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World Cinema History

by Eric Trommater

The movies of Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Latin and South America (and an occasional North American movie we like) discussed by a panel of (mostly) American wankers. Season One focuses on cinema of The UK. Help us stay Advertising Free by giving a one-time tip or by joining the World Cinema History DVD Extras Club.Benefits include:* Bonus Episodes * Attending Live Recordings of the Show* Our Love and Appreciation * Whatever Else We Think of in The Future To join just go to https://ko-fi.com/worldcinemahistoryand make a recurring monthly payment for any amount.

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Episodes

  1. "The Leopard" (1963) (Il Gattopardo) with Mike Corradi from A History of Italy

    "The Leopard" (1963) (Il Gattopardo) | with Special Guest Mike Corradi. THE NOVEL: "The Leopard" (1958) (Il Gattopardo) by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa. THE FILM: "The Leopard" (1963) (Il Gattopardo) Directed by: Luchino Visconti Screenplay by: Suso Cecchi d'Amico Pasquale Festa Campanile Enrico...

  2. Oscar Winner Kevin Willmott Exclusive Interview: "CSA: Confederate States of America"

    Oscar winning screenwriter Kevin Willmott (with Spike Lee for "BlacKkKlansman") sits down with Eric Trommater, Erin Brown, Sila Blume and Jennifer Trujillo. The subject is his 2004 Mockumentary "CSA: Confederate States of America" which he wrote, produced and directed. It imagines the United…

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  3. Kafka's "The Trial" on Film: Orson Welles vs Harold Pinter.

    The Novel: The Trial (Der Prozess) (1925) by Franz Kafka ​The Films: The Trial (Le Procès) (1962) ​Directed by: Orson Welles ​Screenplay by: Orson Welles ​Produced by: Alexander Salkind ​Starring: Anthony Perkins, Orson Welles, Jeanne Moreau, Romy Schneider, Akim Tamiroff and Elsa Martinelli ​The...

  4. WCH Rewind: The Jethro Waters Interview. "Gun Fighter Paradise."

    Writer-Director-Editor-Actor Jethro Waters sat down with us to discuss his film Gunfighter Paradise and the many hats he wore while making it. Eric Trommater leads a panel with Sila Blume, Erin Brown and Jennifer Trujillo to quiz Jethro on the movie's many mysteries. What's in the Suitcase? Who…

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  5. "The Leopard" (1963) (Il Gattopardo) | with Special Guest Mike Corradi.

    "The Leopard" (1963) (Il Gattopardo) | with Special Guest Mike Corradi. THE NOVEL: "The Leopard" (1958) (Il Gattopardo) by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa. THE FILM: "The Leopard" (1963) (Il Gattopardo) Directed by: Luchino Visconti Screenplay by: Suso Cecchi d'Amico Pasquale Festa Campanile Enrico...

  6. "Shoot the Piano Player (French: Tirez sur le pianiste/Shoot the Pianist)" (1960) 

    THE MOVIE: Shoot the Piano Player (French: Tirez sur le pianiste; UK title: Shoot the Pianist) (1960) THE NOVEL: Down There by David Goodis (1957) CAST: Charles Aznavour Marie Dubois Nicole Berger Michèle Mercier Albert Rémy DIRECTED BY: François Truffaut SCREENPLAY: François Truffaut Marcel…

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  7. "The Godfather" (1972): Film vs Novel

    THE NOVEL: The Godfather (1969 nice 😉 ) By Mario Puzo THE FILM: The Godfather (1972) Directed by Francis Ford Coppola Screenplay by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola Produced by Albert S. Ruddy Starring Marlon Brando Al Pacino James Caan Richard Castellano Robert Duvall Sterling Hayden John...

  8. "The Proust Screenplay" by Harold Pinter: Proust on Film Part II.

    Part 1: The Memory of Time In the first of our two-part look at Marcel Proust on film, we explore Raúl Ruiz’s 1999 adaptation of the final volume of In Search of Lost Time. Our panel discusses the act of remembering, the difference between theatrical and home viewing, and why our experience of...

  9. "Time Regained" (1999): Proust on Film Part 1

    A Note on this Series: I owe my panel a disclaimer. While I spent nine months prepping—rereading Proust, the screenplay, and researching historical context—the panel had only 10 days and the film, Time Regained, as a guide. I set them a steep climb without the necessary time, operating under the...

