FRED Film Radio - English Channel
Welcome to FRED’s channel in ENGLISH Are you a film lover / a film buff / a filmmaker / an actor / a film critic / a journalist / a film student / a festival organizer / a producer / a distributor / a film buyer / a sales agent/ a film publicist interested in independent cinema and film festivals? YOU ARE IN THE RIGHT PLACE FRED FILM RADIO IS YOUR RADIO ! The idea is to allow all those who cannot be at film festivals to share in the experience as if they were, and to offer more in-depth information and targeted entertainment to those actually there. If English is yo...
“The Dreamed Adventure”, interview with the director Valeska Grisebach
In competition at the 79th Cannes Film Festival, “The Dreamed Adventure” marks Valeska Grisebach’s return to Bulgaria after “Western”. Set in Svilengrad, a town on the Bulgarian border, the film follows Veska, an archaeologist, as her encounter with Said, an old acquaintance whose car has been stolen, pulls her into a hidden network of criminal ties beneath the town’s apparently quiet surface.
Grisebach explained that her earlier experience in Bulgaria left her with the sense that the country still held stories she needed to understand.
“I realised how limited my knowledge about Europe is,” she said...
“All of a Sudden”, interview with the director Ryusuke Hamaguchi
In competition at the 79th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, “All of a Sudden” marks a new chapter in the work of Ryusuke Hamaguchi, continuing the director’s exploration of communication, intimacy and emotional ambiguity after “Drive My Car”.
The film follows Marie-Lou, director of a care facility for the elderly, as she attempts to introduce a philosophy of care grounded in dignity and attentive listening. Her encounter with Mari, a Japanese theatre director living with cancer, gradually transforms both women, creating a profound bond that transcends language, illness and cultural distance.
Hamaguchi reflected extensivel...
“Elephants in the Fog”, Interview with director Abinash Bikram Shah
Winner of the Un Certain Regard Jury Prize at the 79th Cannes Film Festival, “Elephants in the Fog” is the feature debut of Nepali writer-director Abinash Bikram Shah, and the first Nepali film ever selected for the section. Set in Thori, a forested village in Nepal’s southern Terai plains, the film follows Pirati, the matriarch of a Kinnar family, an ancient third-gender community both revered and feared whose dream of escaping with the man she loves is shattered when one of her daughters disappears during a nightly patrol against wild elephants. Pushpa Thing Lama<...
“Free Eliza”, interview with the director Alexandra Matheou
Presented at the Quinzaine des Cinéastes during the 79th Festival de Cannes, “Free Eliza (Notes On An Anatomical Imperfection)” is the debut feature by Greek filmmaker Alexandra Matheou, a sharp and emotionally layered exploration of identity, performance and emotional repression.
The film follows Eliza, a hotel employee unable to smile physically, despite working in an environment where constant cheerfulness is expected. For Alexandra Matheou, the idea emerged from a real encounter with a hotel worker whose expression stayed with her long after their meeting. “She had the saddest face in the world,” the director recalled. “I remember wr...
“Kokurojo – The Samurai and the Prisoner”, interview with the director Kiyoshi Kurosawa
Presented in the Cannes Première section of the 79th edition of the Festival de Cannes, “Kokurojo – The Samurai and the Prisoner” marks the first classical samurai film directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa. Known internationally for works that span horror, thriller, and psychological drama, the Japanese filmmaker approached the jidaigeki genre through the figure of Araki Murashige, a 16th-century samurai remembered in Japanese history as a coward and traitor.
Kiyoshi Kurosawa explained that the project began when a producer gave him the novel that later became the basis for the film. What fascinated him was not Araki Murashige‘s histori...
“9 Temples to Heaven”, interview with director Sompot Chidgasornpongse
During the 79th edition of the Cannes international Film Festival we spoke with the director Sompot Chidgasornpongse for his new film “9 Temples to Heaven“, presented here at the festival in the Quinzaine des Cinéastes section. The film is a beautiful spiritual and human journey that explores the true significance and cultural richness of the “nine temples pilgrimage” tradition in Thai society. This ritual indeed reflects deeply rooted traditions and spiritual beliefs that shape everyday life and artistic expressions in Thailand.
The interview
During our interview with FRED Film Radio, what director Sompot Chidgasornpongse explained is how th...
“I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning”, interview with director Clio Barnard
Winner of the People’s Choice Audience Award at the Quinzaine des Cinéastes at the 79th Cannes Film Festival, “I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning” is the fifth feature by British filmmaker Clio Barnard, adapted by Enda Walsh from the novel of the same name by Birmingham writer Keiran Goddard. The film follows five childhood friends, Patrick, Shiv, Rian, Oli and Conor, now in their thirties, as the lives they dreamed of begin to feel out of reach. Set in Birmingham and anchored in a working-class community navigating precarious jobs, a housing crisis and the weight of grow...
