Inside the Arthouse: The Plague

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When a film earns a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, there’s often a quiet suspicion that it’s a critic’s darling—admired more than embraced. But Charlie Polinger’s debut feature THE PLAGUE is something rarer: a film that marries the visceral pull of a taut thriller with the intelligence and moral urgency of serious arthouse cinema.

In this episode of INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE, we sit down with writer-director Charlie Polinger to discuss a film that has quickly become one of the most talked-about releases of 2025. Drawing from memories of his own pre-adolescence, Polinger crafts a story that feels deeply personal while speaking uncomfortably—and urgently—to the present moment. THE PLAGUE explores how casual cruelty, once confined to private spaces, has become increasingly normalized and even rewarded in public life.

The film premiered at Cannes, where it reportedly received an 11-minute standing ovation—an extraordinary response for a first feature led by a cast of unknown child actors. That reception wasn’t just about novelty. It was recognition of a filmmaker with a confident voice and a film that understands how to unsettle, provoke, and implicate its audience without sacrificing narrative momentum.
THE PLAGUE is tense, unsettling, and deeply felt—a debut that suggests Polinger is not only a director to watch, but one already operating with uncommon clarity and purpose.

To learn more about one of the most striking films of the year, join us for our conversation with Charlie Polinger—on INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE, starting now.

 

Inside the Arthouse: THE FIGHT TO OWN WARNER BROS

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In this episode of INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE, we’re stepping outside our usual filmmaker deep dives to focus on a seismic moment in Hollywood—one that could reshape the film industry from top to bottom.

Warner Bros., one of the oldest and most influential studios in cinema history, is officially up for sale. After considering multiple offers, the company initially moved toward a deal with Netflix — a move that would fold a century of studio legacy into one of the world’s biggest streaming platforms. But the story didn’t end there. Within days, Paramount, backed by tech titan Larry Ellison, launched a surprise counteroffer, escalating the situation into a full-scale bidding war.

None of these deals are finalized, and each faces major regulatory hurdles. But the fact that Warner Bros. is even on the table says a lot about where the media landscape is headed. And while arthouse cinema occupies a smaller slice of that ecosystem, the ripple effects of consolidation will absolutely shape what films get made, how they’re distributed, and where — and whether— you get to see them on a big screen.

To help us unpack all of this, we’re joined by two experts: Ross Melnick, professor of Film and Media Studies at UC Santa Barbara, and a leading voice on the history of exhibition… And Chris Yogerst, author of The Warner Brothers, one of the definitive histories of the studio now caught in the middle of this bidding war.

This conversation was recorded on December 10th. Given how fast events are moving, details may shift by the time you hear this — but our goal is to give you the context and insight needed to understand the stakes, the history, and the possible futures of this moment.

So let’s get into it: how consolidation shapes the movies you love, the theaters that show them, and the cultural imagination they help build.

That conversation starts now — on INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE.

Inside the Arthouse: The Voice of Hind Rajab

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In the press kit for her new film THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB, director Kaouther Ben Hania writes that cinema “doesn’t report, it remembers. It doesn’t argue, it makes you feel.”

And that’s exactly what this film does. No matter where you stand on the complicated realpolitik of the region, THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB hits with a force that bypasses policy and lands straight in the heart. We defy anyone to not be moved – to not FEEL – the anguish of the true-life story told in this devastating film.

The film revisits the true story of six-year-old Hind Rajab, trapped inside her family’s car in Gaza after an attack left her surrounded by the bodies of her aunts, uncles, and cousins. As she calls for help, workers from the Palestinian Red Crescent Society try to keep her calm while desperately trying to arrange safe passage for an ambulance to come rescue her.

Ben Hania uses the actual emergency call recording, interwoven with actors portraying the Red Crescent responders, to create a film that plays like a taut thriller—visceral, exacting, and emotionally overwhelming. Though based on true events and grounded in meticulous research, the film is not a documentary. Coming from a filmmaker nominated for both Best International Feature and Best Documentary, that distinction is deliberate. This is narrative cinema designed to make us feel, first and foremost. 

Selected as Tunisia’s official Oscar submission for Best International Feature, THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB opens in theaters in New York and Los Angeles on December 17, before expanding across the U.S. in the following weeks. The film was recently announced as having made the Academy Awards shortlist in the Best International Feature category.

