Sapphic Culture Club: Recent Episodes
Neon Cactus Radio
An exploration of lesbian themes in movies, TV, books, music, and more. (Formerly Podcast of a Lady on Fire.)
On a whim, we decided to see what it’d be like if we removed all the silence from our previous Bottoms watchalong episode.
Remember our GaySMR segment from Season 2? Well, welcome to CHAOSMR.
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sapphiccultureclub/message
For our second to last episode this season, we're watching 2023's instant chaotic lesbian classic, Emma Seligman's Bottoms starring Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edebiri. Didn't get to see Bottoms with a bunch of other queers? Already seen it and want to enjoy it again? Join us as Laurel watches it for the first time and Audrey watches it again.🍿Psssst...want to skip to the discussion? Head to 1:32:38!(Episode transcript in progress.)--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sapphiccultureclub/message
We loved Rose Glass's chaotic queer thriller, Love Lies Bleeding, starring Kristen Stewart and Katy O'Brian, so join us as we clean up the bloody mess it left of our hearts.
*Note: if you're confused about how Laurel introduces the show in this episode, she's saying "Sapphic Murder Club" but with, like, a Curly from the Three Stooges accent.
If you're confused about anything else we've said, please consult our EPISODE TRAAAANSCRIPT.
Yearn with us on Instagram @sapphiccultureclub
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sapphiccultureclub/message
In light of Natasha Lyonne's recent acknowledgement of her undeniable should-be-gayness and in celebration of Women's History Month we're talking about some of our favorite should-be's.
Episode Transcript
Show Notes
- Clip of Natasha Lyonne explaining that she should be gay
- Brie Larson asking how to top lesbians: video and the article for more context
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sapphiccultureclub/message
Surrealist artist Amie Pascal brings a queer lens to portraying and challenging representations of the body, blurring lines between reality and imagination while juxtaposing abject body horror with beauty. Her work expresses a universal rawness from a queer woman’s disabled embodiment in her new series ‘A Body Apart.’
Some of the things we discussed
- 00:10:11 - How the pandemic and long COVID changed her art
- 00:18:21 - The use of vintage anatomical illustrations as reference material and the reclamation of marginalized bodies
- 00:20:56 - Inspiration from filmmakers and women surrealists
- 00:27:03 - The "real world" as a liminal and surreal space
- 00:33:07 - Music pairings for each painting
Episode transcript
Paintings we discussed specifically
Not Much Left
Right in the Back
Dead Ringer I & Dead Ringer II (the other two paintings that feature L'Ange Anatomique)
On the Other Side
We Dare to Breathe (mentioned as "the heart and lungs")
Moments of Clarity Are So Rare (mentioned as "the head with all of the veins")
Infusion& Refusal (mentioned as "the grayscale images on the bright orange backgrounds")
Eviscerated
People and things we mentioned
A Body Apart playlist
Cambium Gallery
Amie's Instagram
Leonora Carrington (Britain & Mexico, account run by her grandson)
Remedios Varo (Mexico)
Léonor Fini (Argentina)
Contemporary filmmakers and artists
Céline Sciamma
Michelle Garza Cervera
Nadia Waheed
Naudline Cluvie Pierre
Daisy Parris
María Fragoso
Sapphic Culture Club on Instagram
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sapphiccultureclub/message
Today we're processing our thoughts about Aftersun, a quietly stunning debut film, written and directed by Charlotte Wells.
Some of the things we talk about include...
- Memory and distance
- Reflection and recording
- Aging and growing up
- Atypical tension
- The dance scenes
- Wells' short films
- ...and more!
Episode transcript
Charlotte Wells' short films
Yearn with us on Instagram
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sapphiccultureclub/message
For this episode we have time-jumped once again! We're disguising ourselves as screenwriters and going into the near future to work with AI on some ✨BRAND NEW SAPPHIC FILMS✨. The future of lesbian cinema is here! And it is...still dealing with its identity and societal prejudices. Whomp whomp.
Episode transcript
Other terrible AI-generated sapphic film ideas
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sapphiccultureclub/message
We originally started this podcast whilst in the throes of a dizzying cinematic crush on Portrait of a Lady on Fire, so those early episodes are a time capsule of what that was like for us and others in Portrait Nation. (#womans #bathtube!) Today we're traveling back in time to revisit our former selves and see how we feel about those 2020 feels now, centuries later, in 2024.
Episode transcript
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sapphiccultureclub/message
We watched the new lesbian Christmas movie.
Episode transcript
Where to watch:
Hallmark Channel
Philo
Peacock
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sapphiccultureclub/message
Something we hear a lot (we never hear this) is that everyone's lives were too calm in 2023, so we thought we'd share some of the ways we (mostly accidentally) added a whole bunch of lesbian chaos to our lives this year in case you'd like to spice things up next year.
These strategies include:
- Change work teams, then jobs, and move out of the city
- Talk to queer strangers
- Be a queer Snow White
- Set up camp in a new place in the dark
- Accumulate international bugs
- Put on a queer talent show
- Say yes to all queer art events
Episode transcript
Show notes
Lavender Phoenix
Torreya Cummings Barbary Coast Keelhaul project
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sapphiccultureclub/message
*According to Amie and the two of us! Send us your recommendations!
Welcome to a little episode that's kind of like lying on the floor in your BFF's bedroom and listening to records together. Our friend and Resident Lesbian™ Amie gave us six of her picks for the most sapphic music videos of the year. Then we used a random number generator to decide which three to watch along with you! Watch and listen along with us!
Episode transcript
Pegasus - Arlo Parks
The Sea - Romy
In My Arms - Big Joanie
Golden - LP
Silk Chiffon - MUNA feat. Phoebe Bridgers
Not Strong Enough - boygenius
Join us on Instagram! @SapphicCultureClub
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sapphiccultureclub/message
The theme for this season is LESBIAN CHAOSSS, and what better way to kick things off than a deep, dark dive into horror. We're joined by our beloved Dr. Horror Dyke (a.k.a. Heather Petrocelli) to talk about their brand new book Queer for Fear: Horror Film and the Queer Spectator.
Highlights include:
😌 Queers currently have the crown for the largest empirical study in horror studies
❤️🔥 How the book came to be
💥 Horror is queer
🔥 FILM IS QUEER
🚀 Why writing an academic book was important
⛰️ Discussing some of the great (and not so great) research that came before it
💞 The importance of queer community
🍿 The live cinema experience
💅🏽 Horror and camp
Episode transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CIFdcbLdXEdp-XWIPQs3p5gfBzmxDy5iHTE_t7dcNlE/edit?usp=drive_link
Queer for Fear: Horror Film and the Queer Spectator
(US hardcover pre-order) https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/Q/bo208655516.html
(UK ebook available now, hardcover pre-order) https://www.uwp.co.uk/book/queer-for-fear/
Note: the ebook is also available through Kobo, Amazon, and other ebook sellers.
Queer for Fear cover art print: https://buyolympia.com/Item/amie-pascal-queer-for-fear-print
Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror https://www.amazon.com/Horror-Noire-History-Black/dp/B07NDQLVS7
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sapphiccultureclub/message
For our final episode, we're talking to the folks who created Portrait of a Survey on Fire: Amie, Baby, and Heather.
We ask them what they thought about the survey's final list of lesbian films, and how it differs from their personal ones. We also collaborate on an alternate top 10 list(!) with some of our faves that didn't make it.
Thanks for joining and watching these films along with us! See y'all again after the break.🌴
Portrait of a Survey on Fire: https://instagram.com/portraitofasurveyonfire/
Episode transcript: coming soon!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sapphiccultureclub/message
Retourne-toi, y'all. It's time to take a look back at the film that started this podcast, the No. 1 film on Portrait of a Survey on Fire's top 10 list of lesbian/queer films, Portrait de la jeune fille en feu. Joining us to talk about the movie and bring us with her to the moody coast of Brittany, France is comedian, writer, and actor Kelley Quinn.
Episode transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/18gITRV4tbfkwuZ-AL3o4k8hz04a9saxrds26FwFvUXY/edit?usp=share_link
Kelley's Portrait location spotting post: https://www.instagram.com/p/CdG9ESUqepS/
Kelley's website: http://heykq.com/
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sapphiccultureclub/message
Carol season's early this year! So, forget your gloves somewhere and join us for a Carol watch-and-drinkalong! We went with "drink every time they exchange meaningful looks" so...we may have had several opportunities to take a sip.
Stay tuned after the watchalong for a refreshing replay of Part 1 of our Carol discussion from last year followed by...the return of Sapphic Culture Vault!
Watchalong 00:11:37
Listener poll results: 02:07:31
"Carol Season: Part 1" episode replay: 02:16:42
Sapphic Culture Vault: 02:57:13
Episode transcript: our transcriber (Laurel) is backed up! We'll get these posted as soon as possible.
