Female Driven
Season 1
Sapphic Culture Club!
Portrait Pop Culture!
Diana: The Musical
Portrait of a Lady on Fire - La Deuxième Partie
Portrait of a Lady on Fire - Part the First
Black Swan
Frida
Hustlers
by Emily Ollero Jones
Dearest listeners - we were SO excited to have Laurel and Audrey from Sapphic Culture Club (originally Podcast of a Lady on Fire) as our first guests on Female Driven! We recorded for 2 hours, so I've decided to split our recording into two episodes. In this episode, we talk about the origin of Podcast of a Lady on Fire and its evolution into Sapphic Culture Club and - of course - Portrait of a Lady on fire! Unfortunately, Kristen couldn't join us, but we had so much fun recording this episode. I hope you enjoy!
Ready for some more Portrait goodness? We recorded this segment months ago, shortly after we finished our epic 3-hour discussion of the film Portrait of a Lady on Fire. Here, we cover the impact the movie has had on pop culture - its devoted fanbase, a very funny SNL sketch, and memes that have arisen out of the collective imagination of Portrait Nation! With hope, dear listeners, that you have not yet reached Portrait surfeit! There is more to come...
What is Diana: The Musical? Why is Diana: The Musical? We discuss this and more in this very campy, very goofy episode. Enjoy our reflections on the legend that is Princess Diana, America's obsession with the British royal family, Meghan Markle's iconic Oprah interview, and our comparison of this musical to the (much better) Evita. The audio quality is a little rough in this one (sorry!) but we had so much fun recording this. Stick around to the end for a wild rabbit role. It may or may not concern the very niche real-person lesbian fan fiction about Kate Middleton and Megan Markle. Buckle in - this one's a hoot!
We're back with part two of our Portrait series! In this episode we ask: what are the components of desire? Watch and listen as The Longing™ and The Gazing™ intensifies between our young heroines, Marianne and Héloïse. Swoon and sigh with us over some of the most romantic exchanges we've ever witnessed on the big screen! References to the controversial love scene between Rachel Weisz and Rachel McAdams in the film Disobedience and the origin of Kristen's fear of water bottles. Also, Emily is still in love with Adèle. Content warning: This episode includes a discussion about abortion. We go in depth from minute-mark 1:01:23 - 1:05:00. Note: We recorded this episode before the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Regardez-moi et retourne-toi, s'il vous plaît!
“Portrait of a Lady on Fire is a lot of things, and one of those things is definitely a story of forbidden love between two perfect pairs of eyebrows.” - @joereid’s Letterboxd review of this movie Je vous salue, mes amis! This episode is part one of our Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019) mini-series. Directed by Sapphic genius Céline Sciamma and starring the equally amazing Adèle Haenel and Noémie Merlant, this is the swooniest, dreamiest, most romantic film in recent memory! Prepare yourself for Much Gazing™ and Longing™. If Emily weren’t so in love with Adèle, we wouldn’t be dedicating three episodes to this masterpiece. Buckle up!
Remember in 2010 when Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis starred in Black Swan and then made identical romantic comedies? We talk about this and much more in our Black Swan episode. It's hard not to fan out over Natalie's spectacular performance as a ballerina hell-bent on becoming the perfect Swan Queen. Things turn dark when her obsession blurs the line between fantasy and reality in this psychological thriller directed by provocateur Darren Aronofsky. We know you can be the white swan. The true question is - can you be the black swan?
In this episode, we cover the 2002 biopic "Frida," starring the brilliant and beautiful actor/producer Salma Hayek. Frida Kahlo is one of the most iconic figures of the twentieth century - celebrated in both queer and feminist circles. We discuss what makes Frida so extraordinary, Salma as a Latina pioneer in Hollywood, and how in the world she looks so good in drag. References to Cate Blanchett, Deep Blue Sea, Spider-man: Turn off the Dark, and why neither Julie Taymor nor Tom Hooper should be allowed near Diana: The Musical.
This episode we ask: Which came first for Lorene Scafaria - the character of Ramona or her iconic line of swimwear, “Swimona”? We discuss the cultural resurgence of JLo in 2019-2020, and what this film has to say about the 2007-2008 financial crisis, class, and sexual politics. We laud the stellar performances of Constance Wu and Jennifer Lopez, the legendary cameos of Cardi B and Lizzo, and celebrate the magnificent Keke Palmer! Plus, we cover all things Destiny + Ramona. Put on your denim bikini and 6-inch stilettos - we’re here to talk Hustlers!
Hey, y’all! We’re Kristen and Emily - besties who love talking about female-driven cinema. Come along for the ride as we talk about landmark films with female writers, directors, actors, and producers! We aim to highlight womens’ stories and the characters they bring to life on the big screen. So, buckle up and join us on this female-driven journey!