179. What if we told stories about women beyond their love lives?
Seventh Row Podcast
What happens when a story that once felt modern… suddenly doesn’t? And what does that tell us about the limits — and possibilities — of the stories we tell about women? In this solo episode, Seventh Row Editor-in-Chief Alex Heeney tracks a shift in perspective — hers, and maybe yours too. 📍 How a 2021 film reopened an old question 📍 Why Far from the Madding Crowd (2015) once felt strikingly modern — and what I see in it now 📍 And what this tells us about how our expectations for stories about women have changed — fast Along the way, I dig into: How the marriage plot...
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178. What happened when Hazel trusted my film curation
Seventh Row Podcast
What happens when you watch a film — not just to be entertained — but to reflect, notice, and share? In this episode, Alex Heeney (curator of Reel Ruminators) sits down with Hazel Shaw, a UK member of the community, to uncover what really makes this unique movie-of-the-month space so rewarding — and how it sparks discoveries you might not expect. Together, they talk about: What happens when you watch films that aren't suggested by an algorithm Why gathering with film lovers from around the world can change the way you see a film Why some of the most surprising film conversations...
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177. 45 Years (dir. Andrew Haigh) with Lindsay Pugh (10th anniversary)
Seventh Row Podcast
Ten years on, 45 Years hasn’t lost an ounce of its emotional weight. In fact, it might just cut deeper. On this episode, host and Seventh Row Editor-in-Chief Alex Heeney is joined by Lindsay Pugh () to revisit Andrew Haigh’s masterpiece about a childless couple celebrating their 45 the wedding anniversary in the same week that a traumatic secret from the past comes to light. We talk about: What makes this story hit differently as we have aged Why the film’s focus on emotional repression, delayed gratification, and public performance feels so radical How Haigh’s queer lens shapes...
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176. Materialists (dir. Celine Song)
Seventh Row Podcast
In this episode, Alex Heeney digs into Celine Song’s Materialists, a film about Lucy, a matchmaker struggling with her own love triangle. Will Lucy (Dakota Johnson) choose love — in the form of her poor ex John (Chris Evans) — or money with eligible bachelor Harry (Pedro Pascal)? And can love and money even co-exist? With its charming cast, elegant blocking, and standout sound design, Materialists could have been a sharp, class-conscious rom-com. But for all its promise, it ends up skimming the surface. You will hear: What works well in the film, including the visual...
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175. How three very different films ended up in conversation
Seventh Row Podcast
Join me (Alex Heeney) on a journey through three films I programmed inside Reel Ruminators — a British political thriller, an Indigenous Canadian documentary, and a queer South African drama — and discover how their contrasts actually illuminate one another. By the end of this episode, you’ll see how exploring differences between films can reshape your own viewing of film as an art form. 🎧 In This Episode You’ll Discover Hidden threads connecting three very different films—and how noticing those threads can deepen your own film palate. Time as a storytelling tool in...
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174. Mission: Impossible (1996) with Angelo Muredda
Seventh Row Podcast
Now best known for its stunt-heavy sequels, Mission: Impossible began as a Brian De Palma thriller about surveillance, performance, and how what you see isn’t always the whole story. In this episode, we get into: How the opening scene teaches you how to watch the film What makes the writing in this film sing Why the production design is more than just stylish — it’s integral to the storytelling What costumes, props, and performances reveal about character The crackling chemistry of a cast that brings texture to even the smallest roles How the film's set pieces are more than just...
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173. Beginnings and Endings: Jane Austen Wrecked My Life
Seventh Row Podcast
Jane Austen Wrecked My Life is one of the best films of 2025. In this episode, Alex Heeney zooms in on its beginning and ending scenes to show how they set up and pay off the film’s emotional arc. From the start, you know you’re in a warm, fun place (with a touch of sadness); by the end, you land on a romantic high the film truly earns. Alex unpacks how choices from structure to song lyrics to blocking work together to deliver that strong emotional payoff. 🎧 Full breakdown of the film: 💌 💬 Enjoy digging into filmmaking details like this? That’s one of the things we do...
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172. Jane Austen Wrecked My Life (dir. Laura Piani)
Seventh Row Podcast
Laura Piani’s Jane Austen Wrecked My Life is more than just a great rom-com — it’s a funny and moving portrait of grief, writer’s block, and a woman learning to move forward. Alex Heeney digs into how Agathe’s emotional arc is mirrored in the film’s structure, how the frame composition is key to the film’s humour and storytelling, and how Piani reimagines Jane Austen archetypes for 2025. 🎁 Want more films that linger? Grab my free companion guide to a recent hidden gem — complete with a streaming guide, intro video, and prompts to deepen your viewing. 👉
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171. Cannes 2025: Navigating the festival beyond the Competition
Seventh Row Podcast
The 2025 Cannes Film Festival kicks off today...and the question on everyone's mind is: what will be the great movies? Mostly, people look to the Cannes Competition (the films that compete for the Palme d'Or) to find the best films. But it's a lesser-known fact that many amazing films screen in the festival's sidebars. And many of the best films in cinema history have screened in the festival's sidebars. In fact, Chantal Akerman's Jeanne Dielman, which was named the greatest film of all time in the 2022 Sight & Sound poll did not screen in competition! It screened in the...
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170. Why is it so hard to see African films?
Seventh Row Podcast
If you look back on the last year, how many African films have you watched? And how does this compare to the other international films you've seen from other continents? Chances are, you're seeing way more films from every other continent than from Africa. That's not your fault. That's how the film industry works. So on today's episode, Alex talks about why it's so hard to see African films and what you can do if you'd like to add more of them to your cinematic diet. **Become a Seventh Row insider: **If you'd like to in May to watch an exquisite work of queer South African Cinema, sign...
info_outlineWhat happens when you watch a film — not just to be entertained — but to reflect, notice, and share?
In this episode, Alex Heeney (curator of Reel Ruminators) sits down with Hazel Shaw, a UK member of the community, to uncover what really makes this unique movie-of-the-month space so rewarding — and how it sparks discoveries you might not expect.
Together, they talk about:
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What happens when you watch films that aren't suggested by an algorithm
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Why gathering with film lovers from around the world can change the way you see a film
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Why some of the most surprising film conversations happen in spaces where no one needs to agree.
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The “aha” moments that can sneak up on you while watching and reflecting on a film.
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The lasting rewards of being exposed to films you might have overlooked on your own.
Whether you’re already curious about Reel Ruminators or simply interested in what happens when film-watching becomes a shared, intentional practice, this episode offers a thoughtful, behind-the-scenes look — with reflections that may just surprise you, too.