It’s a very special episode this week as Bernard presents Sound Conversations, a collection of interviews with directors, documentarians, actors, festival programmers and, most importantly, sound designers, about the art of sound in film. Technique, philosophy, tradition, experimentation—all angles of sound design are covered as we explore one of the most underappreciated aspects of filmmaking with some of the most talented people in the biz. Joining the show are the sound-obsessed artists behind Love & Mercy, The Diary of a Teenage Girl, 10,000 km, Gett: The Trial of Vivianne Amsalem, Foxcatcher and many more. Listen in and listen close—it’s Sound Conversations!

Topics

• Bel Powley & Marielle Heller (2:23)
• Carlos Marques-Marcet (5:17)
• Shlomi Elkabetz (11:57)
• Chris Strachwitz, Chris Simon, Maureen Gosling (35:39)
• Bill Pohlad (21:45)
• Oren Moverman (25:57)
• Anita Monga (33:06)
• Paul Hsu (38:31)

Articles Referenced

The Diary of a Teenage Girl Interview
10,000 km Interview
Gett: The Trial of Vivianne Amsalem Interview
Love & Mercy Interview
Anita Monga Interview
Time Out of Mind Interview
This Ain’t No Mouse Music Interview

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Marielle Heller and Bel Powley, the director and star of The Diary of a Teenage Girl, respectively, join this week’s show to talk about their film, which is one of the most honest and unfiltered explorations of female adolescence in recent memory. Bernard is joined by Ananda to review the movie as well as discuss the state of female representation in movies today. All that plus our Indie Picks of the Week on this femme-tastic episode of the Way Too Indiecast.

This week’s sponsor is MUBI, an curated online cinema that brings its members a hand-picked selection of the best indie, foreign, and classic films. Try MUBI for 30 days FREE by visiting www.mubi.com/waytooindie.

Topics

• Indie Picks of the Week (1:05)
• The Diary of a Teenage Girl Review (9:50)
• Female Representation in Movies Today (25:55)
• Marielle Heller and Bel Powley Interview (41:22)

WTI Articles Referenced in the Podcast

Bending Steel interview
Tyrannosaur review

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The coming-of-age genre’s tropes have become so ubiquitous that chances are when you read a title like The Diary of a Teenage Girl you’ve already anticipated her sexual awakening and an unhealthy romance. This film has those beats, but Marielle Heller’s debut feature film comes with so much more. Mostly, it’s the authenticity of 15-year-old Minnie’s voice (played by newcomer Bel Powley).

Writing and directing an adaptation of Phoebe Gloeckner’s novel of the same name, Heller includes several animated sequences from Gloeckner’s graphic illustration style, which are peppered through the movie. Minnie endearingly and hilariously spouts her limited wisdom into her audio diary, which serves as the movie’s narration. She tells herself, the diary, and us, “It felt so good to imagine he might be thinking about me.” They’re such well-observed statements, so clearly the reflection of an awkward but thoughtful adolescent mind.

Early on, Minnie becomes involved with her mother’s boyfriend Monroe (Alexander Sakrsgård), a man 20 years her senior. At first he’s her vehicle for escaping the isolation of virginity. As the movie continues he becomes her gateway to further sexual exploration and drug experimentation. Part of what’s refreshing in The Diary of a Teenage Girl’s approach is we don’t feel the film judging Minnie for any of these actions. She retains her agency, and pulls herself out of her stupor. She’s a girl being confronted with the realities of adult life and the consequences of her actions.

As the Opening Night Film for New Directors/New Films, it’s fitting that The Diary of a Teenage Girl comes from such an exciting voice. Heller’s film brings life to a story that could have otherwise felt tired, and portrays its characters with such honesty that their emotional arcs are felt. Minnie Goetze is bound to become a favorite movie character for teenage girls, but she’s also one of the most fun, easy to root for protagonists of any film in this festival.

On this week’s episode of the Way Too Indiecast, Bernard is joined by Zach and Aaron to talk about this week’s New Directors/New Films festival in NYC, some noteworthy movies they’ve seen recently, and what blockbusters they’re most excited for on the horizon. Plus, the boys share their ideas of the ideal movie-watching environment. Afternoon or night time? Theater or home? Center or aisle seat? All this and more on this bi-coastal edition of the Way Too Indiecast.

Topics

• ND/NF Coverage (1:55)
• Recent Gems (13:30)
• Anticipated Mainstream (27:05)
• Ideal Watching Environments (33:10)

WTI Articles Referenced in the Podcast

ND/NF coverage

’71 review

It Follows review

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