The opening season of the series — appropriately named “MUBI Podcast” — will span six episodes, beginning with the debut episode launching on June 3. Hosted by Rico Gagliano, the overall theme for the season is “Lost in Translation” and is centered around helping introduce significant works in international cinema to a wider audience, something that’s long been part of the overall MUBI goal. You can listen to a trailer for the new show below:
Each episode traces the impact of a film that has had a tremendous influence in the country where it was produced, but hasn’t quite garnered the international recognition is deserves. The first will focus on Paul Verhoeven’s sophomore feature, 1973’s “Turkish Delight.” Featuring interviews with Verhoeven himself, as well as Monique van de Ven and Jan de Bont, “MUBI Podcast” looks at the cultural impact of the film upon its release and the impact it had on generations of Dutch filmmakers that came after. This new podcast series comes in the wake of other recent MUBI expansions. The service added to its longtime model of having a 30-day rotation of film offerings by establishing a permanent library, housing new and classic arthouse releases from around the world, as well as helping to produce platform-exclusive films.
As a host, Gagliano has plenty of interview experience from his time in audio, much of it in public radio. He was previously the co-host of “The Dinner Party Download,” a show that grew from its launch as an independent podcast in 2008 to a national weekly broadcast. Gagliano has since worked for “Marketplace” and KCRW, in addition to serving in various roles on series for Wondery and Crooked Media. Wednesday’s announcement of the series states that “future episodes will cover film stories from around the globe, including 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.” “MUBI Podcast” will be available to listen on podcast platforms and through MUBI’s daily film publication Notebook beginning on June 3. Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.
