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The Curb
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Welcome to the Curb. This is the podcast where we bring you in depth interviews with filmmakers, creatives, and curators of culture. This podcast is recorded in Boorloo, Western Australia. Support The Curb on Patreon, and make sure to follow us on Facebook. Contact with us via our email. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. Lucy Coleman on centering fearless stories about women in modern Australian cinema and TV

    20 HRS AGO

    Lucy Coleman on centering fearless stories about women in modern Australian cinema and TV

    This interview has been a long while in the can, waiting to be published. This in depth discussion with filmmaker, creative, and fearless storyteller Lucy Coleman was recorded early in 2025 and due to reasons you'll hear in the long intro (recorded in the foyer of Luna Cinemas Leederville, a home away from home), it's now finally being released into the world. Lucy Coleman is the creative vision behind films like Hot Mess and Lean In, both featured in the best films list of their respective years, with Hot Mess getting a mention in the Best Aussie Films of the 2010s list. These are biting, searing comedies that tear apart what we think Australian comedy can or should be. Then, there's Lucy's Stan. series Exposure, a change of pace, a drama which she wrote. This powerful series follows Alice Englert's Jacs Gould as a photographer returning home to find out why her best friend took her life. It's powerful, but also flips the script of the routine and tired 'cop returns to his country town home to solve a murder that he discovers is linked to him'. It's always a man solving these crimes. Always small town. Exposure changes that: it's not a murder, but a suicide. It's not a woman trying to figure out what's happening, but a friend, a very close one at that. It's a devastating series that left me hollowed out by its end. Exposure, like Hot Mess and Lean In, is an experience which lingers in my mind, changing how I see the next film or TV show that I watch. This interview, like those works, hasn't left me. And now, I'm releasing it into the world. Enjoy. Thank you Lucy for your patience with me getting this into the world. Sign up for the latest interviews, reviews, and more via https://www.thecurb.com.au/subscribe/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 41m
  2. Damien Power on the brotherly rivalry of his docu-drama short Return of the Champ

    4 FEB

    Damien Power on the brotherly rivalry of his docu-drama short Return of the Champ

    One of the standout films from the 2026 batch of Flickerfest shorts has been Damien Power's docu-drama Return of the Champ. With this excellent hybrid experience, the stand up comedian turned director spins the cameras on his relationship with his brother, Will Power, a world champion and Indy 500 winner, who spins a story about a crash that he once witnessed. It's a story that Damien hadn't heard before, and within Return of the Champ he utilises that story to explore sibling rivalry, masculinity, and what it means to be vulnerable or open with one another. If I'm painting the film to be a deep experience, the rest assured, it definitely is. What Damien has crafted here is something that will stick with me for quite a while, with the resulting film creating a fascinating and memorable nexus points of the quiet space of ocker comedy, reserved masculinity, loud cars, laughter at stand up comedy gigs, and frustration about fathers. There's a lot going on under the hood of this flick, with the film simmering along at a neat 18-minutes and creating a lasting impact. Amplifying the vibe of the film is cinematography by Julian Panetta which is both immersive and observational in tone, pulling viewers into the Power's brothers world. Equally amplifying the tone is the score by Adrian Diery which adds a rather chill and contemplative backdrop to the whole experience. Return of the Champ is the first film by Damien Power, and if this is the style of film we might get from him, then I'm looking forward to seeing where his filmography takes us. This interview was recorded ahead of the films world premiere at Flickerfest 2026. Keep an eye out for it as it rolls out through the festival circuit. You'll not want to miss this one. Sign up for the latest interviews, reviews, and more via https://www.thecurb.com.au/subscribe/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    31 min
  3. Addition Director Marcelle Lunam and lead Teresa Palmer on bringing Toni Jordan’s book to life on screen

    28 JAN

    Addition Director Marcelle Lunam and lead Teresa Palmer on bringing Toni Jordan’s book to life on screen