“Coward”, interview with director Lukas Dhont
Belgian filmmaker Lukas Dhont returns to the Cannes competition for the second time with “Coward“, a queer romantic drama set during the First World War. After “Girl”, which won the Caméra d’Or in Un Certain Regard in 2018, and “Close“, Grand Prix winner in 2022, Lukas Dhont‘s third feature follows Pierre, a young soldier newly arrived at the Belgian front, and Francis, a flamboyant comrade who organises a theatre show to lift the spirits of the men around him. While violence rages, both find ways to escape the brutality of war, even if only for a moment. The film...
“Everytime”, Interview with director Sandra Wollner
Austrian filmmaker Sandra Wollner makes her Cannes debut with “Everytime“, her third feature, screening in Un Certain Regard at the 79th Festival de Cannes. After “The Impossible Picture” and “The Trouble With Being Born“, which won the Special Jury Award in the Berlinale’s Encounters section, Sandra Wollner turns her gaze to a Berlin family shattered by the death of a teenage daughter. A year after the tragedy, the girl’s mother Ella, played by Birgit Minichmayr, and her younger sister Melli set off for a holiday in Tenerife together with Lux, the boyfriend the whole world blames for the loss. Under...
“Double Freedom”, interview with director Lisandro Alonso
Presented at the Quinzaine des Cinéastes at the 79th Cannes Film Festival, “Double Freedom (La libertad doble)” is Argentine director Lisandro Alonso‘s unexpected sequel to “La Libertad”, the 2001 debut that launched his career, also at Cannes. Twenty-five years later, the film reunites Lisandro Alonso with Misael Saavedra, the real-life woodcutter whose solitary existence in the Argentine pampa became the subject of that first film. This time, Misael’s quiet freedom is disrupted when he must care for his older sister, played by Chilean actress Catalina Saavedra. Produced by Planta, Deptford Film and Alonso’s own 4L, with international sa...
“Flesh and Fuel”, interview with the actor Julian Świeżewski
“Flesh and Fuel” (Du Fieul dans les Artères) by Pierre Le Gal is a captivating film about two truck drivers—one Polish and one French—whose professional lives mirror their personal struggles and desires. The narrative delves into how their contrasting motivations and attitudes towards work influence their relationship and self-perception. The portrayal of these characters offers a deep reflection on identity, freedom, and societal norms, making “Flesh and Fuel” a meaningful addition to contemporary cinematic storytelling.
We talked about these issues with on of the actors, Julian Świeżewski.
The Significance of Flesh and Fuel in Por...
“Nostalgia for the future”, interview with the director Brecht Debackere
“Nostalgia for the Future” starts from the archives of Chris Marker, pivotal figure in modern filmmaking, that are partially disclosed. The director Brecth Debackere talks with us about his approach to that material and the way he decided to tell the story of Chris Marker from his archives, not in a classic way, for sure.
Why “Nostalgia for the Future” Resonates in Contemporary Film
The phrase “Nostalgia for the Future” captures a compelling tension between longing for what has been and hopeful anticipation of what is yet to come. Modern filmmakers invoke this concept by referencing...
“Tin Castle”, interview with director Alexander Murphy
During the 79th edition of the Cannes international Film Festival we spoke with the director Alexander Murphy for the movie “Tin Castle“, presented in the Semain de la Critique section. This heartfelt documentary is a deep exploration of love and community of who lives at the the margins of society such as the Irish travellers, a culture who are not known as they should and that often have a stereotypical narration that surround them. By focusing on the O’Reillys and their 10 children, the film showcases a vibrant world often misunderstood or overlooked by mainstream society, seeking meaningful interactions with f...
“Lucy Lost”, interview with director Olivier Clert
During the 79th edition of the Cannes International FIlm Festival we spoke with director Olivier Clert for the film “Lucy Lost“, presented at the festival among the Special Screenings. The animated feature is an enchanting tale of identity, magic and imagination, exploring how personal life can largely be shaped by external perceptions and combining folklore, animation techniques, and emotional depth to create a unique cinematic experience.
The interview
During our interview with FRED Film Radio, director Olivier Clert stated how “Lucy Lost” tries bridging cultural influences from European, American, and Japanese animation, blending digital innovation with tra...
“All the Lovers in the Night”, interview with director Yukiko Sode and actors Yukino Kishii and Asano Tadanobu
During the 79th edition of the Cannes International Film Festival we spoke with the Director Yukiko Sode and actors Yukino Kishii and Asano Tadanobu from the film “All the Lovers in the Night“, an intimate exploration of solitude and connection presented in the Un Certain Regard section of the festival. This film offers a nuanced look at human relationships through a poetic lens, centering on the quiet struggles of solitude in the japanese society and on the search for genuine connection that we all bear within us, from all over the world.