  10. "The Trial" (1925, 1962, 1993): Kafka vs Welles vs Jones-Pinter

    The Novel: The Trial (Der Prozess) (1925) by Franz Kafka ​The Films: The Trial (Le Procès) (1962) ​Directed by: Orson Welles ​Screenplay by: Orson Welles ​Produced by: Alexander Salkind ​Starring: Anthony Perkins, Orson Welles, Jeanne Moreau, Romy Schneider, Akim Tamiroff, Elsa Martinelli ​The...

  11. "The Stranger" (1943, 1967, 2026) | Camus vs Visconti vs Ozon.

    ​*WARNING! The FDA highly recommends making peace with the absurdity of the universe before consuming this product. ​THE HOST ​Eric Trommater * Support Eric on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/I2I81KK10U ​Follow on X: @etrommater ​THE PANEL ​Erin Brown * Pizza Horse Productions:...

  12. Film Festival Round Table

    The Host: Eric Trommater https://ko-fi.com/worldcinemahistory The Panel: Susan Gorrell Executive Director of the Julien Dubuque International Film Festival (JDIFF). https://julienfilmfest.com/ Jim Farmer Festival Director of Out On Film https://outonfilm.org Jennifer Trujillo Senior Managing...

  13. Jennifer's Picks: "Bound" (1996)

    ​"I'm not suggesting Bound ...is a remake of Pandora’s Box... but as a cinephile, you can’t ignore the visual tether." ​This week on World Cinema History, host Eric Trommater finds himself in a tight spot—literally. After a "method-acting" introduction that leaves him duct-taped in a storage...

  14. Fellini's "I Vitelloni" (1953) & the DNA of the Hangout Movie

    "As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a cinephile." This week, the World Cinema History panel breathes in the salt air of 1953 Rimini to tackle Federico Fellini’s early masterwork, I Vitelloni. Following our "Road to Godard" series, we’re pivoting from Maoist groupthink to the...

  15. Bergman's "Passion (1969):" Silence, Color, and Liv Ullmann

    Ingmar Bergman’s "The Passion of Anna" In this episode, we dive into the stark, psychological landscape of Ingmar Bergman’s 1969 masterpiece, The Passion of Anna. As we transition from our Road to Godard series into the new Adaptation era, we explore a film that marks a pivotal moment in…

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  16. "Weekend" (1967): Cars, Cannibals and The End of Cinema

    ​"A Podcast Found in a Garbage Dump." ​The journey is complete. In the final installment of our Road to Godard series, we tackle Jean-Luc Godard’s 1967 scorched-earth satire, Weekend. We have traveled from the poetic realism of Grand Illusion to the revolutionary "End of Cinema," navigating a...

  17. Children of Paradise (1945): A Beautiful Corpse?

    ​ In the penultimate installment of our Road to Godard series, we dive into the 1945 epic that the Cahiers du Cinéma crowd famously dubbed a "beautiful corpse." ​Filmed under the extreme constraints and constant surveillance of the Nazi occupation of France, Marcel Carné and Jacques Prévert…

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  18. Cocteau’s Orpheus Trilogy: WTF is This?

    Cocteau’s Orpheus Trilogy | WTF is This? Host: Eric Trommater Panel: Erin Brown, Sila Blume, and Jennifer Trujillo In this episode, we step through the mirror into the cinematic life of Jean Cocteau. We examine the foundational trilogy—The Blood of a Poet (1930), Orphée (1950), and The Testament…

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  19. Jethro Waters Exclusive Interview: "Gunfighter Paradise" (2025)

    A Conversation with Jethro Waters. In this episode, our panel—Eric Trommater, Erin Brown, Jennifer Trujillo, and Sila Blume—sits down with a true polymath of modern film: Jethro Waters. Jethro serves as the writer, director, editor, and cinematographer for his debut feature, Gunfighter Paradise.…

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  20. Oscar Winner Kevin Willmott on "CSA: Confederate States of America" (2004)

    We are joined by Academy Award-winning screenwriter Kevin Willmott (Best Adapted Screenplay for Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlansman) to discuss his 2004 mockumentary, C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America. Alongside our panel—Eric Trommater, Erin Brown, Sila Blume, and Jennifer Trujillo—we explore...

