Skip to Content
Talkhouse home
Talkhouse home
Film

Hal Hartley (Amateur) Talks with Joe Swanberg (Happy Christmas) for The Talkhouse Film Podcast

Two major figures from the recent U.S. indie film scene are together in conversation for the first Talkhouse Film Podcast.

In the first ever Talkhouse Film podcast, we bring together in conversation two pivotal figures from the recent American independent film scene: erstwhile "mumblecore" ringleader Joe Swanberg (Happy Christmas, Drinking Buddies) and Hal Hartley (Amateur, Simple Men), one of the smartest, wittiest directors to emerge in the '90s. Over the course of their conversation, they discuss everything from film vs. digital and the changing landscape of the indie scene to the growing prominence of television and the role that technology plays in their lives, for better or worse. It's the kind of conversation that only two filmmakers could have.

The music featured in the podcast is as follows:
1. Intro / outro underscore: "Plastic Man vs. The Giant Red Phase Of The Sun" - Iced Ink
2. "Arlene Blues" - Ned Rifle (from My America)
3. "Waiting for the Bells" - Joel Alme (from Happy Christmas)
4. "If You Got Somebody Waiting" - Joel Alme (from Happy Christmas)

Episode engineered and edited by Elia Einhorn


Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

Related Stories

Nobody’s Ever Asked Me That: John Early

The beloved comedian, whose debut feature as writer-director-star, Maddie's Secret, is in theaters now, pulls back the curtain on his true self.

Never as Alone as We Think We Are

Writer-director Malin Barr on finding connection through making her debut short film Sauna Sickness, which took her to Sundance and beyond.

June 29, 2026

A Trans Lens, a Cinema of Defiance

Chase Joynt, director of the new Sarah McBride documentary State of Firsts, considers how to define the category of “trans cinema.”

June 26, 2026

Transgender / Transcendence

Writer-director Ash Mayfair on the very personal backstory to her new film Skin of Youth, the first Vietnamese fiction film starring a trans person.

June 25, 2026

Everything is Ending, Everything is Ending

Filmmaker Avalon Fast, whose latest girl horror movie CAMP opens on June 26, shares some moments from their journey.

June 24, 2026

Nobody’s Ever Asked Me That: Goran Stolevski

The prodigiously talented filmmaker behind You Won't Be Alone, Of An Age and Housekeeping for Beginners tells it like it is.