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sapphiccultureclub/message
Watched Prime Video's A League of Their Own? Think you know a lot about the show? Then play along at home with our Portrait of a Survey on Fire pals Amie, Baby, Heather, and Jamie as we ask them trivia questions from all eight of ALOTO's sporty sapphic episodes!
Follow Portrait of a Survey on Fire and Queer for Fear on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/portraitofasurveyonfire/ and https://www.instagram.com/queerforfear/
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sapphiccultureclub/message
WHAT A TREAT! In this episode we get to talk about so many sapphic things with one of our favorite authors: MALINDA LO! Join us as we cover Malinda's award winning Last Night at the Telegraph Club, her thoughts on the new Prime Video series A League of Their Own (spoiler: she loved it), and Malinda's newest book A Scatter of Light. So prepare yourselves for...ahhh we can't help it...MALINDALOTO!!!
We get into...
- Butches and femmes
- Social norms
- Shirleys!
- Lesbian bars and bar raids
- Non-traditional happy endings
- World-building with food
- Always buying any book you want even if you don't know why you want it
Episode transcript: coming this weekend! Watch this spot!
Where to pre-order A Scatter of Light: https://www.malindalo.com/scatter
Follow Malinda Lo: https://www.instagram.com/malindalo | https://twitter.com/malindalo
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sapphiccultureclub/message
2-4-6-8! Who do we appreciate?! Honestly, a lot of people. But this week we're specifically appreciating Jamie Babbit and everyone else involved in 1999's extraordinarily campy But I'm a Cheerleader, a movie that literally changed the life of our guest this week: Dor Dotson.
Let's talk about:
- THE COLORS
- The soundtrack!
- How well it holds up even after over 20 years!
- Great dialogue
- Gender roles and stereotypes
- And more!
Episode Transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tBivItzXRs7ICt5sdY8SNslF6wMNMrFhonZxrzff-so/edit?usp=sharing
Stuff we mentioned in the show:
- Natasha Lyonne and Clea DuVall 20th anniversary interview: https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/6986-but-i-m-a-cheerleader-turns-twenty-natasha-lyonne-and-clea-duvall-reminisce-on-their-cult-classic
- Elliot Page on BIAC: https://www.kvue.com/article/entertainment/entertainment-tonight/elliot-page-says-but-im-a-cheerleader-helped-him-deal-with-loneliness-of-lbgtq-identity-in-his-youth/603-6deda143-fcd1-45ba-8164-82b7e9fc6750
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sapphiccultureclub/message
Do you believe in love at first meetcute? Are you ready to run through a gauntlet of gay panic and heteronormativity to finally find true love? Want to see how Cersei was employed before she cast her sights on the Iron Throne? Want to talk about all of this and more while we watch a mid-aughts lesbian rom-com along with our friend Grace who will be watching it for the first time??? Well, you're in luck! Now you can imagine us and you watching Imagine Me & You as we discuss...
- Lena Headey and Piper Perabo (come on, we all know why we're here)
- Wow, Coop is horrible
- Is this movie actually about Heck and not lesbians?
- Mid-00s fashion!
- Is Dance Dance Revolution actually Dyke Dyke Revolution?
- Lena Headey and Piper Perabo
Episode Transcript: hopefully this weekend! Laurel is on vacation, but has a long plane ride ahead of her.
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sapphiccultureclub/message
Pull on your most delicate gloves and get ready for a sapphic triple-cross! We're gonna talk about Park Chan-wook's 2016 adaptation of Sarah Waters' Fingersmith and...
- Wow, ok, scissoring (and the sex scenes in general)
- The comedy!
- How the score sounds...familiar
- Differences between the film and the book
- Plot twists!
- The romance!
- ...and more
Episode transcript: on its way! Should be accessible here by Sunday Aug. 18.
Jia Tolentino's article "'The Handmaiden' and the Freedom Women Find Only with One Another" - https://www.newyorker.com/culture/jia-tolentino/the-handmaiden-and-the-freedom-women-find-only-with-one-another
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sapphiccultureclub/message
Prepare several hot dogs, put your pagers on silent mode, and get ready to dive into Alice Wu's first feature film, 2004's Saving Face. Joining us with, really, only good things to say about this movie is Laurel's other (and first!) co-host from the podcast Working Classy.
We talk about...
- GAY PANIC!
- So much representation it was initially unbearable for some of us!
- Wil's strangely thorough oral hygiene
- The struggle to make timeless, iconic Joan Chen seem like Wil's mom
- How the film has to juggle TWO whole love stories in 90 minutes
- Hot dogs
We referenced Drunk Lesbians Watch "Saving Face" (Feat. Ashly Perez, Michelle Krusiec & Lynn Chen): https://youtu.be/gQnvxtMeoUI
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sapphiccultureclub/message
Grab your gym bag of wooden stakes and meet us after math class...it's time to enjoy Netflix's campy YA teen lesbian vampire drama First Kill. Joining us on this field trip is film critic, writer, and honorary co-host, Valerie Complex! We're gonna talk about...
- this new vampire mythology
- murderous teen hormones
- THE CHEMISTRY 🫠
- predictions for season 2
- and more!
Bonus: we also discuss what's available for queer film in 2022!
Episode transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lIzrXiUelwaDj4_hXmAW0_wTVOkfT-znmaKjTk9YCb8/edit?usp=sharing ✨Thank you again to @badportraitfanart for helping out with the transcripts! Please follow them at https://instagram.com/badportraitfanart)
Follow Valerie Complex! https://instagram.com/valerie_complex2/
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sapphiccultureclub/message
Are you ready for some sexy, beige and grey Rachel on Rachel action?? In this episode we're dissecting director Sebastián Lelio's AND author Naomi Alderman's Disobedience(s?). So, let's follow Ronit back to her Orthodox Jewish hometown where, at least in the film version, she will [spoiler] in Esti's [spoiler]. Also other things happen.
We'll talk about...
- The CHEMISTRY 🫠
- The differences between the book and the film
- Rachel Weisz as the perfect Ronit
- Rachel McAdams as the perfect Esti
- 💦💦💦
- The character's and the author's(!) religious evolution
- And more!
Episode transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DWZXn5ijvhzUm3knUa91MBk8Iak5Y--P_bUpgK7bqJE/edit?usp=sharing
✨Special shout-out to @badportraitfanart (instagram.com/badportraitfanart) for helping out with this episode's transcript!!💘
Stuff we mentioned:
- Naomi Alderman interview at Disobedience premiere – Tribeca Film Festival 2018 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TELy_sQmhKA
- CBS Sunday Morning Interview with Rachel Weisz (2:38 https://youtu.be/q50j4Qj0EHw?t=158)
- Rachel McAdams, Rachel Weisz on sharing the best sex scene of the year in Disobedience - https://ew.com/movies/2018/04/24/rachel-mcadams-rachel-weisz-sex-scene-disobedience/
- Rachel Weisz And Rachel McAdams Talk 'Disobedience' - https://www.npr.org/2018/04/28/606716520/rachel-weisz-and-rachel-mcadams-talk-disobedience
- ScreenTalks Archive: Disobedience - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/screentalks-archive-disobedience/id521076090?i=1000545285188
- Sebastián Lelio on ‘Disobedience’ and the Male Gaze - https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/sebasti-n-lelio-disobedience-male-gaze-lesbian-cinema-1106532/
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sapphiccultureclub/message
Hold the elevator! 😎 We're talking about the Wachowski sisters' glorious 1996 neo-noir Bound with special guests Baby Djojonegoro and Heather Petrocelli from Portrait of a Survey on Fire (a.k.a. the folks whose Top 10 Lesbian Films list is what this season of our podcast is based on! 👀).
We talk about...
🏆 How great Jennifer Tilly and Gina Gershon are in this
🫠 How great Jennifer Tilly and Gina Gershon are together
⛏ That labrys tattoo!
👏 Showing actual lesbians in a lesbian bar!
🎬 The Wachowski's cinematic innovations
✨ Queer and trans allegory
😘 How extremely wonderful it is to have a neo-noir film where the protagonists are lesbians AND they win
...and much more!
Episode transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NcvehOHvCHxjva8OHcCKXjhF8NB_cCRA8oSKkMUSqi0/edit?usp=sharing (This is a longer episode, so the first half is available now, and we'll be uploading the rest of it over the weekend.)
