MUBI Podcast

The MUBI Podcast is an audio documentary series about how great cinema happens, and why it matters. Every season’s a deep dive into a different corner of movie culture — from classic needle drops, to movie theaters that changed the world. Plus, between seasons: intimate interviews with some of the best filmmakers alive. Nominated for multiple Webbys, Ambies, and British Podcast Awards. Hosted by veteran arts journalist Rico Gagliano. “It’s like This American Life for filmmaking stories” — Matt Wallin

  1. 41 min ago

    The Cinémathèque française — celebrating 90 years and 2 revolutions (rewind)

    90 years ago in Paris, a little 50-seat screening room opened its doors... and soon become probably the most important cinema ever. This month, the Cinémathèque française celebrates its birthday with a retrospective, so we are too: with this encore upload of our episode all about the revolutions the theater launched, both on movie screens and in the Paris streets. Host Rico Gagliano tells the wild tale, with help from directors Barbet Schroeder (BARFLY, REVERSAL OF FORTUNE) and Luc Moullet (BRIGITTE ET BRIGITTE), plus L.A. Times film critic Amy Nicholson and many more. Vive le cinema. The Faust Bible: The Making of F.W. Murnau’s Masterpiece will be published globally through MUBI Editions on October 17 in partnership with the Cinémathèque française. It brings to light an extraordinary, recently rediscovered artifact: a visual diary of around 400 photographs and original illustrations documenting the making of Murnau’s Faust almost step by step, now published in full for the first time. 17 October - Official Launch at la Cinémathèque française, Paris To mark the launch of The Faust Bible, MUBI Editions and la Cinémathèque française host a special centenary screening of Faust, featuring an introduction by Laurent Mannoni and live musical accompaniment by Christine Ott and Mathieu Gabry. 25 October - Filmmuseum München To continue the celebrations, MUBI Editions and the Filmmuseum München host a special screening of Faust, featuring an introduction by Stefan Drössler and live musical accompaniment by Sabrina Zimmermann and Mark Pogolski. 1 November - Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, Los Angeles To celebrate the publication of The Faust Bible, MUBI Editions and the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures host a special centenary screening of Faust, featuring an introduction by K.J. Relth-Miller and live musical accompaniment by Julianna Barwick. To stream some of the films we've covered on the podcast, check out the collection Featured on the MUBI Podcast. Availability of films varies depending on your country. MUBI is a global streaming service, production company and film distributor dedicated to elevating great cinema. MUBI makes, acquires, curates, and champions extraordinary films, connecting them to audiences all over the world. A place to discover ambitious new films and singular voices, from iconic directors to emerging auteurs. Each carefully chosen by MUBI’s curators.

    The Cinémathèque française — celebrating 90 years and 2 revolutions (rewind)
  2. 2 Jul

    BELLY — Hype Williams and Soul II Soul bring hip hop "Back To Life"

    In the '90s, there was no music video director in hip-hop bigger than Hype Williams. And he concentrated all his visual powers on his first (and for now, only) feature film, BELLY (1998): a gangster film that looked—and sounded—like no other, especially its iconic opening heist sequence, set to Soul II Soul's "Back to Life." Rico talks with Soul's songsmith Simon Law about the '80s UK club scene that birthed that megahit track and learns why this once-maligned movie has become required viewing for hip-hop nation. Other guests include the film's co-story writer Anthony Bodden and hip-hop critic Panama Jackson. Our audio documentary podcast returns with a sequel to our popular 2023 season that dives deep into the grooves of classic movie “needle drops.”  Titled “Needle on the Record, Side Two,” in each episode host Rico Gagliano tells the story of a film that fused music and image to make magic—and sometimes, changed popular culture. MY FATHER'S SHADOW is now streaming on MUBI almost globally. To stream some of the films we've covered on the podcast, check out the collection Featured on the MUBI Podcast. Availability of films varies depending on your country. MUBI is a global streaming service, production company and film distributor dedicated to elevating great cinema. MUBI makes, acquires, curates, and champions extraordinary films, connecting them to audiences all over the world. A place to discover ambitious new films and singular voices, from iconic directors to emerging auteurs. Each carefully chosen by MUBI’s curators.