To understand how this extraordinary film came to be—and how its director approached one of the most harrowing stories of the year—join us for our conversation with Kaouther Ben Hania, starting now onINSIDE THE ARTHOUSE.

 

Inside the Arthouse: The Tale of Silyan

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In THE TALE OF SILYAN — the highly anticipated follow-up to the Oscar-nominated documentary HONEYLAND— filmmaker Tamara Kotevska set out to explore how climate change is reshaping the migration patterns of storks in Macedonia. But over three years of filming, she and cinematographer Jean Dakar uncovered something far more expansive: an intimate portrait of global economic pressure, human migration, the unraveling of rural communities, and the fragile, deeply intertwined relationship between people, land, and wildlife.

What’s remarkable is how, at moments, THE TALE OF SILYAN plays like a narrative feature — yet nothing is staged. Every frame is real. And the story that unfolds is genuinely astonishing.

To dig into how this groundbreaking documentary came together — from early concept to final cut — we sat down with the film’s DP, Jean Dakar, for a conversation about craft, access, and capturing truth on camera.

That conversation on INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE, starting now…

 

INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE: ALL THAT’S LEFT OF YOU

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They say journalism is the first rough draft of history—but what about films that confront historical events on screen? Are these works attempts at historical record or cinematic stories that use the past to uncover deeper emotional truths?

With her new film ALL THAT’S LEFT OF YOU, filmmaker Cherien Dabis brings a bold and deeply human perspective to a chapter of history rarely explored in American cinema. While the film depicts the Nakba and the 1948 expulsion from Jaffa, Dabis goes far beyond historical recreation—crafting a powerful emotional narrative that stands among the finest films of the year.

This sweeping, multigenerational epic follows one family across 70 years, tracing their journey from displacement during the 1948 war to life as refugees in the West Bank and beyond. Dabis stars in the film alongside three extraordinary actors from the renowned Bakri family—Adam Bakri, Saleh Bakri, and Mohammad Bakri—whose performances bring the family’s story to life with remarkable authenticity and depth.

After premiering to acclaim at the Sundance Film Festival, ALL THAT’S LEFT OF YOU went on to win the prestigious Audience Award at the Sydney Film Festival. The film has now been chosen as Jordan’s official submission for Best International Feature at the Academy Awards, and we believe it has every chance of making the year’s shortlist. To hear more about ALL THAT’S LEFT OF YOU, please sit back and enjoy our conversation with filmmaker, writer, and actress, Cherien Dabis, starting now on INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE

INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE: BURT

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$7,000 might buy you a used car—but in Hollywood, it barely covers a single day of craft services on a studio film set.

But in the world of microbudget filmmaking, $7K became the entire production budget for filmmakers Joe Burke and Oliver Cooper, who used that tiny sum to create a full-length, truly independent feature film.

With a small crew, non-professional actors, shooting quickly, with a raw, natural shooting style, they crafted BURT— a miracle of sweetness and depth— a film that captures the spirit of classic indie cinema, echoing the charm of mumblecore pioneers like Andrew Bujalski, Greta Gerwig, and the Duplass Brothers.

Having wowed audiences at numerous film festivals, Joe and Oliver are channeling the Cassavetes playbook—and releasing BURT themselves into theaters.

On this episode of Inside the Arthouse, we wanted to talk to them about the inspiration for the film, their creative process, how they pulled off a feature on a shoestring budget, and the strategy behind bringing an independent film directly to audiences.

BURT is a small gem of a film, and Joe and Oliver are great examples of the indie spirit.

So if you’re dreaming of selling your car to make a movie—or want to learn how authentic independent films get made—you’ll want to start this episode right now… on Inside the Arthouse.

Inside the Arthouse: Left-Handed Girl

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School can be a magical place. Yes, we learn from teachers and instructors — but we also meet people who can change the course of our lives. And film school is no different.

For Taiwanese filmmaker Shih-Ching Tsou, meeting Sean Baker in a film editing class at AFI sparked a creative partnership that would go on for years to come. Together, they co-directed the 2004 feature TAKE OUT, and went on to collaborate on acclaimed films including TANGERINE, THE FLORIDA PROJECT, and RED ROCKET. Now, after years of creative evolution, that partnership has led to a new film — LEFT-HANDED GIRL — a deeply personal story about a young girl confronting cultural barriers and expectations in Taiwan. Set amid the vibrant energy of Taipei’s night markets, the film is both intimate and universal.