  21. Is Ralph Bakshi's "Coonskin" (1975) Racist? (Explicit)

    Is Ralph Bakshi's Coonskin (1975) Racist? Spoiler: Yes. In 1975, Ralph Bakshi’s Coonskin—a jagged, mixed-media parody of Song of the South—sparked massive protests for its depictions of Harlem, the Mob, and the LGBTQ community. Decades before Roger Rabbit, Bakshi was already blending live-action...

  22. Black History Month: Ousmane Sembène's "Black Girl" (1966)

    For Black History Month, we are exploring the roots of independent African filmmaking. Black Girl serves as a powerful starting point for this journey, tracing the movement of a young Senegalese woman from Dakar to the French Riviera. We discuss Sembène's transition from literature to film as a...

  23. Black History Month: Djibril Diop Mambéty’s " Touki Bouki" (1973)

    The Road to Godard hits the streets of Dakar. ​In this episode of the World Cinema History Podcast, we immerse ourselves in the vibrant, avant-garde energy of Djibril Diop Mambéty’s 1973 landmark, Touki Bouki. Eric Trommater, Erin Brown, Jennifer Trujillo and Sila Blume break it all down. Erin…

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  24. Miguel Ángel Ferrer | An Outlaw Filmmaker's Journey

    ​In this installment of World Cinema History, we move from the historical Road to Godard into the contemporary trenches of independent cinema. We are joined by writer-director Miguel Ángel Ferrer, whose film The Shadow of the Sun—Venezuela’s 2023 Oscar entry—is a study of survival and using your...

  25. "Breathless" (1960) vs "Nouvelle Vague" (2025)

    In the first installment of our Road to Godard series, co-hosts Eric Trommater, Erin Brown, and Jennifer Trujillo dive into the 1959 production that changed everything. We’re putting Jean-Luc Godard’s revolutionary Breathless (À bout de souffle) side-by-side with Richard Linklater’s 2025 film,...

  26. "Tokyo Story" (1953): A Quiet Avalanche

    ​"Isn't life disappointing?" "Yes, nothing but disappointment." Thunderstorms descended as Erin Brown, Eric Trommater, Sila Blume, and Jennifer Trujillo gathered to discuss Yasujirō Ozu’s seminal 1953 film, Tokyo Story. As the conclusion to our series on Aging and Mortality in 1950s Cinema, the...

  27. Bonus: Remembering Rob Reiner and the La Monte Afterparty

    In this special bonus installment, we reflect on a filmmaker who defined the American cinematic landscape for decades. We also circle back to the studio for a final word on our recent guest. ​The Panel Jennifer Trujillo, Sila Blume, Eric Trommater, and Erin Brown. Remembering Rob Reiner (March 6,...

  28. Christine La Monte interview | Viva Verdi! & Turandot

    Producer Christine La Monte joins the show to discuss her Oscar-shortlisted film Viva Verdi! and Ai Weiwei’s Turandot. We talk about the residents of Casa Verdi and the bridge between opera and cinema history. Host: Eric Trommater Panel: Erin Brown, Sila Blume, Jennifer Trujillo Special Guest: My...

  29. Umberto D (1952): Pathos, Pensions, and the Goodest Boy

    This week on World Cinema History, we continue our series on Aging and Mortality in 1950s Cinema. Having explored the bureaucratic cages of Kurosawa’s Ikiru and the cold Swedish apathy of Bergman’s Wild Strawberries, we now arrive in the blistering, post-war economic hangover of Vittorio De…

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  30. Ingmar Bergman's "Wild Strawberries" (1957): A Road Trip to Solitude ​ ​

    ​In this episode, we take an existential road trip from Lund to Stockholm to discuss Ingmar Bergman's 1957 film, Wild Strawberries—or Smultronstället—a film about aging, isolation, and confronting a lifetime of emotional coldness. ​Host Eric Trommater is joined by panelists Erin Brown…

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  31. Taika Waititi, "Jo Jo Rabbit," and the Art of Anachronism.

    Erin Brown hosts a discussion with Eric Trommater and Jennifer Trujillo on one of her favorite movies, 2019's "Jojo Rabbit." The film features Sam Rockwell, Rebel Wilson and Scarlett Johannson in a tale of a young boy and his imaginary friend Adolph Hitler, played by the movie's Writer-Director...

