In an article in The New York Times, the critic Manohla Dargis wrote about what we’re missing right now: “There is nothing like watching a movie, leaving the world while being rooted in it alongside friends, family and everyone else.” It’s a feeling that means so much to all of us, and on this podcast, we’ve been doing our best to stay virtually connected with each other and with movies. We’ve had the pleasure of welcoming Manohla Dargis on the podcast in our festival editions, and in these extraordinary times, she joins us once again. For this episode, Film Comment Editor-in-Chief Nicolas Rapold and Assistant Editor Devika Girish talked to Manohla about the impact of the cinema shutdown, what’s unique about the movies, and why old Hollywood movies can hold a special pleasure. We discuss Hollywood classics like 42nd Street and The Great McGinty as well as more recent films including Bong Joon Ho’s Okja and Sudanese documentary Talking About Trees. Please note that our necessarily remote connection may mean some variable audio quality If you’re a longtime Film Comment subscriber, listener, or reader, or are just tuning in now, please consider becoming a member or making a donation to our publisher, Film at Lincoln Center, during these unprecedented times: purchase.filmlinc.org/donate/contribute2

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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