ LAB111
Get tickets to One Battle After Another @ LAB111
Get tickets to Yi Yi @ LAB111
Get tickets to Him @ LAB111
-
Chick Flicks: Can the Genre Come Back?
18 september 2025 · 44 min
What ever happened to the chick flick? At the turn of the millennium, this fizzy, unabashedly feminine genre ruled the box office and sleepovers alike, but somewhere along the way, it slipped out of fashion. Lees meer
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Clueless, now screening at LAB111, Kiriko Mechanicus and Tom Ooms revisit their favorite titles and try to define what a chick flick really is. From iconic gems to forgotten cult favorites, they explore the pleasures, pitfalls, and cultural baggage of the genre, asking whether we still need chick flicks today, or if they’re better left in the early 2000s with flip phones and frosted lip gloss.
Get tickets to Clueless @ LAB111
-
Agnès Varda: Why She's a Cinema Icon
10 september 2025 · 47 min
Coinciding with our Viva Varda retrospective now playing at LAB111 in Amsterdam, Elliot and Kiriko celebrate the life and cinema of French filmmaker and feminist icon Agnès Varda. They discuss why Varda is Kiriko’s ultimate cinematic hero and how her films mirror the warmth, curiosity, and humour of the woman herself. Lees meer
Varda's approach to filmmaking is more than craft, it’s a way of seeing the world, a playful blueprint for us all to live by. Together, they unpack some of her classics and imagine how they might spend a single unforgettable day with Agnès Varda.
Get tickets to Viva Varda: The Films of Agnès Varda @ LAB111
-
The Deadly Reality of Filming in Gaza: Fatima Hassouna’s Story w/ Sepideh Farsi
4 september 2025 · 37 min
Sepideh Farsi’s Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk is a film made in the urgency of the present. Composed through a series of video calls with Palestinian photojournalist Fatima Hassouna, it documents a life confined in Gaza during the current phase of Israel’s genocide. Speaking with producer Elliot Bloom, Sepideh reflects on why the film is essential at a moment when Palestinian voices are being silenced and when the daily struggle to survive is kept at a distance from the world. Lees meer
This conversation honors the remarkable presence of Fatima, the necessity of bearing witness, and the role of cinema and art in confronting horrors that resist comprehension.
Get tickets to Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk @ LAB111
Get tickets to CC Film Club: Charlie's Angels @ LAB111
-
Jaws: The Birth of the Summer Blockbuster & the History of Creature Features
27 augustus 2025 · 44 min
In honor of its 50th anniversary, Jaws emerges from the depths of the cinematic sea to remind us why it remains the archetype of the summer blockbuster, forever shaping our fear of the ocean and giving sharks a bad rep. Join Laura Gommans and Tom Ooms as they dissect Spielberg’s masterstroke, from its thrilling mechanics to the happy accidents that made it an instant classic. Lees meer
This episode also explores the evolution of creature features, tracing how this genre once thrived on tangible, terrifying creatures—and why such films are rarely made the same way today.
Get tickets to Jaws @ LAB111
Get tickets to CC Film Club: Charlie's Angels @ LAB111
-
Weapons & Sorry, Baby: The Films Everyone's Talking About
13 augustus 2025 · 30 min
Back from a summer hiatus, Laura Gommans and Elliot Bloom reunite to trade notes on the hot new releases. Zach Cregger’s hotly anticipated Weapons has horror fans buzzing—though for producer Elliot, he can only manage to watch it through his fingers. They also dive into Sorry, Baby, Eva Victor’s quietly devastating debut, a tender comedy-drama about how life insists on moving forward no matter what. Lees meer
Get your tickets to Weapons @ LAB111
Get your tickets to Sorry, Baby @ LAB111
-
Morgan Knibbe on The Garden of Earthly Delights and the Silence Around It
23 juli 2025 · 35 min
In this episode, Kiriko sits down with Dutch filmmaker Morgan Knibbe to discuss his blistering debut fictional feature The Garden of Earthly Delights—a formally audacious, emotionally harrowing portrait of the post-colonial legacy in the Philippines. Through a fictional lens, Knibbe confronts the ongoing violence of Western capitalism, power, and desire, exposing the devastating asymmetry between those who are seen and those who are never heard. Lees meer
But why has a film this urgent and unflinching been met with near silence? Kiriko and Morgan explore the limits of representation, the discomfort of telling hard truths, and the price artists pay for making the invisible visible.
