Inside the Arthouse Podcast

About Inside the Arthouse Podcast

The people, films, and ideas keeping independent cinema alive. INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE is a weekly film podcast and video series exploring independent film, international cinema, theatrical exhibition, and the creative process behind the movies that stay with us. Hosted by Greg Laemmle, president of Laemmle Theatres, and Emmy Award-winning actor and director Raphael Sbarge, the show goes behind the screen with the filmmakers, actors, writers, producers, distributors, programmers, and theater owners shaping cinema today. From new arthouse releases and Oscar contenders to repertory classics and the changing business of film distribution, each episode offers thoughtful, insider conversations about cinematic craft, film culture, and why seeing movies together still matters. Whether you’re a dedicated cinephile, an emerging filmmaker, an industry professional, or simply looking for your next unforgettable film, INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE invites you into a worldwide community that believes cinema is more than content—it is one of our most vital art forms. New episodes weekly. Subscribe and join the conversation.

Publisher

GREG LAEMMLE and RAPHAEL SBARGE

Category

arts · tv & film

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

27 Aug 2024

Latest episode

7 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

118 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   7 Oct 2026

   THE SCOUT — Paula González-Nasser on the Invisible Work Behind the Movies

   What does it mean to spend your working life entering strangers’ homes, photographing their private spaces — and then moving on? Writer-director Paula González-Nasser joins Greg Laemmle and Raphael Sbarge to discuss THE SCOUT, her acclaimed feature debut starring Mimi Davila as a New York location scout whose unusual job offers fleeting glimpses into the lives of strangers. Drawing from González-Nasser’s own years scouting productions including Russian Doll, Search Party, High Maintenance and Never Rarely Sometimes Always, the film becomes something much larger: a funny, quietly moving exploration of creative work, loneliness, urban life, and the people whose labor makes movies possible. Paula talks about finding a movie inside an invisible job, the influence of filmmakers like Chantal Akerman and Michelangelo Antonioni, learning to trust the film’s slower rhythm, shaping Sofia with Mimi Davila, and the very real anxiety of stepping behind the camera for the first time. A New York Times Critic’s Pick, THE SCOUT is now in theaters from Greenwich Entertainment. 00:00 — THE SCOUT01:10 — Finding a Film in an Invisible Job03:40 — Location Scouting After COVID04:51 — The Films That Shaped THE SCOUT07:27 — Film Clip: Inside a Stranger’s Home09:20 — Trusting the Film’s Slow Burn11:42 — Why Sofia Stays at the Edge of the Frame12:36 — Editing: When to Enter and Leave a Scene14:27 — Becoming a Director — and Imposter Syndrome17:31 — The Voicemails: A Greek Chorus20:00 — The Real Cost of New York Locations20:24 — THE SCOUT Trailer22:31 — Why the Story Is Just a Day in the Life24:05 — Creating Sofia with Mimi Davila25:58 — Antonioni, French New Wave & Visual References27:12 — How Audiences Are Responding28:59 — Finding Humor in New York Loneliness30:54 — Closing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2. 

   30 Sept 2026

   THE LAST FIRST: WINTER K2 | Who Gets the Glory? With Director Amir Bar-Lev

   THE LAST FIRST: WINTER K2 | Amir Bar-Lev There are mountains people climb because they can. And then there is K2. The second-highest mountain on Earth, and one of its deadliest, had never been climbed in winter. For decades, mountaineers called it the last great first. In 2021, teams from around the world converged on its slopes to claim it. Amir Bar-Lev (The Tillman Story, My Kid Could Paint That, Happy Valley) joins Greg Laemmle and Raphael Sbarge to discuss The Last First: Winter K2, his account of that season and what it revealed: the commercialization of extreme mountaineering, the pressure of cameras and social media, national pride, the economics of expedition climbing, and the long question of who gets credit for the risks taken at altitude. At the film's center are Icelandic climber John Snorri Sigurjónsson, Pakistani mountaineer Ali Sadpara and his son Sajid, and the Nepali climbers determined to make history on their own terms. Their paths expose fault lines of class, nationality and opportunity running through the traditional hierarchy of Himalayan climbing. Bar-Lev also talks about building a documentary from competing accounts, archival footage and survivors who don't agree on what happened, and why he chose to preserve that uncertainty rather than resolve it. What does it mean to be first? Who gets remembered? And when ambition, money, national identity and filmmaking itself enter a place where one decision can mean life or death, who pays the price for glory? The Last First: Winter K2 premieres October 2 on Apple TV. Film clips, trailer material and production imagery courtesy of Apple Original Films. Hosted by Greg Laemmle and Raphael Sbarge. Subscribe to Inside the Arthouse on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwB-ioi_dD-Lr8PUjdkBWyw?sub_confirmation=1 Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/insidethearthouse.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

3. 

   23 Sept 2026

   Why We Need to Keep Dancing: A Deep Dive into HA-CHAN, SHAKE YOUR BOOTY!

   Sundance-winning director Josef Kubota Wladyka joins INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE to discuss HA-CHAN, SHAKE YOUR BOOTY!, his joyous, deeply personal new film starring Oscar nominee Rinko Kikuchi. Kikuchi plays Haru, a woman whose life in Tokyo has revolved around ballroom dancing with her husband, Luis. When tragedy suddenly upends that world, Haru retreats from life — until family, friendship, desire and dance begin pulling her back toward it. Wladyka talks about the deeply personal inspiration he found in his Japanese mother, and how that connection helped shape a story about grief, resilience, aging, identity and the complicated ways people begin again. He also discusses collaborating with Kikuchi, building a character who is allowed to be messy and contradictory, and using dance as an emotional language when words are no longer enough. The conversation explores the film's balance of humor, tenderness and magical realism; the challenge of moving between sorrow and joy without sentimentalizing either; and the importance of allowing older characters to retain desire, unpredictability and agency. Wladyka also reflects on the film's journey to Sundance, where his direction was honored, and on the larger idea at the heart of HA-CHAN, SHAKE YOUR BOOTY!: that grief and joy are not opposites, and that sometimes the act of moving forward begins quite literally by moving your body. A warm, funny and surprisingly moving conversation about loss, love, desire — and why we should never stop dancing. 00:00 — Introduction: HA-CHAN, SHAKE YOUR BOOTY!01:32 — Meet Director Josef Kubota Wladyka03:45 — Finding Joy in a Story About Grief06:25 — The Personal Story Behind the Film09:15 — Rinko Kikuchi and Creating Haru12:10 — When Life Gets Messy15:25 — Dance as an Emotional Language18:35 — Grief, Desire and Starting Over21:45 — Humor, Fantasy and Magical Realism24:45 — Japan, Family and Cultural Identity27:30 — Sundance and Trusting the Film30:05 — Why We Should Never Stop Dancing INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE is dedicated to the people, films and ideas keeping independent cinema alive. If you enjoyed this conversation, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, watch the full episode on YouTube, and join us each week for new conversations with the filmmakers behind the movies worth seeing on the big screen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Who has been a guest on Inside the Arthouse Podcast

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Rachel Seed
• Fawzia Mirza
• Daniel Robbins
• Jonathan Millet
• Sally Aitken

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

403,024,075

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.8 / 5

13 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 66 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

75

Social presence

0

YouTube

93

Engagement

51

Contact Inside the Arthouse Podcast

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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