    Addition is the latest film from director Marcelle Lunam and actor Teresa Palmer. It's a screen adaptation of the novel by Toni Jordan, telling the story of Grace, a woman who counts everything because numbers hold her world together. Yet, when she meets Seamus (Joe Dempsie), her world is thrown upside and her ordered life becomes disordered. In the following interviews, recorded ahead of Addition's release in Australian cinemas, Nadine Whitney talks to both director Marcelle Lunam and Teresa Palmer about making the film and respectfully presenting neurodivergence on screen. the Curb is a completely independent and ad free website that lives on the support of listeners and readers just like you. Visit thecurb.com.au/subscribe, where you can support our work from $2 a month. Paid subscribers get access to our monthly competitions, exclusive interviews and articles, and more. Sign up for the latest interviews, reviews, and more via https://www.thecurb.com.au/subscribe/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    18 min
  4. Tuesday Tuesday director Lianne Mackessy on honouring the lives of people living with dementia in her short film

    28 JAN

    Tuesday Tuesday director Lianne Mackessy on honouring the lives of people living with dementia in her short film

    Lianne Mackessy is a multi-hyphenate creative whose work spans from acting in front of the camera in films like 2025's Smoke, to writing and directing her own work, like her 2026 drama short film Tuesday Tuesday.  Making its world premiere at FlickerFest 2026, Tuesday Tuesday follows a young support worker, played by Jillian Nguyen, who spends a final day with her long-time client, played by Peter Phelps, who lives with younger-onset dementia and will be shifting into a care facility the following day. Co-written with Emily Sheehan, Tuesday Tuesday is a tender and considered film about what it means to be a support worker, helping someone live a life where they may not even recognise you the very next day.  In the following interview, Lianne talks about her own experience as a support worker, the process of building the characters with Peter Phelps and Jillian Nguyen, while she also talks about her work at Bus Stop Films. Sign up for the latest interviews, reviews, and more via https://www.thecurb.com.au/subscribe/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    26 min
  5. Stellan Skarsgård on Sentimental Value

    27 JAN

    Stellan Skarsgård on Sentimental Value

    Stellan Skarsgård as Gustav Borg in Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value is a man who is searching for connection with the two daughters, Nora (Renate Reinsve) and Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas) he effectively abandoned when he split from their just deceased mother.  The once storied director turns up at the funeral for his ex-wife and one of the first things he does is to reclaim a set of speakers from the home (a longstanding character in itself) that has housed members of his family for generations. Gustav is opinionated, arrogant, funny, and awkward. He’s written a screenplay for Nora, who is now a respected theatre actress, to star in but she doesn’t want anything to do with it or him. The quiet truth is that Nora and Gustav are two similar souls who both struggle with connection and loneliness. Art is their form of expression but it can also be a burden they don’t know how to negotiate. Nadine Whitney speaks with Stellan about how Gustav sees Nora and longs for her to return the recognition. the Curb is a completely independent and ad free website that lives on the support of listeners and readers just like you. Visit thecurb.com.au/subscribe, where you can support our work from $2 a month. Paid subscribers get access to our monthly competitions, exclusive interviews and articles, and more. Sign up for the latest interviews, reviews, and more via https://www.thecurb.com.au/subscribe/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    9 min
  6. Óliver Laxe & Kanding Ray on the sonic tension of Sirāt

    18 JAN

    Óliver Laxe & Kanding Ray on the sonic tension of Sirāt

    In unison, director Óliver Laxe & composer Kandang Ray have created one of the most intense and heart racing cinematic experiences in recent years with their Cannes award winning film Sirāt (winning the Jury Prize). Playing out like a modern version of Wages of Fear with a missing daughter and a rave in the desert supplanting that films explosive cargo, Sirāt is as intense as experience as any other that follows Luis (Sergi López) and his son Esteban (Bruno Núñez Arjona) as they ask a swathe of desert ravers where their family member is. Óliver throws viewers into the fray from the first frame, utilising Kandang Ray's thumping electronic music to provide a sonic backbone to the anxiety provoking experience. That's a tone that never lets up throughout the films 114 minute runtime, ensuring that by the time credits role you'll be pushing down an oncoming panic attack. For some, that sensory experience of tension driven filmmaking isn't exactly fitting with the idea of a 'good time at the movies', but Sirāt isn't a film that intends to make you feel good. Instead, Laxe is looking to expand upon the current state of the world, leaving just enough space for the viewer to draw their own meaning from the metaphor that Laxe and Kandang Ray are spinning. In the following interviews, Nadine Whitney talks to director Óliver Laxe about the landscape and use of music in the film, while in the second interview, Andrew F Peirce talks to composer Kandang Ray about building that sonic profile for the film. Both interviews were recorded ahead of the film receiving two nominations at the 83rd Golden Globe Awards, picking up noms for Best Foreign Language Film and Best Original Score. Sirāt arrives at Perth Festival's Lotterywest Films from 19 January to 25 January 2026. It will receive a wider release thanks to Madman Entertainment from 26 February 2026. the Curb is a completely independent and ad free website that lives on the support of listeners and readers just like you. Visit thecurb.com.au/subscribe, where you can support our work from $2 a month. Paid subscribers get access to our monthly competitions, exclusive interviews and articles, and more. Sign up this week to be in the running to win a double pass to see The Secret Agent. Sign up for the latest interviews, reviews, and more via https://www.thecurb.com.au/subscribe/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    21 min
  7. Giles Chan on literalising emotions in Jellyfish & Interview