The interview
During our...
“La Gradiva”, an interview with director Marine Atlan
Marine Atlan, known for her outstanding work as a cinematographer (for instance on “Summer Scars”, “Thunder”, and “The Rapture”), debuts as a director with the fascinating and lively “La Gradiva”, which takes us on a school trip to Pompeii with a group of privileged last year high schoolers led by their passionate Latin teacher (Antonia Buresi), who prompts them to read the traces of the past, to reimagine the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, while shaken by their own desires and fantasies and frustrations. The film, also running for the Camera d...
‘Marvelous Mornings’, an interview with director Avril Besson and actresses India Hair and Raya Martigny
Avril Besson, who just presented her first feature, “Marvelous Mornings” (original title: “Les Matins merveilleux”), amongst the Special Screenings of the 79th Cannes Film Festival, is full of surprises – and “the funniest person I know”, adds her lead actress India Hair. Who would have thought that the sad event which sets her character in motion happened to her in the same, wacky way, and that she would succeed so well in her resolve to turn that grief into a comedy – to “put some fun into it”.
As the French director (and conten...
Highlights and film critics from the 79th Cannes Film Festival – episode 20/05
Global Critics Cannes Voice, hosted by internationally renowned film critic Rita Di Santo, is the daily podcast of the 79th Cannes Film Festival, produced by FRED Film Radio directly from Cannes.
Each episode takes listeners inside the Festival with exclusive and thoughtful conversations with leading international film critics, and in-depth analysis of the year’s most anticipated films.Rita Di Santo and her guests bring to life the unique atmosphere of Venice, offering a rare insider’s view of the stories, talent, and cinematic moments that make the Cannes Film Festival one of the world’s most celebr...
“I’ll be gone in June”, interview with the director Katharina Rivilis
Presented in the Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard section, “I’ll Be Gone in June” marks the feature debut of German filmmaker Katharina Rivilis, who transforms personal memory into an intimate reflection on adolescence and historical uncertainty.
The film follows Franny, a German exchange student who arrives in Las Cruces, New Mexico, shortly before the events of September 11 reshape both the United States and the global political landscape.
Franny initially carries with her an imagined version of America shaped by cinema, television, and popular culture. What she discovers instead is a qui...
“Original Wound”, interview with the co director Sein Lyan Tun
“Original Wound” emerges as one of the darkest and most emotionally unsettling films of the Indonesian collaborative program Next Step Studio.
Co-directed by Myanmar filmmaker Sein Lyan Tun and Indonesian director Shelby Kho, the short film centres on a brother and sister left alone in the family house after their mother’s death. As memories resurface, grief becomes increasingly unstable, exposing emotional wounds that neither character fully understands in the same way.
For Sein Lyan Tun, the project began through a shared emotional territory discovered during the writin...
“Annisa”, interview with the co-director Sam Manacsa
“Annisa” offers one of the most intimate and sensory experiences among the short films developed through the Indonesian collaborative program Next Step Studio.
Co-directed by Filipino filmmaker Sam Manacsa and Indonesian actor-director Reza Rahadian, the film follows a blind teenage girl living in a crowded neighbourhood in Jakarta as she gradually seeks her voice during a local community festival.
For Sam Manacsa, the central challenge was never to reduce the character to her blindness, but rather to construct the cinematic language around her emotional perspective.
“It was...
“Holy Crowd”, interview with the directors Reza Fahriyansyah and Ananth Subramaniam
Presented at the Cannes Film Festival as part of the International Critics’ Week initiative, Next Step Studio, “Holy Crowd” transforms a supernatural premise into a sharp reflection on social behaviour and collective hysteria.
Co-directed by Indonesian filmmaker Reza Fahriyansyah and Malaysian director Ananth Subramaniam, the short film begins with a seemingly impossible event: a woman dies, only to suddenly return to life during her funeral.
What initially appears to be a miracle rapidly spirals into chaos. The resurrected woman becomes the object of fascination, opportunism, and projection, while those around...
“Mothers are Mothering”, interview with the directors Khozy Rizal and Lam Li Shuen
Presented during the Cannes Film Festival as part of the International Critics’ Week initiative, Next Step Studio: Indonesia,
“Makers Are Mothering” emerges as one of the most singular short films of the program dedicated to new Indonesian voices in cinema.
Co-directed by Indonesian filmmaker Khozy Rizal and Singaporean director Lam Li Shuen, the film combines black comedy, queer sensibility and science fiction to tell the story of Nia, a woman trapped within domestic suffocation and emotional displacement.
For Khozy Rizal, the project’s origin was deeply p...
