Interview with A S Hamrah

Film critic A.S. Harmah joins Hind Mezaina for a conversation about his book The Earth Dies Streaming.

A.S. Hamrah is a writer living in Brooklyn. He contributed a column on film to n+1 from 2008 to 2019, and his essays and reviews have appeared in Harper’s, Bookforum, Cineaste, and other publications. His first book, The Earth Dies Streaming: Film Writing, 2002–2018, was published by n+1 Books in 2018.

Episode Notes:
The first half of the discussion is about the state of film criticism, the current the debate about streaming, their impact on movie theatres, and film studios as hyper capitalist entities.

From the 42nd minute onwards the discussion is focused on the book, including the following chapters and filmmakers:
- Alien Land - The Grapes of Wrath
- Jessica Biel's Hand
- Chantal Akerman
- Stanley Kubrick

Other films/filmmakers/topics mentioned / discussed in this episode include:
Outbreak, Contagion, Nomadland (Chloe Zhao), Hillbilly Elegy (Ron Howard), The Irishman (Martin Scorsese), Il Cinema Ritrovato and the roles of film festivals in general (especially during the pandemic),

Links discussed in this episode:
2021 Will Launch the Platinum Age of Piracy www.wired.com/preview/story/5fd2…56e34070c4339bc27c
Oedipal Multiplex https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/oedipal-multiplex-1.602016

Links related to the book:
Book intro, Remember Me On This Computer nplusonemag.com/online-only/onlin…on-this-computer/
n+1 Bookstore shop.nplusonemag.com/products/the-e…-by-a-s-hamrah

Where to find A S Hamrah:
thebaffler.com/authors/a-s-hamrah
twitter.com/hamrahrama
www.instagram.com/hamrahrama