-
Plein Soleil and the Art of the Summer Movie
9 juli 2025 · 26 min
This week on Review Roundup, host Laura Gommans and Elliot Bloom head south for the summer with a sun-drenched revisit of Plein Soleil—René Clément’s slow-burning 1960 thriller that introduced the world to a dangerously magnetic Alain Delon, as we dip our toes into the Mr. Ripley universe. Lees meer
Alongside Clément’s shimmering noir, they spotlight more scorchers from LAB111’s Heatwave program—including Aftersun, The Parent Trap, and Do the Right Thing—to explore what keeps us coming back to summer cinema: the heat, the heartbreak, and the haze of memory...or just a good old AC system.
Get tickets to Heatwave: Sweaty Summer Cinema program @ LAB111
Get tickets to Kingdoms of Rain: The Films of Akira Kurosawa @ LAB111
-
Akira Kurosawa: What He Taught Us About Movies & Morality
25 juni 2025 · 57 min
This week, Elliot and Kiriko dive into the legendary world of Akira Kurosawa—Japan’s master filmmaker and, let’s be honest, probably your favorite director’s favorite director. From samurai epics like Seven Samurai and Rashomon to powerful character dramas like Ikiru and High and Low, Kurosawa knew how to tell a story that hits you in the heart and keeps you on the edge of your seat. Lees meer
They unpack the big questions his films tackle—truth, justice, mortality—and connect the dots between Kurosawa’s personal life and the unforgettable worlds he brought to the screen. Whether you’re a longtime fan or just Kurosawa-curious, this episode is a love letter to one of cinema’s all-time greats—and a reminder that great storytelling never goes out of style.
Get tickets to The Films of Kurosawa @ LAB111
-
Zombie Movies: Why the Genre Refuses to Die (28 Years Later)
11 juni 2025 · 46 min
With 28 Years Later lurching toward the screen, Laura Gommans and Tom Ooms revisit the undead legacy of the zombie in cinema — a genre that, much like its subject, refuses to stay buried. Lees meer
From its racist roots in early 20th-century depictions of Haitian slavery to its reinvention as a metaphor for mass consumption, pandemic anxiety, and societal collapse, the zombie has shuffled through countless cinematic incarnations. But what keeps this creature so relentlessly alive in the cultural imagination? Why are they always so hungry for brains, and why, despite their numbers, can they never quite organize?
In this episode, our hosts unearth the genre’s origins, dissect key works from White Zombie to Night of the Living Dead, 28 Days Later, and beyond, and share personal favorites that speak to the zombie’s enduring power.
-
Dogme 95, The Phoenician Scheme, Twin Peaks: Why Wes Anderson Should Try Dogme-Style Filmmaking
5 juni 2025 · 32 min
With Dogme 95 turning 30 this year, hosts Laura Gommans and Elliot Bloom reflect on the radical movement that dared to strip cinema down to its bare bones—and what that legacy means today. Returning to last episode's ranking of Wes Anderson's films, the duo discuss The Phoenician Scheme, the American director's latest film that only seems to reinforce the “all style, no substance” label. Rounding out the episode is a look at David Lynch’s TV series Twin Peaks, soon to be screened at LAB111 on June 18. Laura and Elliot explore its haunting genius and why it still feels ahead of its time. Lees meer
Get tickets to Dogme 95 Films @ LAB111
Get tickets to The Complete Filmography of Wes Anderson @ LAB111
Get tickets to The Phoenician Scheme @ LAB111
-
Dispatch from Cannes (2025)
28 mei 2025 · 25 min
Reporting from the Croisette, host Hugo Emmerzael is joined by fellow film critic Savina Petkova who together reflect on two unforgettable selections from the 2025 Cannes Film Festival—films that stood apart amid a blur of screenings and industry spectacle. Lees meer
Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value, led by a luminous Renate Reinsve, is a quietly devastating meditation on memory, loss, and emotional inheritance. Meanwhile, Óliver Laxe's Sirat propels us into a dystopian rave-scape, where pulsing techno and stark imagery evoke a world on the brink of collapse.
