From Clio Barnard’s hopeful love story Ali & Ava to Eva Husson’s star-studded WWI drama Mothering Sunday, Anna and Wendy look ahead to the most promising female-directed films premiering at Cannes 2021. Their curiosity shifts to Paul Verhoeven’s upcoming lesbian nun movie Benedetta. And finally, it wouldn’t be Cannes without the Palm Dog Award!

Next Anna is joined by the director of Black Widow, Cate Shortland. The second female-focused Marvel movie sees Scarlett Johansson reprise her role as the titular superhero who is reunited with her Russian family and espionage past. Anna and Cate discuss sisterhood, Florence Pugh’s pivotal role in the film, and rebuking sexist jokes.

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Reeling from a screening of First Cow at Picturehouse Central, Mia and Anna join Orla Smith on Zoom for a chat about all things Kelly Reichardt. Her latest film follows the story of a Jewish chef and a Chinese businessman who set out to make their fortune in 1820s Oregon. The critics discuss the film’s tender representation of masculinity, its exploration of American mythologies, and its unique attention to menial tasks. Orla, the executive editor of Seventh Row, gives a background to Kelly’s work, and Mia, the director of Birds Eye View, advises on where to start with her challenging movies.

Anna is then joined by academic Chrystel Oloukoï, who further delves into the slowness and whiteness of Kelly’s work. Discussing the video essay she made on Kelly Reichardt’s films, she holds a lens to their indigenous characters and interesting portrayal of settler colonialism.

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What makes a father a feminist? We explore a range of movie dads in this episode to celebrate Father’s Day in the UK. Stay tuned for some great movie recommendations, including docs, dramas, and everything in between!

First up, Anna Smith is joined by Ashanti Omkar from BBC Asian Network and the Bagri Foundation London Indian Film Festival. From Bollywood fathers to debatable blockbuster dads, Anna and Ashanti consider the types of dads we see on screen. Can the supportive dad unhelpfully play into the nagging wife trope? And can we really call Liam Neeson’s character in Taken a feminist?!

Next up, Anna welcomes actor and father Sanjeev Bhaskar to the show. He reveals the strong female influences in his life and reflects on the powerful women he’s worked with on set. He shares his thoughts on our changing access to female role models over the past few decades and is grateful for his exposure to diverse perspectives. Keep listening to find out what Sanjeev finds bizarre about his father roles in both Anita & Me and Yesterday…

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Fancy watching a fantastic documentary? This episode is full of recommendations, as we celebrate the world-renowned British documentary festival, Sheffield DocFest.

First up, Anna talks with Festival Director Cíntia Gil about how this year’s Sheffield DocFest has come together. Cíntia selects a few of her favourite female-focused docs, that include everything from polyamorous weddings to weight lifting! Anna and Cíntia reflect on the surge of feminist reformative histories and new wave of female-directed docs. Is there a gendered gaze?

Next up, critic Simran Hans tells Anna why Sheffield DocFest is a special place for her. Together, they review the tumultuous personal portrait Charm Circle and the coming-of-age trans story If God Were a Woman. Simran recommends the clever and impactful short film, They Won’t Call It Murder.

Anna’s final guest is the director, producer and cinematographer of This Stained Dawn, Anam Abbas. This thoughtful doc explores the feminist movement in Pakistan. Anam details the important impact of marching and hopes her film will connect feminists across borders. She talks sisterhood, shocking moments, and what it means to be a part of Sheffield DocFest.

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Feminism, faith and ferries to France… actor Joanna Scanlan tells Anna all about her new leading role in the film After Love. Written and directed by Aleem Khan, this tense, personal drama follows Mary (Joanna) as she uncovers her late husband’s secret. When questioned on the feminist angle of the film, Joanna makes an interesting point about our double standards on male and female bodies when it comes to a particular scene. Anna and Joanna also discuss the complex clash between the central female characters, what it was like preparing for the role, and their favourite scenes. Listen to the end to find out how Joanna’s been shaking off sexual shame in lockdown!

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Anna takes a deep dive into Disney’s recent projects, exploring how far they’ve come in terms of female representation and diversity.

Critic Larushka Ivan-Zadeh feels right at home discussing all things Disney and Pixar. She tracks the evolution of Disney princesses and celebrates the multiple complex female characters of Raya and the Last Dragon. From warriors to wretches, the discussion turns to Cruella. Anna and Larushka share their thoughts on the new villainous origin story, the female rivalry at the centre of the film, and the brilliant performances from Emma Stone, Emma Thompson, and a cast of canines! Larushka also gives a review of the new horror film A Quiet Place Part II.

Next up, screenwriters Adele Lim and Osnat Shurer explain what it means to them to create Disney’s first Southeast Asian warrior-princess. They talk about developing the movie with positive gender representation in mind, including the decision to have multiple leading female characters. They also pinpoint why representation behind the scenes is so important to onscreen diversity.

Finally, the Director of Disney’s new Launchpad initiative, Mahin Ibrahim, joins Anna to offer an exclusive insight into how this new programme is aiming to bring to light underrepresented stories. American listeners stay tuned for some exciting opportunities!

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Mental health, gender disparities, beastly characters, and musicals. Billie Piper joins Anna Smith to talk about her bold writer-director debut Rare Beasts. The film sees single mother Mandy (played by Billie) pursue a relationship with an openly misogynistic man (Leo Bill). From insecurities to inspirations, Billie shares the process of building this bleakly comic story. She also raves about working with friend-of-the-pod Kerry Fox, and reflects on her first experience of directing men.

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Anna delves into Channel 4’s urgent new documentary Sex, Myths and the Menopause with director Linda Sands and producer Kate Muir. Presented by Davina McCall, this show dispels the taboo surrounding menopause and demands that we start to have open conversations on the subject. Kate shares the personal experiences that compelled her to write a book and produce the film. Linda describes working with Davina and how she set the tone for the doc. They then explore the limited – and often terrible – representations of menopause in the movies.

Next, Anna is joined by GP and women’s health expert Dr Nighat Arif to discuss the mental and physical wellbeing of women before, during and after menopause. Dr Nighat discusses the part she played in the Channel 4 doc and explains the importance of recognising the intersectionality of menopause – it is not just a ‘white woman problem’. She reveals she is a bit of a film buff and picks out some on screen menopause moments with Anna. This discussion is jam-packed with useful medical tips and uplifting messages for all!

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Discover the unsung female pioneers of electronic music in our Sisters With Transistors special. This one’s a real treat for your ears!

First up, Anna is joined by collaborators on the doc: writer-director Lisa Rovner and pioneer Suzanne Ciani. Lisa explains the process of finding archive footage and constructing the ‘herstory’. From Buchla concerts to making music for the movies, Suzanne recalls her experience of being a female composer in the 70s and 80s. She remembers being one of the first women to solo score a Hollywood movie, The Incredible Shrinking Woman, in 1981. Keep listening for Suzanne’s discovery of a female film composer working in the 40s! And stay tuned for advice if you’re keen to follow in her footsteps.

Next, Anna chats to contemporary electronic composers Shiva Feshareki and Elizabeth Bernholz (aka Gazelle Twin). They recount their careers so far and talk about the unexpected positives of working in a male-dominated industry. Shiva explains how she got involved with Sisters With Transistors, and Elizabeth describes her powerful emotions when watching it. Together, they discuss the pioneers they look up to and those they have discovered through the doc.

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