Links to stuff we mentioned:
- Follow Portrait of a Survey on Fire on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/portraitofasurveyonfire/
- Lana Wachowski at the Music Box: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxynlbNKyu8
- Excerpt from director’s commentary, including commentary from Susie Bright: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80ubTq0AhTo&t=42s
- Jennifer Tilly and Gina Gershon revisit their lesbian neo-noir Bound: https://ew.com/movies/2019/06/06/jennifer-tilly-gina-gershon-revisit-lesbian-neo-noir-bound/
- Bound: The Wachowski’s Take on Power Dynamics, Queerness and Dysfunctional Families: https://25yearslatersite.com/2020/05/21/bound-the-wachowskis-take-on-power-dynamics-queerness-and-dysfunctional-families/
- Behind the visible queerness in women’s sports — and why it matters: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2022/06/10/lesbian-culture-womens-sports/
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sapphiccultureclub/message
A film within a film within a film, The Watermelon Woman is a brilliant example of New Queer Cinema. Lightheartedly combining camcorder, 16mm, and self-made "found" footage, Cheryl Dunye gives voice and life to lost history 23 years before we see something similar come to life with Marianne in Portrait of a Lady on Fire. "What??" you say. "YES." we respond. Let's talk about it!
And...
• The 90s vibes! 🔥
• The (RIDICULOUS) controversy that followed 📰
• The humor!! 🎯
• How the "found" footage is a whole additional incredible work of art on its own 😭
• The C enter for L esbian I nformation and T echnology 📸 (I'm afraid to write out the acronym because of content filters)
• SO MANY LESBIANS 💕 [There are more lesbians depicted in The Watermelon Woman than in ANY OF THE OTHER MOVIES WE'RE COVERING THIS SEASON.]
BONUS: we reveal the 5 E C R E T L E 5 8 I A N C 0 D E 🤫
Episode Transcript
The Watermelon Woman at 25: the Black lesbian classic that wears its brilliance lightly
City Arts & Lectures interview with Cheryl Dunye
Hang out with us on Instagram 📷 and Twitter 🦆!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sapphiccultureclub/message
Are you wearing an intricately patterned sweater? Great. Do you already have a glass of wine? Perfect, have some more! 'Cause today we're talking about the 2011 Swedish lesbian movie Kyss Mig (A.K.A. Kiss Me or With Every Heartbeat).
We're gonna talk about...
- Character arcs! 🌈
- THE CHEMISTRY! 💘
- Why are the men so horrible?? 🤦♂
- Running or swimming away from your problems! 😥
- How easy it is to find one person in Barcelona! 🤷🏻♀️
Show notes:
- Episode Transcript
- Interview with Josefine Tengblad
- Interview with Ruth Vega Fernandez
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
Put on your gayest cowboy duds and throw your vintage convertible into reverse because we're kicking off our season of the Portrait survey's top 10 lesbian or queer films with the 80s sapphic classic, Desert Hearts. Some of the things we cover:
- CAY'S ENTRANCE! 😍
- Questionable sexual dynamics 😬
- Desert Vibes!🌵
- The ending! 🚂 👀
- Differences between the book and the movie!👩👧
- And more!
Portrait of a Survey on Fire's full list of top 10 films
Episode transcript
More about Reno's history as the "Divorce Capital of the World"
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
We're back! And this season we'll be watching each of the top 10 films from Portrait of a Survey on Fire's favorite lesbian and queer films. First up: Desert Hearts!🌵💕
Transcript for this episode
Join the conversation on Instagram and Twitter
Check out @portraitofasurveyonfire on Instagram for more about the list and the survey results!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
For our season finale, we're joined by Portrait of a Survey on Fire's Baby Djojonegoro and Heather Petrocelli to talk about their process, preliminary findings, and some of the incredible responses their survey has received.
Episode transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wLX-Wg6Yj-sm9avm8EHKzhn_cgscQrbFRggNEXE3q7o/edit?usp=sharing
Links from the show:
- Now You See Me, Céline’s New Yorker profile by Elif Batuman https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/02/07/celine-sciammas-quest-for-a-new-feminist-grammar-of-cinema
- Margaret and the Mystery of the Missing Body by Megan Milks https://www.feministpress.org/books-a-m/margaret-and-the-mystery-of-the-missing-body
- Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo https://www.malindalo.com/lastnight
- Ghosts (BBC original version, on HBO Max) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00049t9
- Sort Of (on HBO Max) https://www.hbomax.com/series/urn:hbo:series:GYXBzZw5-GY53wwEAAAAG
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
It's time we talked about the most sapphic content SNL has ever aired: the Totino Pizza Roll trilogy, written by and starring Vanessa Bayer, co-written by Sarah Schneider and Chris Kelly with a key guest appearance by Kristen Stewart. We'll also discuss Act III's uncanny parallels with Portrait of a Lady on Fire. What are you hungry for?
Episode transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19ozuSOBPHwzWXVUCmcyXaxV6ba7AG8FU8taB5MqbMu8/edit?usp=sharing
Links from the show
- Every Totino’s Ever: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izhvfRP4DZo
- Just the KStew Totino’s skit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4kpVO56OBU
- Vulture article and audio interview with CK & SS: https://www.vulture.com/2019/02/snl-totinos-sketches-vanessa-bayer-chris-kelly-sarah-schneider-interview.html
Homemade tonic water recipe
(adapted from Rainbow Grocery Co-op recipe)
-
Simmer, on low heat for 30 min, these things in 3 cups of water:
-
1/4 cup cinchona bark
- 1/4 cup citric acid
- 15 cardamom pods
- 10 allspice berries
- 10 cloves
- 2 tb dried lavender
-
1/4 tsp salt
-
Add the peeled zests of 2 oranges, 2 lemons, 2 limes, 2 grapefruits (or any combo of 2 or more citruses) and 3 chopped stalks of lemongrass to your mixture
-
Store in a sealed glass jar in the fridge for 3 days, shaking once or twice per day
-
Strain using a fine cheese cloth or coffee filter
-
Combine with simple syrup (2:1 cups of sugar to water - adjust to your personal taste)
-
Funnel into a bottle and store in the fridge
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
Now that 2021 is officially behind us, we asked you to take a look back and tell us what media carried you through the year. We also talk about how almost 1 out of 4 of us are "not a fan" of Carol(!) and whether our sapphic hopes for Tár will eventually be dashed by reality.
Episode transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BsUcZuYjoDPr-H54QaWOzsA1TxaWv511MNJZrUWDTTQ/edit?usp=sharing
Portrait of a Survey on Fire: https://portrait-survey.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/on-fire
Media recommendations
- The Properties of Perpetual Light by Julian Aguon: https://www.julianaguon.com/tppl
- Yellowjackets on Showtime: https://www.sho.com/yellowjackets
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
We're wrapping up Carol Season and kicking off the new year with a look at the differences between the book, screenplay, and film; talking a bit about its notorious source, Patricia Highsmith; and recapping the movie (except the straight scenes because who cares).
Episode transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1AAXyWkILpjoYYQP7ZiHYHm7bezJTCj9GBYqQ_XUT1nU/edit?usp=sharing
Stuff from the show:
- The Many Faces of Patricia Highsmith - https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/19/t-magazine/patricia-highsmith-talented-mr-ripley.html
- Brandi Carlile's "Right on Time" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOpWqWK0q4U
- Cassandra Peterson's (a.k.a. Elvira's) autobiography Yours Cruelly, Elvira: Memoirs of the Mistress of the Dark - https://www.hachettebooks.com/titles/cassandra-peterson/yours-cruelly-elvira/9780306874352/
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
Joyous 🎄Carol🧤 Season, y'all! Welcome to Carol episode 1 of 2. A lot of you had a lot of things to say about this 2015 masterpiece, so this episode's all about the things you loved, liked, and didn't like. Big thank you to everyone who wrote in and contributed your thoughts and opinions!
Transcription (Coming soon!)
Links from the show:
- On Film's Obsession with Lesbian Photographers: http://www.lesbianbusinesscommunity.com/articles/on-filmaaas-obsession-with-lesbian-photographers-by-maria-turner-carney-318
- Panel with bell hooks "Are You Still a Slave? Liberating the Black Female Body": https://youtu.be/rJk0hNROvzs?t=5120
Talk to us!
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sapphiccultureclub/
- Twitter (sometimes!): https://twitter.com/sapphicpodcast
- Email: sapphiccultureclub(at)gmail.com
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
Today we're celebrating the 10th anniversary of Pariah, a gorgeous, sweet, and important film that follows a Brooklyn teenager trying to figure out who she is both with and apart from her friends and family. Dee Rees' debut was an instant and rare classic when it premiered in 2011: beautifully written, shot, and acted. Join us in relishing how great it holds up 10 years later.
Episode transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xxtQiNuYVjMDKxqIgl2HG70UjINLzVJHxdcqgZFIgt0/edit?usp=sharing
Related Links
- Guardian interview with Dee Rees: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/jul/16/dee-rees-on-her-debut-film-pariah-my-favourite-scene-is-the-dildo-scene-honestly
- Valerie Complex's "Revisiting Seminal LGBTQ Film Pariah": https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/revisiting-seminal-lgbtq-film-pariah/
- They/Them: https://www.patagonia.com/stories/they-them/video-102573.html
- "Finding Julia Morgan": https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/finding-julia-morgan/
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
We've got 10 films and TV shows (plus some honorable mentions) we're anticipating with, um, varying degrees of excitement. Join us as we discuss Tampa Baes, Passing, Dickinson, Kristen Stewart's gay ghost hunting show(???), and much more. And of course, as always, please let us know anything on your radar / from outside the US that we missed!