Together, Hugo and Savina unravel the layers of these two very different films, offering a glimpse into the bold cinema we can look forward to on screen at LAB111.
-
Wes Anderson: Every Movie Ranked
8 mei 2025 · 53 min
To mark LAB111’s full Wes Anderson retrospective, hosts Laura Gommans and Tom Ooms rank every film in his colorful, quirky career. They dive into what makes his work so distinct—asking whether it’s all style and no substance, or if there’s real emotional depth beneath the surface. Along the way, they share which actors they’d love to see in the Wes Anderson universe, and Laura makes the surprising case that one of his films doesn’t have enough color. Producer Elliot, ever the skeptic, adds his own take on the Anderson mythos. Lees meer
Get tickets The Complete Filmography of Wes Anderson @ LAB111
-
Persepolis: Growing Up in a Revolution
30 april 2025 · 28 min
In this edition of Review Roundup, host Laura Gommans is joined by Elliot Bloom to dive into the re-release of Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi’s searing, stylish memoir of growing up in Iran through revolution, repression, and rebellion—newly restored by Odyssey Classics. They also take on Steven Soderbergh’s Black Bag, a spy thriller that trades action for dry wit and quiet unease . And with Showgirls back in sparkling form for its 30th anniversary, they ask: was Elizabeth Berkley in on the joke all along? Lees meer
Get tickets to Persepolis @ LAB111
Get tickets to Showgirls @ LAB111
-
Hiroshima Mon Amour: How Do You Film the Atomic Bomb?
23 april 2025 · 31 min
Alain Resnais’s Hiroshima Mon Amour (1959) returns to cinemas—a quiet revolution in filmmaking that blends love, loss, and the long shadow of human destruction. In this episode, hosts Kiriko Mechanicus and Elliot Bloom unpack why this haunting classic still matters today. Why did Resnais turn to fiction after his devastating Holocaust documentary Night and Fog? And what does the film reveal about how we confront images of destruction—past and present? Lees meer
Get tickets to Hiroshima Mon Amour @ LAB111
-
Is Alex Garland's Warfare an Anti-War Movie?
16 april 2025 · 50 min
Did audiences jump the gun on Alex Garland’s Warfare? Before it's release, the brutally realist portrait of America’s war in Iraq was deemed just another army recruitment movie, but Hugo Emmerzael and Laura Gommans definitely don't see it that way. Also: Gia Coppola’s The Last Showgirl gives Pamela Anderson a tender, neon-lit comeback, but did it warrant the awards hype it got? Plus, an interview with Carmen Chaplin on 'Chaplin: Spirit of the Tramp', her reframing of Charlie Chaplin’s legacy through his Roma heritage—an overdue look at the outsider beneath the bowler hat. Lees meer
Listen to Why Hollywood Loves a Comeback
Get tickets to CC Film Club: Everything Everywhere All At Once @ LAB111
Get tickets to Warfare @ LAB111
Get tickets to Chaplin: Spirit of The Tramp @ LAB111
-
Hollywood Comebacks: The Substance, The Last Showgirl & Why We Love Them
9 april 2025 · 45 min
In a moment when Hollywood is once again embracing the comeback—think Demi Moore’s return in The Substance or Pamela Anderson’s reinvention in The Last Showgirl—we turn our attention to the art of the revival. In this episode, hosts Laura Gommans and Tom Ooms explore the enduring appeal of the Hollywood comeback: why the industry—and its audiences—love to see actors return, transformed and triumphant. From John Travolta’s genre-defining resurgence in Pulp Fiction to Michelle Yeoh’s historic Oscar win at 60, they trace the arcs of reinvention, resilience, and rediscovery. And of course, no conversation on comebacks would be complete without Nicolas Cage—the actor in a perpetual state of renaissance. Lees meer
Book tickets to CC Film Club: Everything Everywhere All At Once
Listen back to our episode on Nicolas Cage
Read Salima Hayek's Op-Ed
-
De Propagandist: Dutch History's Most Controversial Filmmaker (Luuk Bouwman)
2 april 2025 · 36 min
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 with host Kiriko Mechanicus, Bouwman examines cinema’s complicity in propaganda, the moral compromises Teunissen made in pursuit of his craft, and how the language of wartime propaganda lives on in modern advertising. Lees meer
Get tickets to our CC Film Club: Everything, Everywhere All At Once @ LAB111
-
Why Short Films Matter w/ Go Short Film Festival
26 maart 2025 · 35 min
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 audiences should take note. Lees meer
Want to be there? We’re giving away two day passes! Email us at celebratingcinema@lab111.nl with your favourite short film, and you might just find yourself at Go Short.