  32. WCH Pod: "Ikiru" (1952). D: Akira Kurosawa. Guest: Luke Higginson.

    Luke Higginson, who wrote, directed and edited "Relax I'm from the Future," joins Eric Trommater, Erin Brown, Audra Angelique and Jennifer Trujillo to unpack one of his favorite films by his favorite director Akira Kurosawa's "Ikiru." Check us out on YouTube:...

  33. WCH Pod: "I Know Where I'm Going!" (1945). Directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Presburger.

    Eric Trommater, Erin Brown and Jennifer Trujillo are joined from Bonnie Scotland by Leonard Hockerts from Understanding Movies. We look at Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's romantic comedy "I Know Where I'm Going!" Set in the Hebrides Islands, of Scotland, and starring Wendy Hiller and…

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  34. "Let the Right One In" (2008). Terror on Ice.

    Eric Trommater, Erin Brown, Nicole de Meneses and Jennifer Trujillo end their month-long look at horror with Tomas Alfredson's (The Snowman and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) 2008 adaptation of John Ajvide Lindqvist's vampire novel "Let the Right One In," set in snowy Sweden. Later remade by Matt...

  35. "Near Dark" (1987), and the Vampire-Western-Romance.

    Eric Trommater and Erin Brown are joined by Jennifer Trujillo of The Gilbert Baker Film Festival and "Vampire Director" Nicole de Meneses to discuss one of Nicole's favorite films, "Near Dark" (1987). Coming on the heels of our month long look at women behind the camera, we got a chance to...

  36. "Vampyr," (1932). Misunderstood or a misfire?

    Consider leaving us a tip at KI-FI.com/worldcinemahistory Eric Trommater and Erin Brown are joined by Nicole de Meneses, who is currently making her own vampire film, and Jennifer Trujillo, who runs the Gilbert Baker Film Festival. At issue is Carl Theodore Dreyer's "Vampyr," a strange choice…

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  37. Agnes Varda's "Cleo from 5 to 7," edited to appease CPR Agency for MK2

    To support this podcast go to https://ko-fi.com/worldcinemahistory A group called CPR Agency for MK2 had our original video pulled from YouTube for an alleged Copyright violation. They, most likely, mistook the video for the actual film. Just in case we re-edited the episode, taking out...

  38. "What We Do in the Shadows" Special guest Luke Higginson.

    Help keep us Advertising Free. Donate at https://ko-fi.com/worldcinemahistory Special Guest Luke Higginson, the writer and director of "Relax, I'm From the Future" (which starred Rhys Darby), joins Erin Brown and Eric Trommater to discuss Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi's 2014 Vampire...

  39. Dr. Ernesto 'Todd' Mireles on "War of the Flea: Fight for Xicano Studies."

    Thank you for listening to this bonus episode of World Cinema History. For more content like this join our DVD Extras Club at Ko-Fi.com/worldcinemahistory. This week's bonus episode centers on Dr. Ernesto Todd Mireles's "War of the Flea: Fight for Xicano Studies," a documentary film detailing the...

  40. Luis Buñuel's "L'Âge d'or" (1930) Explained! WTF is this?

    Help keep us advertising free. Go to https://ko-fi.com/worldcinemahistory and toss a buck or two in the tip jar. Eric Trommater and Sila Blume are joined by a special guest as they try and unpack Luis Buñuel's 1930 Surrealist masterpiece ""L'Âge d'or, (The Golden Age)." Dr. Ernesto "Todd" Mireles...

  41. "Seven Beauties " (1975). Feminism, Filmmaking and Lina Wermüller.

    Help Keep Us Free From Ads. ko-fi.com/worldcinemahistory Erin Brown and Eric Trommater continue their month long look at women behind the camera. This time it's director Lina Wermüller who, despite her name, is an Italian, and her 1975 black comedy "Seven Beauties." One of many films Wertmüller...

  42. "Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du..." The best film of all time?