Links for the shows and movies we mentioned
-
Tampa Baes https://www.amazon.com/Tampa-Baes-Season-1/dp/B09JQ8932T
-
Benedetta https://www.benedettamovie.com
-
Dickinson https://tv.apple.com/us/show/dickinson/umc.cmc.1ogyy5s2agasxa5qztabrlykn
-
Beauty https://www.netflix.com/title/81044100
-
The Humans https://a24films.com/films/the-humans
-
Wheel of Time https://www.amazon.com/Wheel-Time-Season-1/dp/B09F59CZ7R
-
Euphoria https://www.hbo.com/euphoria
-
Passing https://www.netflix.com/title/81424320
-
Under the Christmas Tree https://www.mylifetime.com/movies/under-the-christmas-tree
-
Kristen Stewart's gay ghost hunting show https://i-d.vice.com/en_uk/article/5dgbzq/kristen-stewart-gay-ghost-hunting-tv-show
Honorable/Honorary Mentions
The 4400 https://www.cwtv.com/shows/4400/view-in-app/
Invasion https://tv.apple.com/us/show/invasion/umc.cmc.70b7z97fv7azfzn5baqnj88p6
Station Eleven https://www.instagram.com/station11onmax/
Media Recs
The City We Became by N. K. Jemisin https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/n-k-jemisin/the-city-we-became/9780316509855/
Spencer https://www.spencer-themovie.com
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
We noticed that the last episode put us over 70k plays! WHAT. Wow! To celebrate this milestone, we're gonna talk about the podcast itself and answer your questions about it. "But I thought this was a podcast about lesbian themes in films, TV, books, music, and anywhere else sapphics roam!" you say? Well, it's sapphic because we're sapphic. So, please enjoy this inherently sapphic conversation about podcasting!
Episode Transcript coming soon!
Stuff from the show:
- Melanin Intuitive Deck: http://melaninintuitive.com
- Zolita - “Somebody I F*cked Once”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xy32_Z3kVms
- Our podcast gear doc: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1h1Y_6ifnohA9L8-8YM4Nu03yRCIOVK3kSEq9toTBkF8/edit?usp=sharing
- Marco Arment’s very comprehensive podcasting microphone review with audio clip tests for each mic! https://marco.org/podcasting-microphones
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
First, we provide instructions for creating your very own DIY (Dyke-It-Yourself) spirit board. Then...do you DARE join us as we summon a sapphic from BEYOND THE GRAVE (but within the California region)?? This kind spirit also gifted all who listen a VERY IMPORTANT Halloween message. Do not miss these wise words from the afterlife.
Episode transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KGLGn4UNwVMx4BiocVr8XydZBlLNgJtHroLdBivrHRA/edit?usp=sharing
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
A live, in-person (masked!) discussion about Céline Sciamma's most recent feature film Petite Maman, which premiered at the Mill Valley Film Festival on Oct. 9. Try to catch it in a theater if you can! Here are the upcoming show dates to the best of our knowledge (some of which are virtual!):
- USA: 15 October (Chicago International Film Festival)
- USA: 23 October (Montclair Film Festival)
- USA: 26 October (Austin Film Festival)
- UK/Ireland: 19 Nov
- Sweden: 17 Dec
- Streaming on MUBI: 4 Feb 2022
Please let us know if there are any other dates we missed or if any of these are wrong!
Episode Transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rgwl5c_OGifESV9p0vdSdxZiqlAMAQmyzRaN5F1EIjI/edit?usp=sharing
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
It's the month that contains Halloween at the end of it, so OF COURSE we must fill the entire preceeding 30 days with creepy stuff. We kick things off by talking about our fave LESBIAN GHOSTS in their many manifestations. Our haaaaunting discussion will cover Rebecca (1940), The Uninvited (1944), Portrait of a Lady on Fire (you may have heard of it), The Haunting of Bly Manor, and "San Junipero".
Also, big shout out to our fave queer horror consultant, Heather Petrocelli (@queerforfear on IG) for her support on this episode. (Don't forget to take her Portrait of a Lady on Fire survey!! http://onlinesurveys.ac.uk/on-fire)
Heather's lesbian ghost / ghosts of lesbianism list
- Rebecca (1940)
- The Uninvited (1944)
- The Curse of the Cat People (1944) Sequel to Cat People (1942)
- The Haunting (1963)
- Ghost (1990)
- Mulholland Drive (2001)
- Hex (2004-2005)
- Gekijōban Zero / Fatal Frame: The Movie (2014)
- Alena (2015)
- Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)
- The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020)
- Fear Street (particularly Part 3: 1666) (2021)
Episode transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wtFl2mkFmGGDhWbI7zPpjokhpuF4IT01hPkUgYxMu3A/edit?usp=sharing
Spoiler timestamps:
- Rebecca: 00:20:12 to 00:26:27
- The Uninvited: 00:26:37 to 00:29:45
- Portrait of a Lady on Fire: 00:33:07 to 00:36:41
- Bly Manor: 00:37:07 to 00:45:11
- "San Junipero": 00:49:10 to 00:51:01
Links from the show:
- Heather Petrocelli's "From Subtext to Text: Queered Gothic & Horror Film Throughout Time": https://youtu.be/NCNwAJe6vo0
- In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado: https://carmenmariamachado.com/in-the-dream-house
- Wilder Girls by Rory Power: https://itsrorypower.com/books/wilder-girls/
- The Celluloid Closet streaming options: https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/the-celluloid-closet
- The Celluloid Closet book options: https://g.co/kgs/2L7rhG
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
Who makes up Portrait Nation? Where do we live? Why did this movie resonate with us and in what ways? How has it affected our lives? Baby Djojonegoro, Heather Petrocelli, and Amie Pascal have put together what they hope will be a far-reaching survey of the Portrait community in order to let the entertainment industry, other institutions and decision-makers, and the rest of the world know we exist and that we have voices and opinions that matter. Listen in on our conversation with Baby and Heather, and then please join us in filling out the survey, and help spread the word to others!
Episode transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/11TsU6gWTt0J0-g0a8r69Jbjl32CjaofXW6NrEvEgky4/edit?usp=sharing
Take (and share!) the survey: https://portrait-survey.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/on-fire
Follow @portraitofasurveyonfire for updates and more: https://www.instagram.com/portraitofasurveyonfire/
Baby's media recommendations
- 144: ESPN's documentary about the WNBA's 2020 season in the COVID bubble - https://www.espn.com/espnplus/player/_/id/23038582-4041-4778-b29a-ff70604c578a
- Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots - https://www.harpercollins.com/products/hench-natalie-zina-walschots?variant=33021717381154
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
We have reached into our sapphic mail satchel and retrieved mail about the following things:
Is there any significance to the moments in Portrait of a Lady on Fire where we first learn Marianne, Héloïse, and Sophie's names? What are Noémie, Adèle, and Céline up to these days? A clarification about the "lesbians come out and get a toaster oven" joke. Doesn't Adèle sing in KOMPROMAT's "De mon âme à ton âme"?
Thank you, thank you to Kana, @marianne_le_peintre, Baby, Elizabeth, and @shainalovesfood for these fun points of discussion. Plus, media recommendations and a special listener-submitted GAYSMR! (Thanks, Mary!) Episode transcript: (This one's a hoot!) https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YLOzO3OCL2Zjd_djeXG2D_nsMHLI48yas3NB7EPkqQg/edit?usp=sharing Show notes:
L’Étang (the Pond): https://www.g-v.fr/en/shows/letang/ KOMPROMAT feat. Adèle Haenel in “De mon âme à ton âme”: https://youtu.be/6AtwuQSkwgY L’Enfer: https://flipscreened.com/2020/02/25/resurrecting-cluzots-lenfer-1964-in-2020/ Our World: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/206050/our-world-by-mary-oliver/ Bandsplain: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6SRyjaLZMrzFwH6ibPVumA
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
We're excited to finally interview Rose Dela Cruz, whose art ranges from doodles to comics to delicate watercolor paintings. As Portrait fans, we're lucky to have her fan art as part of the Portraitverse. Her imaginary scenes and character antics are funny and sweet and keep the POALOF fire burning. In the interview she shares the journal entry she wrote after she first watched Portrait, the weirdest job she's had, what inspired her to get into art in the first place, and more.