Get tickets for Go Short Film Festival (1-6th April)
-
The Room: The Best Worst Movie Ever Made?
19 maart 2025 · 35 min
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 so-bad-it’s-good cinema. Lees meer
Get tickets to The Room @ LAB111
Get tickets to CC Film Club: Old Boy @ LAB111
Get tickets to Straight to Video @ LAB111
Get tickets to Go Short Film Festival
-
Bong Joon-ho's Bloody Brilliance and the Rise of Korean Cinema
12 maart 2025 · 55 min
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. Lees meer
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 like no other, blending brutal violence with raw emotion. While Bong mixes social critique with suspense, Park Chan-wook’s Oldboy and The Handmaiden embrace operatic violence and eroticism.
Join us as we dissect the thrills and bloodstained poetry of the Korean New Wave.
Book tickets to Mickey 17 @ LAB111
Book tickets to Parasite @ LAB111
Book tickets to CC Film Club: Old Boy @ LAB111
Listen to Do Two Robert Pattinsons Make Mickey 17 Twice the Fun?
-
Mickey 17: Do Two Pattinsons Make It Twice the Fun?
6 maart 2025 · 36 min
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! Lees meer
Book tickets to Mickey 17 @ LAB111
Book tickets to Hard Truths @ LAB111
Book tickets to I'm Still Here @ LAB111
Book tickets to CC Film Club: Old Boy @ LAB111
-
Is 'The Monkey' Better Than 'Longlegs'?
20 februari 2025 · 26 min
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 Cannes Film Festival. Finally, they close with Payal Kapadia’s fiction feature debut, All We Imagine as Light - a film that moved both hosts, though for very different reasons. (No surprises there!) Lees meer
-
Musical Biopics: Can You Still Make a Good One?
13 februari 2025 · 50 min
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 homage, interrogate why audiences remain captivated by these glossy reenactments, and consider how the genre might break free from its own nostalgic loop. Lees meer
Book tickets to CC Film Club: Velvet Goldmine @ LAB111
Book tickets to A Complete Unknown @ LAB111
Show Notes & Films Mentioned
-
Does AI in The Brutalist Even Matter?
6 februari 2025 · 31 min
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 to the big screen in all its dreamlike splendour. Lees meer
Book tickets to The Brutalist @ LAB111
Book tickets to Belle de Jour @ LAB111
Book tickets to Buñuel 125 @ LAB111
Book tickets to CC Film Club: Velvet Goldmine @ LAB111
Show Notes & Films Mentioned
-
How Ernest R. Dickerson Discovered Tupac For Juice
29 januari 2025 · 51 min
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 behind the making of his iconic films. In a candid conversation, Dickerson also reveals the unexpected path that led him to make a feature film about Curaçao. Lees meer
Book tickets to CC Film Club: Velvet Goldmine @ LAB111
Show Notes and Films Mentioned
-
Jeroen Houben on Torch Song (2025)
24 januari 2025 · 28 min
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, sidestepping tired clichés, while offering a fresh perspective on Amsterdam through the eyes of an international community. He also reflects on composing the film’s songs in tandem with the script, his fascination with musicals, and a formative (and unsettling) childhood memory of an animated dog. A bold tribute to the power of music and storytelling, this episode offers an illuminating look into the creation of a film where ambition and emotion collide. Lees meer
Book tickets to Torch Song @ LAB111
Book tickets to CC Film Club: Juice
-
Raoul Peck on Ernest Cole: Lost and Found (2025)
21 januari 2025 · 37 min
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 consequences for those displaced. Lees meer
Peck’s films stand as a testament to the radical potential of cinema to confront, reimagine, and connect the world’s entrenched narratives. He leaves us with a powerful reminder: “The world will be what each one of us lets it be. If we don’t act, our inaction will shape the future.”
