The Current
A magazine of film culture past and present, with new articles, interviews, and videos published every day
Recent Articles
What Inspired Claudia Weill to Make a Different Kind of Friendship Movie
The director of the landmark independent movie Girlfriends recalls her journey to fiction filmmaking and her desire to go against the grain of women-driven storytelling.
A Filmmaking Family Takes to the Streets
Legendary activist filmmaker Fernando Solanas joins his son and daughter in Cannes for their latest project, a chronicle of the long, hard fight for abortion rights in Argentina.
Let the Sunshine In: One Love
Claire Denis and Juliette Binoche grapple with the realities of middle-aged loneliness and the eternal quest for companionship in this candid quasi comedy.
Games of Vision in Street of Shame
Professor David Bordwell unpacks the sophisticated design of Kenji Mizoguchi’s final masterpiece.
The Versatile Artistry of Japan’s Most Revered Cinematographer
Acclaimed DP John Bailey delves into the extraordinary career of one of the towering figures of golden-age Japanese cinema.
How to Implicate an Audience
Michael Haneke explains the strategy and inspiration behind his fourth-wall-breaking tricks in the brutal thriller Funny Games.
Joanna Hogg Revisits Her Past Selves
With her first three films now playing on the Criterion Channel, the acclaimed British director digs back into the past to trace the roots of her cinephilia and artistry.
Funny Games: Don’t You Want to See How It Ends?
With this controversial treatise on violence and media, Michael Haneke created a spectacle that is both intensely watchable and hard to stomach.
Breaking the Ice: The Beginning of Desire in The Piano Teacher
One of the quietest, most unassuming moments in Michael Haneke’s disturbing drama serves as a microcosm of his themes of control and sexuality.
Terry Gilliam’s Closet Picks
While in town for the release of his new movie The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, the legendary filmmaker stopped by to pick up some Criterion favorites.
William Wyler’s Subtly Cinematic Take on the Chamber Drama
Despite its cloistered setting, The Heiress is filled with moments of visual ingenuity and exquisite camera work that take viewers inside its heroine’s psychology.
How Sam Smith Finds Inspiration in the History of Poster Art
The longtime Criterion collaborator behind our covers for Japón, House, and Modern Times combines his love for film and design in his vividly colorful artwork.
Video
Spotlight
Studio Visits
In this series of video profiles, we drop in on some of the talented illustrators and designers who create the cover art for our editions.