Episode transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cJGCJkzmY7wJSPpq7BJmfsOJZ31Jf4CJOZuhO_fMBns/edit?usp=sharing
Stuff we mentioned
Instagram: http://instagram.com/rosedelacruzart/
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/rosedelacruzart
Website: http://rosedelacruzart.com
Noé in a bathtube: https://www.instagram.com/p/CBKIyoLpYN9/
"Beginning of the End": https://www.instagram.com/p/CFLvQQAJ0YP/
"A Piece that I Love": https://www.instagram.com/p/CH7A3vuJJYn/
Childhood trading card inspiration: https://www.rosedelacruzart.com/bio
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
Want to catch up on the first season of The L Word: Generation Q very quickly before Season 2 starts?? We're gonna untangle ALL THE PLOTS from Season 1 and talk about what might happen in Season 2.
💎 Bette and Tina?
👯 Sophie and...Dani?
🚲 Finley?
💇🏻♀️ Shane and...??
📺 Alice and Nat...and Gigi?
🎨 Micah and Jose?
💕 Angie and Jordi!
Also ghosts.
Episode transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1R2uNQDPqS8r1UPv_xmX9NHidT4FshiQmWsFwIu2848s/edit?usp=sharing
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
Our resident historian Laura is back to answer some of your questions about nuns and #conventlife! Did women choose to go into convents? Were convents really places of female equality? Were women allowed out of the convent? In Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Héloïse says it's a life that has advantages. What were those "advantages" like? What else did they do for fun? WAS there fun?? OMG. SO MANY QUESTIONS.
Plus, a special convent-esque GAYSMR.
Episode transcript now available! https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Zveb2mHa_KGH0andbjVyQJjxELJxXNtPrHl674geuBk/edit
Links from the show:
-
Find Laura on Twitter: http://twitter.com/labhistorical
-
Nuns: a History of Convent Life by Silvia Evangelisti: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/nuns-9780199532056
-
She-Ra and the Princesses of Power: https://www.netflix.com/title/80179762
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
In this episode, we attempt to answer some listener questions about Portrait of a Lady on Fire!
- Is the minimalism in costume and set design because it's mostly a memory?
- Are Marianne and Héloïse's fathers both dead?
- Is to be free to be alone?
- Why do Héloïse and Marianne hide in the cave to kiss?
And a bonus question!
- If you could only have one for the rest of your life - fries or chips? (Includes all varieties.)
✨Queer media recommendations✨
- Ellen and toaster ovens: https://lezwatchtv.com/about/toaster/
- Miley Cyrus covers Metallica's "Nothing Else Matters": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqoQY9bobow
- genera+ion: https://www.hbomax.com/series/urn:hbo:series:GYCb8twFvgMNNUAEAAAA1
- The Bisexual: https://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-bisexual | https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/the-bisexual
- Appropriate Behavior: https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/appropriate-behavior
- Hacks: https://www.instagram.com/hets_explain_yourselves/
- Loki: https://www.marvel.com/tv-shows/loki/1
- Dykes Camera Action!: https://www.dykescameraaction.com
- The Tragedy of Heterosexuality by Jane Ward: https://nyupress.org/9781479851553/the-tragedy-of-heterosexuality/
- Hets Explain Yourselves: https://www.instagram.com/hets_explain_yourselves
- It’s About Damn Time by Arlan Hamilton: https://www.itsaboutdamntime.com
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
One of the things we've loved most about Portrait of a Lady on Fire as a phenomenon has been the fan art, and some of the most delightful fan art has come from Teryn, a.k.a. @badportraitfanart who, in their own words, has "never liked visual arts" and yet has made over 100 artworks to date, 99 of which are scenes from Portrait and are now available as a book. On top of that, they've donated all of the profits from their sales to queer non-profits, including the most recent, Lavender Library. Listen to find out more about how Portrait has impacted their life and why they are not a hot dog.
Pieces mentioned * Drugs in armpit scene: https://www.instagram.com/p/CHIzRMfAjiO/ * Gallery scene collab with c.nv.s: https://www.instagram.com/p/CIOb2MuAqe6/ * Bernie Sanders in Marianne’s drawing class: https://www.instagram.com/p/CKWEe7AgO4w/ * Marianne and Duolingo French on page 28: https://www.instagram.com/p/CGvSc1wA-rQ/
Current non-profit: Lavender Libraryhttps://www.lavenderlibrary.com
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
Our third co-host, Valerie Complex, joins us to talk about what went right and what went wrong with TWO movies this time: The Affair (also known as The Glass House) and I Care A Lot, both of which happen to be centered on yellow-haired women and brown-haired women who love each other and are either terrible people or have a mostly terrible existence. Enjoy!
Follow Valerie!
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ValerieComplex
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/valerie_complex
Follow us!
Instagram: http://instagram.com/sapphiccultureclub
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sapphicpodcast
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
We're back! And what better way to kick things off than (Laurel FINALLY) GETTING TO SEE PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE IN A THEATER? (No offense, Hulu, Apple, Criterion DVD, or Criterion Blu-ray.) Big thanks again to Baby for putting this screening together.
And a Sapphic bonus! Enjoy the first installment of our new segment, GAYSMR.
The book Baby mentioned: The Sea of Light (https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/327634/the-sea-of-light-by-jenifer-levin/)
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
Retourne-toi, everybody. It's getting gayer.
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
For the last episode of the season, we asked for your ideas about what queer media should be now that we're living in a post-Portrait world, and, in true Portrait Nation style, you answered very thoughtfully and generously. So, here's nearly an hour's worth of things we want more of (as well as some things we'd like less of) and a bunch of FANTASTIC new story ideas. Thank you all very much for sharing these with us and, as always, thanks for listening. We'll be back soon! À bientôt!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
A lightly edited audio version of our Mar. 13 livestream (Video: https://www.instagram.com/p/CMX9ojpoF5k/). This episode's topics:
- If we could change or add one thing to Portrait, what would it be? 🙈
- How long we're planning on doing the podcast 🎙
- IRL who has more BDE (big dyke energy) in our romantic relationships? (LOL.) 🦆
- The first queer media that resonated with each of us 🌈
- Our favorite ice cream flavors 🍨
Have questions you'd like us to answer live?
Comment or DM us on Instagram: http://instagram.com/podcastofaladyonfire/
Or email us at podcastofaladyonfire at gmail.com
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
Our resident historian Laura is back to answer your questions!
- What's the significance of Héloïse bathing in the sea?
- Why is page 28 on the right side of their book?
- Why did Céline let Héloïse be left-handed?
- Were there any known lesbian couples in 18th century France?
- What's the oldest record of lesbian activity?
- How did Sappho's work get lost, and was she accepted in her time?
- Why did matriarchal societies switch to patriarchal ones?
- Who is a woman from ancient history or mythology you'd like to have a conversation with?
- What's your favourite little known LGBTQ+ fact?
Further reading:
More about Mademoiselle Raucourt: http://www.williamapercy.com/wiki/images/Raucourt.pdf
Laura on Twitter twitter.com/labhistorical
Laura's history podcast https://anchor.fm/labhistorytime
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
There's another lesbian/bi period movie out, and you know what that means! It means we get to talk to Valerie Complex! So, hike up those britches, bitches. We're going to learn about the power of imagination!
Links from the show:
- The World to Come: https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/the-world-to-come
- Valerie's interview with Vanessa Kirby and Katherine Waterston: https://www.pride.com/movies/2021/2/12/world-come-puts-queer-womens-emotional-journeys-front-center
- Valerie's review of the film: https://consequenceofsound.net/2021/02/sundance-review-the-world-to-come/
- valeriecomplex.com
- twitter.com/valeriecomplex
- instagram.com/valerie_complex
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
Here's what we pulled out of mailbag #8!
- Why does Marianne say she isn't sad anymore?
- When did Héloïse fall asleep in the kitchen?
- Are you a sleepy girl or do you want to be with a sleepy girl?
- Do Americans really dislike subtitled movies?
- Is there a heartbeat sound in the armpit scene?
We also got some book recommendations from Julia!
- The Empress of Salt and Fortune https://nghivo.com/wp/index.php/the-empress-of-salt-and-fortune/
- When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain https://nghivo.com/wp/index.php/when-the-tiger-came-down-the-mountain/
Don't forget, you can leave us an audio message! https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
A lightly edited audio version of our Feb. 13 livestream (Video: https://www.instagram.com/p/CLP4xihAlfq/). Also, our apologies! We had some issues with sound in this episode, which we've tried to repair as best we can and will hopefully be able to fix by the next livestream.😬🙇🏽♀️
Have questions you'd like us to answer live?
- Comment or DM us on Instagram: http://instagram.com/podcastofaladyonfire/
- Email us at podcastofaladyonfire at gmail.com
Also, for anyone curious, this is our list of favorite queer films, in no particular order, including our honorable mentions (and one we didn’t mention in the livestream but should’ve 😗):
-Kajillionaire
-Moonlight
-Carol
-The Way He Looks
-Thelma
-Booksmart
-Paris Is Burning
-Celluloid Closet
-Tangerine
-Hedwig and the Angry Inch
-Bound
-Watermelon Woman
-Mulholland Drive
-The Miseducation of Cameron Post
-Disobedience
-D.E.B.S.