Book tickets to Ernest Cole: Lost and Found
Book tickets to The Raoul Peck Collection
Book tickets to CC Film Club: Juice
-
Vampire Movies: From Dracula to Twilight (Nosferatu's Return)
16 januari 2025 · 59 min
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? Lees meer
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 reflection of our anxieties has transformed into a mirror of our own desires, struggles, and yearnings.
Join them as they unravel the vampire’s enduring appeal and ask: are these bloodsuckers misunderstood souls searching for something deeper than just human blood?
Tune in—if you dare—and uncover why these creatures of the night refuse to let go.
Get tickets to Lust For Blood program
Get tickets to CC Film Club: Juice
Listen to our conversation with Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke
Show Notes and Films Mentioned
-
Why No Other Land is the Most Important Film of 2025
9 januari 2025 · 31 min
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. Lees meer
On this episode of Celebrating Cinema, Basel and Yuval join Elliot for a powerful conversation about living under separate laws of the same state. They discuss their role as storytellers, connecting the fractured pieces of this crime, and uncovering the emotional truth behind life under occupation. Through their lenses, they expose Israeli state policies fuelling land grabs and illegal occupation, while underscoring the urgent need to document and bear witness.
Book tickets to No Other Land
Book tickets CC Film Club: Juice
Book tickets to The Raoul Peck Collection
-
Megalopolis & Cinema's Great Passion Projects
12 december 2024 · 48 min
To mark the release of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis, a 40-year passion project with a staggering $120 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. Lees meer
From extravagant failures to cult masterpieces, we examine why cinema desperately needs these fearless auteurs, willing to gamble their careers and fortunes for the sake of their art. We also delve into the curious phenomenon of these “megalomaniac” films — why it often takes decades for them to be properly appreciated, and how audiences can learn to embrace even the most challenging works, regardless of whether they “succeed” on traditional terms. Through these cinematic oddities, we celebrate the vital necessity of creative ambition, the glory of artistic missteps, and the long road to recognition that only the most daring films must travel.
Book tickets to Megalopolis @ LAB111
Book tickets to Hugo's Megalomania Program
Show Notes and Films Mentioned
-
Mati Diop on Dahomey (2024)
10 december 2024 · 28 min
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. Lees meer
Building on the genre-defying spirit of her debut Atlantiques, Mati uses this personal and collective journey as a lens to explore the themes of return, restitution, and memory. Again weaving together fiction and reality in search of deeper truths. In conversation with host Elliot, Mati reflects on the making of Dahomey, the cultural significance of the treasures' homecoming, and the profound, ongoing relationship between history, identity, and filmmaking.
-
Shiori Ito on Black Box Diaries (2024)
3 december 2024 · 23 min
Trigger warning: Please be advised that this episode includes discussions about sexual violence. Lees meer
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 sparked a movement that resonated far beyond her personal story.
Through Shiori's unwavering resolve, Black Box Diaries critiques Japan’s archaic laws surrounding sexual violence, which often leave survivors with little recourse for justice. The film transcends its role as an exposé, offering a deeply personal narrative of trauma, healing, and resilience. Shiori's journey of reclaiming her voice and confronting systemic patriarchy underscores the power of solidarity in the pursuit of truth.
In this intimate conversation, Shiori reflects on the emotional toll of her fight, the necessity of breaking the silence surrounding sexual violence, and the broader societal forces that shield perpetrators from accountability. Join us for a discussion on courage, justice, and the transformative power of speaking out.
