James R | On 26, May 2021

The streaming service MUBI is getting into the podcast game, with the launch this June of its first original podcast.

Called, cunningly enough, MUBI Podcast, it is hosted by arts and travel reporter Rico Gagliano (The Wall Street Journal, The Dinner Party Download). The documentary-style podcast will begin with Lost in Translation, a season focused on films that have great importance in their home country, but are lesser known by international audiences and critics. MUBI Podcast will cover nearly every continent with each episode exploring a different film and country, providing a window into cinema cultures around the world. The stories behind the films will be brought to life with movie clips, music, and original interviews with filmmakers, critics, academics, and historians.

Daniel Kasman, VP of Content, MUBI commented: “After years of showcasing great cinema on MUBI and covering film culture through our digital magazine, Notebook, I’m thrilled for us to expand into the audio space to explore the world of cinema in new ways. Rico’s a terrific host and it’s been great conceptualising such a fun subject and a surprising slate of guests. I know our audiences will be delighted.”

The first episode will feature an exclusive interview with Paul Verhoeven, looking at his second feature, Turkish Delight (1973). While one of Verhoeven’s lesser known films to international audiences, it remains the most well-attended domestic film in the history of the Netherlands and was named the greatest Dutch film of the 20th century by the Netherlands Film Festival. The episode will cover the film’s unique significance during the counterculture movement in 1970s Holland and also features interviews with Monique van de Ven and Jan de Bont, among others.

Future episodes in the six-part first season will cover the longest-running film in the history of Indian cinema, a Mexican film that became the biggest movie in the Soviet Union, and the micro-budget feature shot on video that sparked the modern Nigerian film industry.

The podcast will launch on 3rd June on all major podcast platforms and on MUBI’s online publication Notebook. New episodes will be released weekly.

Add to Watchlist