-120 BPM
-Terminator: Dark Fate (yeah we said it)
Faves from the chat:
-Pariah
-Summerland
-But I'm a Cheerleader
-Imagine Me & You
-When Night Is Falling
-Saving Face
-The Handmaiden
-Priscilla Queen of the Desert
-Too Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar
(OMG did we miss any?? You brought up so many!)
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
One year ago, Portrait of a Lady on Fire made its way into theaters across the States, introducing US Womanz to armpit drugs, retourne-toi, and one hundred nineteen breathtaking minutes of the female gaze. And we haven’t been the same since. From Portrait Nation to armpits and spit strings, join us as we celebrate this anniversary in typical podcast fashion - by sharing 28 things we L O V E about POALOF.
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
A lightly edited audio version of our Jan. 30 livestream! If you'd like to watch the video version, you can find it here: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CKrzlPug9Jl/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
We finally got around to doing a lesbian look-back at all the wlw-themed and -adjacent media we consumed in 2020! (Honestly, not the easiest feat in a year that felt like a decade.) We loved some stuff and didn't love others, but overall we're grateful that we have so many options to choose from. Here are some of our faves:
Movies
- Portrait https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/portrait-of-a-lady-on-fire
- Kajillionaire https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/kajillionaire
- Steam! https://thebarn.la/productions/steam
TV
- The Haunting of Bly Manor https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/the-haunting-of-bly-manor
- Killing Eve https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/killing-eve
- Twenties https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/twenties
- The L Word: Generation Q https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/the-l-word-generation-q
- The Wilds https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/the-wilds
- Euphoria https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/euphoria
Podcasts
- Rachel Maddow https://art19.com/shows/msnbc-rachel-maddow
- Don’t Ask Tig https://www.dontasktig.org/about
- Pants https://shows.acast.com/pants
- Queery https://www.earwolf.com/show/queery/
- Still Processing https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/still-processing/id1151436460
- Nancy https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/nancy
- Making Gay History: Lorraine Hansberry episode https://makinggayhistory.com/podcast/lorraine-hansberry/
- Making Gay History: Larah Helayne & Jean O’Leary episode https://makinggayhistory.com/podcast/revisiting-the-archive-episode-13-larah-helayne-jean-oleary/
Music
- Janelle Monae’s Turntables: https://youtu.be/8CFrCk6_0rM
- Lionstorm’s WTJMDZ: https://youtu.be/GjwTczjUnNk
- Brandi Carlile’s cover of black hole sun: https://youtu.be/n10KfpmKen4
Lesbian Lit
- A Song For You: My Life w/Whitney Houston https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781524742850
- Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781626722590
- Golem Girl https://bookshop.org/books/golem-girl-a-memoir/9781984820303
- Plain Bad Heroines https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780062942852
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
As we mentioned in the last episode, we're trying out new things to make the podcast production more sustainable, and this is one of those things! We answered some of your questions over Instagram Live including what other movies have impacted us nearly as much as Portrait of a Lady on Fire, what advice we have for WLW and baby gays, what our favorite dinosaurs are and more. This episode is an audio version of that livestream, mildly edited so it's a little more listenable.
Video: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CKKWFWUo-Ct/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
Here in the U.S. a LOT is happening at the moment, and sometimes in order to push through a distant but ever-present danger, you just have to soak your tired gay brain in a TV show about a newly conscripted army of young witches in an alternate America. Join us as we watch Motherland: Fort Salem!
Some sync time stamps in case you get a bunch of ads:
-
We hit play at 6:28 in the podcast. So, if you ever get un-synced, just move the podcast to 6:28 past the timestamp on the show.
-
For example, 10:00 in Motherland is 16:28 in the podcast. About 4 seconds later, Audrey says, "What is that? I can't see very well...".
-
15:00 in Motherland is 21:28 in the podcast. About 4 seconds later, Laurel snickers and Audrey says, "Oh my goodness."
-
20:00 in Motherland is 26:28 in the podcast.
-
25:00 in Motherland is 31:28 in the podcast.
-
Etc.
Motherland: Fort Salem on Freeform: https://www.freeform.com/shows/motherland
Additional options for watching: https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/motherland-fort-salem
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
We're haulin' out the mailbag and doing our best to answer your questions about...
-
Why the countess and Marianne flip back and forth between Italian and French
-
Who we think Sybille Blouin is the stunt double for
-
Which characters we resonate with the most
-
What other books we'd recommend
Books:
Woman World by Aminder Dhaliwal https://drawnandquarterly.com/woman-world
Spinning by Tillie Walden https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781626729407
Fun Home by Alison Bechdel https://dykestowatchoutfor.com/fun-home-2/
Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters https://www.sarahwaters.com/titles/sarah-waters/tipping-the-velvet/9780748129324/
Fingersmith by Sarah Waters https://www.sarahwaters.com/titles/sarah-waters/fingersmith/9781860498831/
Odd Girls & Twilight Lovers by Lillian Faderman https://cup.columbia.edu/book/odd-girls-and-twilight-lovers/9780231074896
Wayward Lives, Beautiful Experiments by Saidyia Hartman https://bookshop.org/books/wayward-lives-beautiful-experiments-intimate-histories-of-riotous-black-girls-troublesome-women-and-queer-radicals/9780393357622
On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden https://www.onasunbeam.com/
What Can a Body Do? by Sara Hendren https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/561049/what-can-a-body-do-by-sara-hendren/
Trick Mirror by Jia Tolentino https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780525510567
Caste by Isabel Wilkerson https://www.isabelwilkerson.com/retailers
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
Laura returns to help us "turn around" and wave goodbye to 2020 by unpacking what the Orpheus and Eurydice myth means and all the ways it's woven into Portrait of a Lady on Fire.
Follow Laura on Twitter! https://twitter.com/labhistorical
Check out her podcast! https://anchor.fm/labhistorytime
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
A teeny episode with an extra Portrait synopsis rewrite, more Portrait Nation fan names, and queer holiday rom-com ideas. See you in 2021!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
Joyeux Noël, y'all! For our last episode of the year, we're bringing back our first guest . . . Aimée! She takes us behind the scenes of the project to translate the Plain Archive script into English, and we discuss some of the major differences between the script and the final film.
Stuff from the show:
The unofficial English translation of the Portrait of a Lady on Fire script: https://mlleclaudine.tumblr.com/post/634613427269173248/english-translation-of-c%C3%A9line-sciammas-screenplay
Aimée on Tumblr: https://ladyonfire28.tumblr.com/
Aimée on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AimeeLoved_B
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
We confetti'd a bunch of questions at you last week, and you were generous enough to confetti us back with answers! So now we're here to gather all that answer confetti, sort it into categories, convert it into an audio file, and party horn it into your ears! 🤷🏽♀️ We'll be sharing your responses to Valerie Complex's request for a rewrite of Portrait of a Lady on Fire's logline, your suggestions for what we Portrait Nation folks should call ourselves, and then we wrap things up with your dream queer rom-com ideas. Warm up that cocoa, don your gay apparel, and enjoy this super queer holiday bonanza!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
Valerie's back to finish answering your (well, Gina's) questions! We also unpack some racist and creepy fandom behavior and accidentally uncover a suspiciously consistent trend in how lesbian films are marketed! Quite the journey, tbh.
Stuff from the show:
- Angelica Jade Bastién's review of Antebellum:https://www.vulture.com/2020/09/antebellum-movie-review-i-am-tired-of-films-like-this.html
- Valerie's review of The Great Wall:https://blackgirlnerds.com/bgn-movie-review-great-wall/
- Film Fag's "LGBTQ+ movies that aren't just about white people + where you can find them!" list: https://twitter.com/dame_judi_dench/status/1334955022103302144
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
Make yourself some hot cocoa and snuggle up with our Happiest Season watch party! Also, thanks again to everyone who was able to join us on Twitch—you made it super fun and held our hands through some tough scenes. 💖
How to sync the movie with the podcast: we'll cue you in, but if you want to double-check . . . 06:26 on the podcast should line up with 01:58 on Hulu (-01:39:55 if you're on a laptop).
Want to skip ahead to the discussion? Fast forward to 01:43:26.
Links from the show:
Watch Happiest Season on Hulu! https://www.hulu.com/movie/happiest-season-8bd1884d-b39d-4dc7-9c44-29f07de2f1ef
The article Laurel mentions about Happiest Season being in between two different goals: https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/shannonkeating/kristen-stewart-lesbian-rom-com-hulu-happiest-season#google_ads_iframe_/6556/bfnews.desktop/en/reader/promo-inline5_0:~:text=Instead%2C%20Happiest%20Season%20is%20neither%20a,in%20some%20sort%20of%20middling%20in%2Dbetween.