LEFT-HANDED GIRL is written & directed by Shih-Ching Tsou, co written and edited and by multi–Oscar-winning filmmaker Sean Baker. It has gone on to play major international film festivals, including a celebrated screening at Cannes. The film is also Taiwan’s official entry for the 2025 Academy Awards, competing for Best International Feature Film, and showcasing a trio of extraordinary actresses.

On this episode of Inside the Arthouse, we talk with Shih-Ching Tsou about her path to making this film, and how her experiences and collaborations have influenced her work.

If you’ve ever had to push past traditional expectations to follow your own path, this conversation will resonate with you. That conversation on Inside the Arthouse— starting now.

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Inside the Arthouse: PUT YOUR SOUL ON YOUR HAND AND WALK

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After the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7 and the ensuing Israeli military response, filmmaker Sepideh Farsi knew she wanted to make a documentary about what was unfolding in Gaza. But when she couldn’t gain access to the territory, she had to find another way to tell the story.

That opportunity came through Fatma Hassona, a 25-year-old photojournalist and poet living in Gaza. Over the course of a year, through regular video calls, their collaboration took shape — becoming the powerful new documentary PUT YOUR SOUL ON YOUR HAND AND WALK.

The film is both life-affirming and heart-breaking, capturing the daily resilience of Fatma as she navigates life in a war zone — her warmth and optimism tested by unimaginable loss.

Premiering at Cannes and screening at the New York Film Festival and beyond, the film has been widely praised by both critics and audiences for its intimacy and emotional force.

As it begins its theatrical release, we invite viewers to look beyond politics — and experience PUT YOUR SOUL ON YOUR HAND AND WALK as a deeply human story about endurance, art, and connection amid conflict.

Despite some minor technical challenges, we loved this film and are eager to share our conversation with filmmaker Sepideh Farsi, on INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE, starting now. 

PETER HUJAR’S DAY

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It’s been nearly 30 years since Ira Sachs burst onto the indie scene with his debut feature THE DELTA. While other indie darlings of that period wandered off to making big-budget superhero pictures or directing marginally interesting episodic TV, Sachs has stayed committed to making movies in a truly independent space.

His films, like LOVE IS STRANGE and PASSAGES, explore the complexities of modern romance, family dynamics, and queer identity.

All of this life and work experience is brought to bear in Sachs’s new film, PETER HUJAR’S DAY, a film based on the rediscovered transcript of writer Linda Rosenkrantz’s 1974 interview of groundbreaking photographer Peter Hujar.

With Ben Wishaw and Rebecca Hall delivering mesmerizing performances, the film paints a fully fleshed-out picture of a seminal point in the history of the American cultural landscape.

With a brisk 76-minute running time, you would be forgiven for assuming that the film is a cinematic amuse-bouche. Make no mistake. This is a full meal, providing much to chew on and leaving the viewer fully satisfied.

Filmmaker Ira Sachs is one of our indie heroes, and we are honored to have him as a guest on the show.  

Our conversation with Ira Sachs on INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE, starting now 

IF YOU SEE SOMETHING

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What does it mean to be a refugee in today’s interconnected world? If one manages to escape a dangerous situation in the place of their birth, can they truly leave the trauma behind them, especially when the horror is just a phone call or video chat away?

In Oday Rasheed’s stunning film IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, we experience the strain that is placed on a young couple as they struggle to reconcile their disparate experiences.  

Adam Bakri is amazing in his role as an Iraqi doctor seeking asylum in the US. And Jess Jacobs – who also wrote the screenplay – creates a memorable and empathetic portrait as the All-American girl who is trying to understand all of the challenges facing her partner as he tries to integrate into his new environment.

In our current environment, it may be difficult to believe that a film about immigration is NOT political. But IF YOU SEE SOMETHING manages to be something that transcends polemics, focusing on the personal experiences of those who are buffeted about by the forces of society.

It’s a terrific film, and we hope that our conversation with director Oday Rasheed and screenwriter-actor Jess Jacobs inspires you to get out to your local arthouse to see it. So join us for that conversation on INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE, starting now.