    Help us stay Advertising Free with a one time tip or by joining our DVD Extras Club. https://ko-fi.com/worldcinemahistory Eric Trommater, Erin Brown and Sila Blume discuss Chantel Ackerman's 1975 film "Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles." Named the Best Film of All Time in 2022…

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  43. DVD Extra. Three Queer Women on Fire: Nicole De Meneses, Jennifer A. Trujillo and Laura Petrie.

    Here's a free look at extra content you can receive by joining the World Cinema History DVD Extras Club. Benefits include: * Bonus Episodes Like This One * Attending Live Recordings of the Show * Our Love and Appreciation * Whatever Else We Think of in The Future * Having your name mispronounced…

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  44. "Portrait of a Lady on Fire" (2019) and The Female Gaze.

    If you enjoy this program consider leaving us a tip at https://ko-fi.com/worldcinemahistory or, for more content, join our DVD Extras Club. Director Céline Sciamma's 18th century sapphic love story can be enjoyed simply for the beauty of it's images, the great performances by Noémie Merlant…

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  45. Jeanne Dielman After Party. Exclusive Bonus Episode.

    Here's a free look at extra content you can receive by joining the World Cinema History DVD Extras Club. Benefits include: * Bonus Episodes Like This One * Attending Live Recordings of the Show * Our Love and Appreciation * Whatever Else We Think of in The Future * Having your name mispronounced…

    more

  46. WCH Pod: "A Man for All Seasons" (1966). "I die The King's good servant, and God's first."

    If you want to support us we are at: https://ko-fi.com/worldcinemahistory Yassi Sofi and Eric Trommater. "Some men think the Earth is round, others think it flat; it is a matter capable of question. But if it is flat, will the King's command make it round? And if it is round, will the King's...

  47. "Bedrooms and Hallways," (1998). Quirkiness, Queerness, and Farce.

    If you want to support us we are at: https://ko-fi.com/worldcinemahistory Erin Brown and Eric Trommater continue their look at Queerness in Cinema with Rose Troche's 1998 comedy "Bedrooms and Hallways." The film stars: Kevin McKidd, Hugo Weaving, James Purefoy, Tom Hollander, Christopher Fulford,...

  48. "Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person" (2023). A Kinder, Gentler Vampire

    If you want to support us we are at: https://ko-fi.com/worldcinemahistory Special guest host Nicole de Meneses a writer, director, and founder of Dark Rainbow Films, an independent production company specializing in bold, unapologetic LGBTQ+ stories through a genre lens. She chose Ariane...

  49. "China Is Near" (1967). Class, Culture and Comedy, Italian Style.

    Help keep us ad free at: https://ko-fi.com/worldcinemahistory We round off our trilogy of Italian comedies with Erin Brown and Eric Trommater' s discussion of Marco Bellochio's 1967 film "China is Near," focusing on class struggle within the Italian Socialist party. With cinematography Tonino…

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  50. "The Organizer" (1963). Commedia all'italiana per eccellenza!

    Help keep us ad free at: https://ko-fi.com/worldcinemahistory Eric Trommater, Sila Blume and Erin Brown discuss commedia all’italiana and Mario Monicelli's 1963 film "The Organizer." The film stars Marcello Mastroianni as a High School teacher turned labor organizer in Turin at the end of the…

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ABOUT THIS SHOW

The movies of Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Latin and South America (and an occasional North American movie we like) discussed by a panel of (mostly) American wankers. Season One focuses on cinema of The UK. Help us stay Advertising Free by giving a one-time tip or by joining the World Cinema History DVD Extras Club.Benefits include:* Bonus Episodes * Attending Live Recordings of the Show* Our Love and Appreciation * Whatever Else We Think of in The Future To join just go to https://ko-fi.com/worldcinemahistoryand make a recurring monthly payment for any amount.

HOSTED BY

Eric Trommater

CATEGORIES

arts visual

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does World Cinema History have?

World Cinema History currently has 120 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.

What is World Cinema History about?

The movies of Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Latin and South America (and an occasional North American movie we like) discussed by a panel of (mostly) American wankers. Season One focuses on cinema of The UK. Help us stay Advertising Free by giving a one-time tip or by joining the...

How often does World Cinema History release new episodes?

World Cinema History publishes regularly with 120 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.

Where can I listen to World Cinema History?

You can listen to World Cinema History on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.

Who hosts World Cinema History?

World Cinema History is created and hosted by Eric Trommater.
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