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
This episode falls right on Noémie's birthday, so we decided to talk about how much we loved Shakira, the short film she wrote and directed. Shakira follows its title character, a young Roma girl, as she tries to make a better life for herself and her family.
Watch and support Shakira (official video with English and French subtitles)
Variety interview with Noémie
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
Film critic and writer Valerie Complex joins us to answer some of your questions, share some of her favorite movies of the year (so far), and weigh in a bit on Ammonite.
Stuff from the show:
- Valerie’s previous episode
- Follow Valerie on Letterboxd
- Movies: Jumbo, Cuties (Mignonnes), Relic, Miss Juneteenth, Summerland, Atlanta’s Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children, Coded Bias, Giving Voice, Zola (plus the tweetstorm Zola is based on), Birds of Prey, Saint Maud, La Llorona, Pariah, Shiva, Baby, Tahara, Princess Cyd, Good Manners, Tender, Ammonite, Happiest Season, The World to Come
- Short stories: Antlers, Escape from Spiderhead, They Came in Through the Bathroom Mirror
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
Why did Céline set Portrait of a Lady on Fire in 1770? What was happening in the late 18th century that made this time period so meaningful? To find out, we talk to Laura, an archaeologist, historical consultant and history teacher from London. She helps us unpack how women have often been rewritten or left out of traditional retellings of historical events and urges us to seek out other real-life versions of Héloïse and Marianne and bring them into mainstream conversation.
Stuff from the show:
- Laura on Twitter @labhistorical
- Laura's podcast LAB History Time on Women through time (Ancient Greece and Anglo-Saxon and Viking World) and the French Revolution
- From the Smithsonian: Researchers Reaffirm Remains in Viking Warrior Tomb Belonged to a Woman
- Céline Sciamma on Portrait being set in 1770 (Vulture)
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
For this mailbag we dig deeper into a couple of key lines: What did Héloïse regret when she said she felt regret? And what did she mean when she said now and then she'd be consoled in Milan? We talk about how Portrait and Portrait Nation have changed our vocabularies. Then we talk about the results of our Halloweenie poll: were those Héloïse ghosts just memories or were they actually following Marianne around the château in real life?? (Rude!) Finally, we discuss what Portrait merch we'd each want, and we wrap everything up by getting meta and talking about the podcast on the podcast. Will it implode? Do we incept ourselves? Find out!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
This Halloween, join us one country over (Germany) and two centuries later (1977) as we consume and are consumed by Luca Guadagnino’s Suspiria. Mercifully, we’re joined by our first returning guest and resident spirit guide, Heather Petrocelli, who talks about Suspiria's similarities to Portrait and provides lovingly gathered insights into this beautiful and chilling film while Audrey and Laurel whimper unhelpfully.
Stuff from the show:
- Heather's previous episode on Portrait's gothic themes
- Heather on Instagram @queerforfear.
- Gaylords of Darkness interview with Luca Guadagnino and David Kajganich
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
We close out our listener responses series with your questions for Céline as well as all the ways Portrait of a Lady on Fire has changed your (and our!) lives. We also awkwardly piece together how the two of us met through our shared obsession with this film.
.
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
In the second to last part of our listener responses series we try our best to verbally convey the emojis you sent us about how Portrait made you feel 🤷🏽♀️🙇🏻♀️, we discuss the new connections you've made (and would like to make), how other films and TV shows impacted your life, what's up with the Portrait and Call Me By Your Name comparisons, and how the two of us feel about pineapple on pizzas.
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
Welcome to Part 3 of our listener responses series! Maybe someday we'll remember not to set ourselves up to relive all of everyone's most emotionally impactful scenes in a single episode, but today is not that day! 😂😭 We're a mess by the end of it, but what is Portrait Nation if not an international collective for FEELING FEELINGS TOGETHER?? Enjoy! 😀💀
Afterward (or before!) soothe yourself with this blissful video of morning affirmations from Marianne courtesy of @portraitoalof!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
In Part 2 of this series, we talk about some of the other media that's impacted you similarly to Portrait: classic films like Mädchen in Uniform and new masterpieces like Moonlight, shows like Gentleman Jack and books like A Little Life. So much variation! No wonder we all write such interesting Lex ads!
Stuff we mentioned:
- Céline Sciamma's new screenwriting project, Les Olympiades
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
So many of you have messaged us about your experiences surrounding Portrait of a Lady on Fire, and it made us want to hear ALL of your Portrait stories. We asked you a bunch of questions on Instagram, and you came through with hundreds of responses. Some of you even recorded audio responses! 😭 In Part 1 of this series we'll share how many of you saw Portrait in a theater, what country or city you saw it in, and what your first viewing experiences were like. Also, shout out to Güneş Padem for suggesting we do an episode with "Portrait stans from all around the world". . . Here you go, Güneş! 🌏 💕
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
Let's all pile into our 18th century boat and row from the coast of Brittany to the coast of San Junipero for a different seaside lesbian love story. Whimper alongside us as we surrender our hearts to the combination of Mackenzie Davis's Resting Yearn Face and Gugu Mbatha-Raw's searing-in-literally-any-decade energy because OOOH HEAVEN IS A PLACE ON EARTH. ✨🌴💕
Watch "San Junipero" Season 3, Episode 4 of Black Mirror on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/70264888
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
Doctors Deepa and Jen from the Docs Watch podcast help us understand the various aspects of 18th century abortion portrayed by Portrait of a Lady on Fire. We'll answer questions like: what's running and hanging from the ceiling supposed to accomplish? What was in that tea? What was that stuff the midwife pulled a twig out of, and where did the rest of it end up?? Get ready to find out, be grateful for modern medicine, and renew your commitment to vote in favor of reproductive rights (or we'll all end up pulling twigs out of mystery paste again and hoping to avoid sepsis).
Check out Docs Watch:
- Website and : https://www.docswatchpod.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/docswatchpod
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/docswatchpod/
- For comparison, Docs Watch discusses pregnancy as depicted in Twilight (It is a HOOT, folks.): https://www.docswatchpod.com/e/episode-13-how-get-pragnent/
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
Thanks, as always, to everyone who asks us anything. We cover a lot of ground this week! We talk about #PortraitWatchParty, Ammonite, how to wean yourself off Portrait (if you want to 🤷🏽♀️ ), what might've made Noémie blush during filming, thumb detectives, and more. Links from the show:
Kate Winslet Says Sex Scenes Are Not Like Eating a Sandwich - https://www.vulture.com/2020/08/kate-winslet-ammonite-sex-scenes-eating-a-sandwich.html Noémie: ". . . she gave a smile that I could really react to, because I just wasn't expecting it. I was blushing." - https://theartsdesk.com/film/actress-no%C3%A9mie-merlant-something-hasnt-been-told-yet
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
THE RESULTS ARE IN! This week we discuss the results of our poll about how much "lesbo expo" (a.k.a. our VERY COOL abbreviation for "lesbian experience") Marianne and Héloïse had before they met each other. We also read some of the responses, and wow, y'all had OPINIONS. 💕🔥
Links from the show
-
Free French learning marathon! https://www.fromance.tilda.ws/
-
When Brooklyn Was Queer (Note: Laurel would like to thank Audrey for recommending this to her) http://www.hughryan.org/when-brooklyn-was-queer
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
This week it's all about SOPHIE! She's smart, talented, resourceful, and a great hang (get it???). It's also through Sophie that we get a broader experience of the film's world as she shows us sorority, community, domesticity, and more. So let's pour each other some wine, get out our embroidery hoops, and chill with our very best BFF.
Link from the show:
Céline Sciamma on Sophie - https://www.vox.com/culture/2020/2/19/21137213/portrait-of-a-lady-on-fire-celine-sciamma-interview
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
In this episode, we talk to Aixa about why she decided to started the fan accounts, how it feels like Portrait gets inside you while you're also inside of it, how it's surprisingly similar to E.T. aaaaand...she graciously, patiently teaches us Portrait Spanish. (Ay, dios mío.😓 )
Links from the show
Portraitofaladyonfirefans on IG: https://www.instagram.com/portraitofaladyonfirefans/
Portrait_Nation on Twitter: https://twitter.com/portrait_nation
Aixa's IG: https://www.instagram.com/rockg0d/
Aixa's Twitter: https://twitter.com/aixainspace
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
Honestly, we thought doing another episode of 28 things we noticed about Portrait of a Lady on Fire might be a bit of a stretch, but we were wrong! We've got lots of fun facts AND heartbreak for you this week, so join us on a FUN EMOTIONAL ROLLER COASTER! 😭 🎢 🥰
Links from the show:
Thanks (as always) to... https://ladyonfire28.tumblr.com/
Laurent Sciamma, title designer: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4599030/
Cecilia Ngo, Noémie's stunt double: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3164996/
Visit the château! https://us.france.fr/en/paris/article/visit-chateau-portrait-of-a-lady-on-fire
Some of Céline's favorite films: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/29/movies/la-cinetek-streaming.html
@Stargazer_KEA's 2001 + cave scene parallel: https://twitter.com/Stargazer_KEA/status/1287528924122054656
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
Finally. Finally, we answer all the questions we've received about armpit drugs, the armpit sex scene, and armpits in general. We talk at great length about axillary hair. We bravely plunge in and out of depictions of manually- and substance-induced pleasure. We even give recommendations for Armpit LARPing! (LARmPing?) So join us in this veritable pit of ecstasy!