    5 JAN

    Giles Chan on literalising emotions in Jellyfish & Interview

    Giles Chan's Jellyfish was one of the cinematic revelations that I experienced during 2025. It's a film about a man, Henry, played with grounded depression by Aidan Rynne, who earns money by being a human punching bag. His body is riddled with bruises, most inflicted by others, some inflicted by himself. He's a jellyfish of a person, consuming enough to survive, but otherwise floating through Perth on a journey to nothing. After one paid beating, he meets Maddy (Orly Beringer), and sparks a bond, of sorts. Yet, it's a relationship that doesn't last long. I'm reminded of the song Rosemary Mushrooms by Jack Davies & the Bush Chooks, which in the dissolution of the bond in that song he wails: 'How can I love somebody if I'm frightened of myself?' Jellyfish left a mark on me, a similar mark in the way that Giles' short film Interview did when that screened at Perth's Revelation Film Festival. That short film explores how the capitalistic society we live in restricts any sense of self, with people being pushed into a box of servitude. In this conversation, recorded ahead of the Revelation Film Festival in July, and being released today to honour Jellyfish's inclusion in my annual Best Australian Films of 2025 list, Giles talks about his journey into filmmaking, the literalisation of emotions in his films, and the presentation of pain on screen. Sign up for the latest interviews, reviews, and more via https://www.thecurb.com.au/subscribe/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 2m
  8. Geraldine Hakewill on voicing Lucy in the adaptation of Shaun Tan's Tales from Outer Suburbia

    4 JAN

    Geraldine Hakewill on voicing Lucy in the adaptation of Shaun Tan's Tales from Outer Suburbia

    Even though we're only five days into the new year, one of the standout shows for 2026 is the ABC adaptation of Shaun Tan's Tales from Outer Suburbia. This glorious animation carries a stop motion vibe as it invites us into a version of suburbia, one where deep sea divers roam the streets and single mums try to keep their family together. We follow Klara and Pim and their mum Lucy, voiced with beautiful attentiveness and care by Geraldine Hakewill. The focus is on the kids, but each time they return home, Lucy is there to tend to them and to set up their new life in outer suburbia. In the following interview, recorded ahead of the shows launch on ABC, Geraldine talks about the creative process of voicing Lucy, about how her varied roles throughout her career have influenced what choices she makes as a storyteller, and much more. Shaun Tan's Tales from Outer Suburbia is currently on ABC iView. Head along and give it a watch, it's a great show for kids and adults alike. If you like this chat with Geraldine, then make sure to check out my earlier conversation with Shaun Tan, or consider becoming a paid subscriber to listen to the conversation with director Noel Cleary. To join up and help keep the Curb independent, visit thecurb.com.au/subscribe where you can support us from as little as $2 a month. Even if you're unable to financially support us, join up to our free newsletter where you'll be able to read my annual Best Australian Films of 2025 list when it goes up on 6 January. Sign up for the latest interviews, reviews, and more via https://www.thecurb.com.au/subscribe/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    35 min
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About

Welcome to the Curb. This is the podcast where we bring you in depth interviews with filmmakers, creatives, and curators of culture. This podcast is recorded in Boorloo, Western Australia. Support The Curb on Patreon, and make sure to follow us on Facebook. Contact with us via our email. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    The Curb
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    388
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © The Curb - 2018 - 2025
  • Show Website
    the Curb