    BELLY — Hype Williams and Soul II Soul bring hip hop "Back To Life"
  3. 18 Jun

    ALL OF US STRANGERS — Andrew Haigh believes in the Power of Love

    Isolated during the COVID pandemic, director Andrew Haigh (LOOKING) wrote a feature about a man trying to break out of isolation and loss...and peppered it with the dance-pop hits that made him feel less lonely as a gay teen in the '80s. Andrew tells host Rico Gagliano about the cathartic making of his award-winning tearjerker ALL OF US STRANGERS (2023), and gives a song-by-song breakdown of almost every tune in the film, from Pet Shop Boys to Frankie Goes To Hollywood.  Our audio documentary podcast returns with a sequel to our popular 2023 season that dives deep into the grooves of classic movie “needle drops.”  Titled “Needle on the Record, Side Two,” in each episode host Rico Gagliano tells the story of a film that fused music and image to make magic—and sometimes, changed popular culture. AFTERSUN is now streaming on MUBI in the UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia, Germany, France, Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Turkey, Latin America. THE HISTORY OF SOUND is now streaming in the US and Canada. To stream some of the films we've covered on the podcast, check out the collection Featured on the MUBI Podcast. Availability of films varies depending on your country. MUBI is a global streaming service, production company and film distributor dedicated to elevating great cinema. MUBI makes, acquires, curates, and champions extraordinary films, connecting them to audiences all over the world. A place to discover ambitious new films and singular voices, from iconic directors to emerging auteurs. Each carefully chosen by MUBI’s curators.

    ALL OF US STRANGERS — Andrew Haigh believes in the Power of Love
  4. 11 Jun

    BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM — Gurinder Chadha shoots and scores

    On the opening day of the World Cup, we take a look and a listen to the soccer-centric sleeper BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM (2002). Director Gurinder Chadha tells Rico about making her breakthrough rom-com about girl power, British Asian identity, and football—and how its mashup soundtrack of pop hits and Bhangra bangers scored goals of its own. Other guests include superstar DJ/producer Bally Sagoo, and the film's music supervisor Liz Gallacher (THE FULL MONTY). Our audio documentary podcast returns with a sequel to our popular 2023 season that dives deep into the grooves of classic movie “needle drops.”  Titled “Needle on the Record, Side Two,” in each episode host Rico Gagliano tells the story of a film that fused music and image to make magic—and sometimes, changed popular culture. GREGORY'S GIRL is streaming on MUBI in the US & CA as a part of the The World’s Game: Football on Screen collection starting tomorrow.  OFFSIDE is now streaming on MUBI in the UK, Ireland, Germany, Latin America, Netherlands, Australia and Turkey.  To stream some of the films we've covered on the podcast, check out the collection Featured on the MUBI Podcast. Availability of films varies depending on your country. MUBI is a global streaming service, production company and film distributor dedicated to elevating great cinema. MUBI makes, acquires, curates, and champions extraordinary films, connecting them to audiences all over the world. A place to discover ambitious new films and singular voices, from iconic directors to emerging auteurs. Each carefully chosen by MUBI’s curators.

    BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM — Gurinder Chadha shoots and scores
  5. 21 May

    CHUNGKING EXPRESS — Wong Kar Wai puts "Dreams" on the menu (rewind)

    Shot on a shoestring in six wild weeks, CHUNGKING EXPRESS is the movie that put legendary Hong Kong filmmaker Wong Kar Wai on the international map—along with his star, pop diva Faye Wong...and her Cantonese cover of The Cranberries's hit "Dreams." In this classic episode form our archives, host Rico Gagliano learns how the song, the director, and the singer all came together to capture Hong Kong at a moment of anxiety and hope—and how the tune still unites people in karaoke bars across Asia. Featuring Cranberries guitarist Noel Hogan, Hong Kong-born indiepop star Emma-Lee Moss (aka Emmy The Great), "Chungking" score co-composer Roel A. Garcia, and NPR critic-at large John Powers—the author, with Wong Kar Wai, of "WKW: The Cinema of Wong Kar Wai." CHUNGKING EXPRESS is now streaming on MUBI in Italy, the Netherlands, Latin America, and many other countries. Wong Kar Wai's full new series BLOSSOMS SHANGHAI is exclusively streaming on MUBI in France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Latin America, and many other countries.  To stream some of the films we've covered on the podcast, check out the collection Featured on the MUBI Podcast. Availability of films varies depending on your country. MUBI is a global streaming service, production company and film distributor dedicated to elevating great cinema. MUBI makes, acquires, curates, and champions extraordinary films, connecting them to audiences all over the world. A place to discover ambitious new films and singular voices, from iconic directors to emerging auteurs. Each carefully chosen by MUBI’s curators.

    CHUNGKING EXPRESS — Wong Kar Wai puts "Dreams" on the menu (rewind)

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The MUBI Podcast is an audio documentary series about how great cinema happens, and why it matters. Every season’s a deep dive into a different corner of movie culture — from classic needle drops, to movie theaters that changed the world. Plus, between seasons: intimate interviews with some of the best filmmakers alive. Nominated for multiple Webbys, Ambies, and British Podcast Awards. Hosted by veteran arts journalist Rico Gagliano. “It’s like This American Life for filmmaking stories” — Matt Wallin

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