On this week’s episode of our podcast, we cap off the recent 45th edition of New Directors/New Films with two highlights. To hear more insightful conversations like these, subscribe to The Close-Up on iTunes and, if you like what you hear, leave us a review!

In part one, you’ll hear the Q&A that followed the New York premiere of Kaili Blues, an audacious and innovative debut film from Chinese director Bi Gan. It won multiple awards at the Locarno Film Festival, with critics praising its arresting cinematography and formal inventiveness, drawing special attention to the jaw-dropping 40-plus-minute sequence shot at its center.

In part two of today’s episode, you’ll hear from Brazilian director Gabriel Mascaro, whose stunning new work, Neon Bull, screened at New Directors after winning prizes at Toronto and Venice. The film returns to the Film Society this Friday for a theatrical run, and we’ll also be revisiting Mascaro’s previous films with a series entitled Gabriel Mascaro: Ebbs and Flows starting April 15. 

Listen to the podcast below or click here to listen and subscribe on iTunes.