Interviews
The Urgency of the Moment: A Conversation with Lizzie Borden
Fiercely committed to the possibilities of political art, the trailblazing director talks about how her intersectional understanding of feminism imbues her films, three of which are now playing on the Criterion Channel.
How Dweller Charts a Path Through Black Queer Spaces
Ryan Clarke and S*an D. Henry-Smith—two curators behind New York City’s premier Black electronic music festival—talk about the films they selected for Radical Dreams, Underground Sounds, a collection now playing on the Criterion Channel.
Wild Combinations: A Conversation with Matt Wolf
Combining a passion for preservation with a desire for experimentation, the documentary filmmaker creates portraits of visionary outsiders in a style guided less by narrative than by emotion.
Curator Jonathan Ali on the Cutting Edge of Caribbean Cinema
The programmer of Third Horizon, a series now playing on the Criterion Channel, discusses the challenges of cinematic representation and the need to think beyond its limits.
Through a Screen Darkly: A Conversation with Micaela Durand and Daniel Chew
In the work of this New York–based filmmaking duo, the internet is an omnipresent force in everyday life, warping our perceptions and desires.
Into the Groove: A Conversation with Susan Seidelman
Beloved for her stylistic range and her vibrant portraits of New York City, the director discusses the feminist spirit that runs throughout her work and the collaborations that bring her films to life.
Meaning in the Method: A Conversation with Ellen Burstyn
The award-winning actor talks about training with Lee Strasberg, her involvement in the Actors Studio, and her on- and off-screen contributions to two of her most important films.
A Rich Counterhistory of Masculinities On-Screen
Writer-archivist-filmmaker Jenni Olson and critic Caden Mark Gardner discuss Masc, a collection of films on the Criterion Channel that explores the many forms of masculinity beyond the realm of cisgender men.
Stories in Unlikely Places: A Conversation with Jeanie Finlay
In her deeply empathetic documentaries, the British filmmaker illuminates the lives of ordinary people who have quietly created new identities and possibilities for themselves.
Anything Is Possible Here: A Conversation with Miryam Charles
In her feature debut, Cette maison, the Haitian Canadian filmmaker develops an ornate and innovative approach to documentary form as she grapples with a painful part of her family history.
Let the Words Do the Work: debbie tucker green on ear for eye
One of Britain’s most celebrated playwrights talks about bringing her uncompromising exploration of racism and resistance to the screen.
Spiral Cinema: A Conversation with Janaína Oliveira
The Brazil-based programmer discusses her transnational, oppositional approach to curating the daring lineup for Opacity, which was presented at the Flaherty Seminar in 2021 and is now available on the Criterion Channel.
Glen Pitre Looks Back on a Louisiana Cinema Landmark
The director of Belizaire the Cajun talks about his pioneering depiction of the Cajun French community and the transformative impact the Sundance Institute had on his film career.
Something Human: A Conversation with Sofia Bohdanowicz and Deragh Campbell
The frequent collaborators talk about their close friendship, the paths that led them to each other, and the artistic values they share.
Decolonizing Australian Cinema: A Conversation with Warwick Thornton
The director of Samson and Delilah and Sweet Country discusses his formative artistic encounters, his eclectic professional background, and on-screen Indigenous representation.
Killing Time with Fronza Woods
The trailblazing and idiosyncratic filmmaker discusses her two newly restored shorts, her childhood in Detroit, and her decision to leave the movie industry behind.
Intimate Apparel: A Conversation with Nancy Steiner
The veteran designer talks about her wide-ranging, three-decade career, which has included collaborations with rock icons like Nirvana and filmmakers like Sofia Coppola and David Lynch.
Memories of a Vibrant Moment in Asian American Cinema
Five pioneering filmmakers look back on the communities and institutions that helped them flourish in the 1990s, an era in Asian American moving-image culture that has since gone underappreciated.
Documentary’s Newest Forms: A Conversation with Inney Prakash
The founder of the experimental documentary festival Prismatic Ground discusses his vision for rethinking the bounds of nonfiction cinema.
Unfinished Stories: A Conversation with Rosine Mbakam
The Cameroonian filmmaker resists the colonial and paternalistic tendencies of documentaries set in Africa by giving her subjects the power to shape how they are represented on-screen.
Working Memory: A Conversation with Sophy Romvari
With a collection of her films now available on the Criterion Channel, the director behind Still Processing discusses the radically personal nature of her work.
Radio-Activity: A Conversation with Christopher Petit
The director discusses the making of his 1979 cult road movie, Radio On, which is now streaming exclusively on the Criterion Channel, and the influence of New German Cinema on his visual style.
As Sure as the Sun Will Shine: Justine Henzell on The Harder They Come at Fifty
In celebration of the reggae classic’s anniversary, the daughter of director Perry Henzell reflects on the global influence of the film and its beloved soundtrack.
An Evening with Faya dayi Director Jessica Beshir
The Brooklyn-based filmmaker spoke with fellow director Yance Ford on the challenges of making her sublimely lyrical debut feature, one of the most acclaimed documentaries of the year.