Links from the show:
Flying Ointment on Wikipedia
The Witches' Brew (Narcotics Documentary)
The Armpit is the Second Clitoris
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
Look, we all love how Portrait of a Lady on Fire broke our hearts and made them stronger, but . . . what if Héloise and Marianne found each other after the symphony? What if they got to talk to each other?? WHAT IF THEY GOT TO HANG OUT AND KISS AND STUFF AGAIN?? This week we talk to Vittoria, who has written what is arguably the best Portrait fan fiction out there. the dreadful need in the devotee picks up where the film ends and allows us to explore some beautiful possibilities.
Stuff we mentioned:
- Vittoria on Twitter
- Vittoria’s fan fiction: the dreadful need in the devotee (the immediate forgiveness in Eurydice)
- Video clip of the second kiss scene dubbed in Italian
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
Come, dear souls, as we sit by the fire in our drafty, isolated French château to commune with Heather Petrocelli, the avid film researcher and horror cinephile behind Queer for Fear. We discuss the exquisite gothic themes that appear throughout Portrait of a Lady on Fire (a haunted house! beheadings! ghosts! witches??). Heather also gives us even MORE reasons to be awed by Céline Sciamma's genius, and we all take a moment to appreciate Portrait's divine spit strings. JoOoOoinN uUuUusSs.
Show Notes
- On Finally Being Seen: Experiencing Portrait of a Lady on Fire
- Queer for Fear
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
This week we're talking to David Anderson, a good friend of Audrey's who has listened to the podcast but not watched Portrait! (?!?!?) We were SUPER CURIOUS about what bizarro version of the plot he might have embroidered into his mind, so we asked him! And then we quizzed him, game show-style, on various bits of dialogue and scene recall . . . yes, yes, from a movie he hasn't seen. So, rub in some armpit drugs, and let's go on a J O U R N E Y! Show links
David's podcast Don't Be Afraid of Your Dreams David's other podcast Songs of Tori Amos
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
Portrait fans rejoice! Our favorite film has gotten the Criterion Collection treatment. The CC release includes a slew of insightful interviews with Céline Sciamma, Noémie Merlant, Adèle Haenel, Claire Mathon, and Hélène Delmaire; a handful of new subtitle tweaks (plus at least one pretty significant subtitle change); and more. We also discovered that the Blu-ray and the DVD versions are different in ways that disappoint Laurel. But, hey, everyone gets color bars?!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
Welcome to another mailbag episode! This week we discuss whether or not Héloïse checked Marianne out after she came back from church (a.k.a. the sexiest time to check out ur girlfriend), how we feel about how white queer movies seem to be, whether or not Marianne had an abortion, and whether or not the countess knew about their relationship! Dang! We also talk about fun stuff that's been floating around social media lately including Valerie Complex's chat with Noémie, Plain Archive's plans to publish the official screenplay, and the new Criterion DVD. There's A LOT to cover! Allons-y!
Show links
• Valerie & Noémie
• Plain Archive
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
In anticipation of Criterion's official Portrait of a Lady on Fire DVD release date in a few days, we decided to watch the whole thing together for the first time. Want to hang out and watch it with us? GREAT. Make some popcorn, grab your delicately embroidered handkerchief, get comfy, and hit play!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
In honor of National Pride Month (in the US at least), we decided to talk about how much Big Dyke Energy (a.k.a. BDE) Marianne and Héloïse exude. Once you start looking for it, you see it everywhere, so we narrowed our list down to . . . you guessed it: 28 instances. We also talk a lot about ducks. 🤷🏽♀️ Happy Pride! 🏳️🌈 🦆
Links from the show:
- Medium article
- Nylon article
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
This week we're joined by Alex Heeney and Orla Smith who co-authored and edited Portraits of Resistance, the first book dedicated to the filmography of our queen, Céline Sciamma. We talk to them about their interviews with Céline, Adèle, and Noémie; how Céline changed the way they think and talk to other directors about film; their top films of the decade; and much more.
Links from the show:
- The book Portraits of Resistance
- Lockdown Film School
- Endings and Beginnings in Women-Directed Films
- Seventh Row's 50 Favourite Films of the Decade
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
In this episode, we sit down with writer and film critic Valerie Complex to talk about interviewing and hanging out (?!?!) with Céline, Adèle, and Noémie (SPOILER ALERT: they're great). We also discuss Portrait fan fiction, queer cinema, diversity + representation, 3 Lesbian Lawyers, a "fascinating friendship", and so much more.
Links from the show:
• Valerie Complex: https://valeriecomplex.com/
• Valerie's Valentine's Day interview with Céline: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29zDUFVkdko&feature=youtu.be
• Steamy, beautiful fan fiction: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22325119/chapters/53327722
• Could Marianne have been from another country? (Graciously translated by Aimée! 💐) https://ladyonfire28.tumblr.com/post/616990827466588160/christel-baras-did-an-interesting-interview-on-a
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
We are workin' our way through our inbox! This week we talk about a VERY IMPORTANT CORRECTION OMG, why Marianne's first portrait triggered so many hurt feelings, who Marianne might be narrating this story to, what's up with their scarves, and who makes the first move!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
NEWSFLASH: there is SO MUCH FIRE in Portrait of a Lady on . . . what was it again? Oh, yeah. EFFING FIRE. I mean, we all got the figurative fire and some of the literal fire, but there's so much more when you try your best to ignore the growing, burning desire between the two clearly smitten French island lesbians and HEY [claps at your face] JUST FOCUS ON THE LITERAL FIRE. We definitely missed a lot the first five or so times we watched it, so in this episode we stare directly into the flames and try to figure out what it all means.
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
So, it turns out Portrait Nation has A LOT of questions. In this special bonus episode, we try our best to answer two of them: "Did Marianne and Héloïse have period sex?" And "Why didn't they ever try to meet up again?"
(Edit 9/11/20: after recording this episode we realized we used gendered language throughout the following discussion. We recognize that trans, nonbinary, and genderqueer people can also have periods, and we apologize for our careless use of language.)
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
Chers amis, this week we welcome our very first guest: the gracious and brilliant Aimée. You may recall us mentioning the person who's translating the POALOF French DVD commentary and posting it to Tumblr as ladyonfire28, yes? Well, today she's here to teach us all Portrait French! And we, your intrepid American podcast hosts, try very hard to learn it.
But first, we talk to Aimée about how she fell in love with Portrait, which scene she feels should be discussed more, which painting from the film she'd like to bring home and much, much more.
Follow Aimée on Tumblr: https://ladyonfire28.tumblr.com/
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
Buckle up, fellow Portrait lovers! Today we're going scene by scene and talking about some of the film's hidden gems. Along the way, we discuss things like whether Sophie knew about Marianne and Héloïse's relationship and how great pockets are! Then we introduce a new segment: "In Solitude We Saw the Tweet You Spoke of" where we talk about some of our favorite Portrait content around the Internet, and we wrap things up with some listener mail! Es-tu prêt? Allons-y!
Don't forget to check out Amazing Lucy's breakdown of Portrait of a Lady on Fire!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
Not sure if we've mentioned this enough, but we love Portrait of a Lady on Fire. LOVE. IT. In this episode we gush about why we love it, what our first (and second, third, etc.) impressions were, what our favorite scenes are and more. Did we say we love this movie? We love it. We love it like Marianne loves a dry canvas. We love it like an armpit loves witchy drugs. We love it like fancy 18th century romantics love leaving each other hidden messages in their fancy commissioned portraits. We love this movie, OK?
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
Bonjour, all you womans! If you found this podcast on your own, you probably already know that Portrait of a Lady on Fire has spawned a rapturous and loyal fanbase. In this episode, we'll discuss some of our favorite aspects of Portrait Nation: the memes, fan art, tumblogs and more.
Mentions:
- Héloïse and Marianne as Bear and Otter by @downtownzoe on Instagram
- Translated DVD commentary by @ladyonfire28 on Tumblr
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message
Retourne-toi, y'all. We can't get enough of this film, so we're taking our obsession to you. Loosen those corsets, and regarde nous.
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poalof/message