Book tickets to Black Box Diaries
Book tickets to CC Film Club: One From The Heart
-
Rich Peppiatt on Kneecap (2024)
27 november 2024 · 37 min
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. Lees meer
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 group. This conversation explores the film’s personal and political layers, focusing on the vital importance of storytelling in preserving language and identity.
Book tickets to Kneecap
Book tickets to CC Film Club: One From The Heart
Show Notes and Films Mentioned
-
Wim Wenders: Paris, Texas, Wings of Desire & the Road Movie
13 november 2024 · 1 uur 10 min
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. Lees meer
Known for his haunting cinematography (often crafted by Dutch cinematographer Robby Müller) and his deeply humanistic perspective, Wenders’ films are both personal reflections and universal meditations on existence. We’ll examine his recurring motif of the traveler—whether an angel, filmmaker, or pilgrim—navigating between real and imagined worlds.
From the fractured narrative of Paris, Texas to the contemplative Perfect Days (2023), we delve into how Wenders transcends genre boundaries, using the road movie to create a unique cinematic language that speaks directly to the soul. Whether revisiting his classics or discovering his work for the first time, this episode offers an essential guide to Wim Wenders’ vision—why his films may not be for everyone, but are undeniably worth experiencing.
Book tickets to The Films of Wim Wenders
Book tickets to Master of Light: Robby Müller
Book tickets to CC Film Club: One From The Heart
Show Notes and Films Mentioned
-
Knight of Cups (Malick): The Video Essay, w/ Like Stories of Old
30 oktober 2024 · 54 min
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 Cups or new to Malick's work, this discussion highlights the art of looking and how we can appreciate cinema on a deeper level. Discover more about Malick’s unique creative process in the making of this film. Lees meer
Check out Like Stories Of Old channel
Show Notes & Films Mentioned
-
Tarsem Singh on The Fall (2006)
19 oktober 2024 · 45 min
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 captures breathtaking beauty—both human and natural—in a visual tapestry unlike any other. Tarsem shares the challenges of realizing such an ambitious project, from shooting in remote, inaccessible locations to the personal motivation behind this pursuit. Lees meer
Special thanks to MUBI for arranging this interview.
Book tickets to The Fall @ LAB111
Show Notes & Films Mentioned
-
Kevin Boitelle on Trip-Tych (2024)
15 oktober 2024 · 32 min
Crafted on a shoestring budget, Kevin Boitelle's feature debut, Trip-Tych, serves as both a film about the art of filmmaking and a reflection on the creative struggle inherent in the process. In conversation with host Kiriko, Kevin reminisces about his formative film experiences and his early collaborations with friends, emphasizing his desire to preserve the joy of collective creativity. This audacious comedic satire offers a piercing glimpse into the Dutch film industry, where Kevin champions the need for filmmakers to embrace boldness and surprise, both in narrative and approach. Join us as we explore the intersection of passion and artistry, celebrating a work that challenges conventions and invigorates the discourse around independent cinema. Lees meer
Book tickets to CC Film Club: Knight of Cups
Show Notes & Films Mentioned
-
Female Stereotypes in Cinema We Love (Femme Fatale to Manic Pixie)
3 oktober 2024 · 1 uur 14 min
There is nothing as hypnotizing than the larger-than-life women that we see on the screen—captivating, outrageous, and irresistibly seductive. Join us as we celebrate some of cinema’s most iconic female archetypes, from the bold ladies who are both excessive and exciting to the enigmatic witches who cast their spell through exaggerated feminine mannerisms. To coincide with the "Girls of Plenty" program now running at LAB111 and the release of her illuminating essay Liggend Naakt, film journalist and curator Basje Boer guides us through the magic of femininity in film. Together, we’ll delve into the performances of some of the founding mothers of exaggerated female stereotypes, revealing how playing out a gender role is nothing more than a really great performance. Lees meer
Get a copy of Basje Boer's Liggend Naakt
Book tickets to Girls of Plenty @ LAB111
Book tickets to CC Film Club: Knight of Cups
Show Notes & Films Mentioned
-
Laura Hermanides on Witte Flits (2024)
26 september 2024 · 55 min
Fresh off her feature debut opening the Netherlands Film Festival, one of LAB111's resident filmmakers Laura Hermanides joins Hugo to discuss Witte Flits—a project that began as a documentary but evolved into a striking fictional narrative. The film tackles the complex, timely debate surrounding euthanasia, particularly in cases of unbearable psychological sufferings. Inspired by a real-life story, Laura examines whether the theory survives the reality, focusing largely on the profound challenge parents face in overcoming their love to set their child free of pain. In this candid conversation, she reflects on the film's journey—from working with a 700-page journal written by the father and forming a lasting friendship with the mother, to developing a distinctive cinematic language. Laura reminds us of the enduring power of storytelling in uncertain times. Lees meer
Get your tickets for Witte Flits @ LAB111.
Show Notes & Films Mentioned
-
Orson Welles: Truth, Trickery & The Third Man
18 september 2024 · 1 uur 4 min
Orson Welles stands as a visionary filmmaker, a notorious showman, and an enigmatic storyteller who blurred the lines between fact and fiction. In this episode, Tom and Elliot dive deep into the life and legend of one of America's most celebrated yet elusive filmmakers, exploring the enduring allure of his work. As we celebrate the re-releases of The Third Man and F for Fake here at LAB111, we unravel the layers of myth Welles wove around himself—always performing, always crafting his narrative. Was he ever telling the truth, or was it all part of his grand act? Listen to a fascinating journey into the complex mind of the man who redefined American cinema, leaving behind a legacy as compelling and mysterious as his films. Lees meer
Book your tickets for The Third Man @ LAB111
Book your tickets for F For Fake @ LAB111
Show Notes & Films Mentioned
-
David Hinton on Made in England: The Films of Powell & Pressburger (2024)
5 september 2024 · 32 min
After his 1980s collaboration with legendary filmmaker Michael Powell on a documentary chronicling Powell’s career, director David Hinton knew the story was only half told. Now, Hinton returns with the complete portrait of The Archers, Britain’s visionary filmmaking duo, Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. In this episode, Hinton sits down with host Elliot to reveal why only Martin Scorsese could narrate the intertwined lives of these cinematic icons, the enduring magic of Powell & Pressburger's films, and how their partnership—rooted in friendship and migration—redefined British cinema. This documentary isn’t just a tribute, it’s a celebration of how two kindred spirits shaped the art of film forever. Lees meer
Book your tickets for Made in England: The Films of Powell & Pressburger @ LAB111
Show Notes & Films Mentioned
-
Henry Selick on Coraline (2009)
15 augustus 2024 · 47 min
To celebrate the 15th anniversary of the acclaimed stop-motion epic Coraline, Laura Gommans had the distinct pleasure of speaking with Henry Selick about his illustrious career and lifelong love for cinema. From scary tales at Aunt Lib's house to being terrified by the cyclops in The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, Henry reveals the origins of his eerie yet tender storytelling style. His obsession with stop-motion animation has not only pushed the boundaries of filmmaking but also reimagined what children's narratives can be. Henry passionately explains why it's crucial for children to experience a touch of fear in films, believing it helps them navigate and understand the complexities of the world. Lees meer
Show Notes & Films Mentioned
Book your tickets for Coraline @ LAB111
-
Romcoms: What Happened to Them? (with Laura Gommans)
25 juli 2024 · 1 uur
From screwball comedies to the golden age of 90s and early 00s romcoms, our love for romance remains strong. In this episode, entertainment journalist Laura Gommans joins us to discuss our favorite romantic comedies and what makes them so special. What appears to be a straightforward genre leads us to question whether the familiar clichés define a romcom or if there's more to it. As our values of love and romance have evolved, it seems the essence of romcoms has stagnated. Could the decline of mid-budget movies be a factor? Despite shifts in the industry, the audience's appetite for love stories will never fade. So, what does the future hold for romantic comedies? Lees meer
Book tickets to When Harry Met Sally @ LAB111
Show Notes & Films Mentioned