The Astronaut - Interview with Film Writer / Director Jess Varley

Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother is a gripping action thriller doubling as a moving family drama and an introspective exploration of a Muslim hitman's conflicting faith. Borrowing Tape caught up with writer/director Bassam Tariq at the London Film Festival for this interview where the filmmaker discusses filming sword action, pressures of representing Muslim heroes, and why his filmography carries a bit of Bollywood in it. IN THIS EPISODE:Fatherhood as an Internal Battlefield: Tariq channels his personal parenting anxiety into Latif’s arc, framing fatherhood as a constant internal war to remain present for his children while striving to be better. Action Driven by Emotion & Feeling: Rejecting standard genre formulas, Tariq approaches the film's violence through raw emotion and intent—using swordplay as an extension of a character's inner clarity and discipline rather than mindless action. Collaborative Directing Over Expertise: Following advice from Guillermo del Toro to "shoot action like a conversation," Tariq treats 80% of directing as smart casting—surrounding himself with trusted experts and empowering his crew to challenge him. Interviewer: Shaurya ThapaABOUT BORROWING TAPEEst. 2014, ⁠⁠Borrowing Tape.com⁠⁠⁠ is an online film publication for cinephiles. Filmmaker interviews, spoiler-free reviews, and features.

A psych ward night shift turns into a claustrophobic nightmare in director Nicholas Pineda's debut feature Infirmary. In this interview with Borrowing Tape, Pineda breaks down filming his found-footage horror in an abandoned hospital, using bodycam footage, and why he believes it's a good time for independent horror filmmaking.IN THIS EPISODE:Fresh Perspective: Director Nicholas Pineda revives the found-footage genre by framing the story through body cams. Authentic Setting: Shot in a real abandoned LA hospital—replete with security warnings about "haunted" basements and actual production break-ins.Indie Resourcefulness: Embracing Jason Blum’s production model, the film stays budget-friendly by sticking to a single location and a minimal cast.Interviewer: Shaurya ThapaABOUT BORROWING TAPEEst. 2014,⁠ Borrowing Tape.com⁠⁠ is an online film publication for cinephiles. Filmmaker interviews, spoiler-free reviews, and features.

Once acclaimed as the young star of the Oscar-winning Polish drama Ida, Agata Trzebuchowska has shifted from acting to directing with the twisted coming-of-age tale Sick. In a conversation with Borrowing Tape, the filmmaker touches upon how her film explores taboo relationships, filming erotic elements with sensitivity, and why she doesn’t want to be seen as just an actress. IN THIS EPISODE:Genre as Framework: Using horror to explore uncomfortable themes like taboo relationships and give storytelling more freedom than traditional drama.Location as Character: Filming in a remote Masurian house to sharpen character dynamics and contrast serene exteriors with dark interiors.Interviewer: Shaurya ThapaFeature / TranscriptABOUT BORROWING TAPEEst. 2014, Borrowing Tape.com⁠ is an online film publication for cinephiles. Filmmaker interviews, spoiler-free reviews, and features.

Writer and director Rohan Kanawade joins Borrowing Tape to discuss his film Cactus Pears [Sabar Bonda]. Rohan shares how personal grief inspired a story centered on hope, positive queer representation, and authentic intimacy over tragedy.IN THIS EPISODE:• Narrative Shift: Transforming personal grief into a story of joy and hope• Stereotypes in Indian Cinema: Why Rohan rejects trauma-centric coming-out tropes• Crafting Intimacy: Using silence and authentic locations• Production Challenges: Sourcing real cactus pears and filming on location in GujaratRead the feature/transcriptInterviewer: Shaurya Thapa WATCH / CONNECT:• Streaming: Available on VOD, Digital & Criterion Channel (US) ABOUT BORROWING TAPEEst. 2014, Borrowing Tape.com is an online film publication for cinephiles. Filmmaker interviews, spoiler-free reviews, and features.

In this interview, Palestinian writer and director Annemarie Jacir talks to Borrowing Tape about the challenges of recreating 1930s-era Palestine, tackling Israeli censorship around her film, and working with a stacked Palestinian and British cast. Available on rent on Prime Video and Letterboxd Video Store. Interviewer: Shaurya Thapa

Creature features aren’t new to Hollywood, even though we’re yet to get a definitive film on the mysterious snow giant called “Yeti”. Writers and directors Gene Gallerano and William Pisciotta are trying to fill that gap with their aptly titled period adventure horror The Yeti. Available on VOD and digital. Physical Media (DVD/Blu-ray): May 19, 2026Interviewer: Shaurya Thapa

With the Artemis II crew’s historic return to Earth this week making headlines, there is no better time to look at The Astronaut: a space traveler gets existential in Jess Varley's sci-fi drama. In this interview, the writer and director talks about consulting real-life astronauts, her love for Spielbergian space films, and scouting for an "Ex Machina" house.Interviewer: Shaurya Thapa

On the surface, Late Shift comes across as an anxiety-inducing medical drama as we follow a nurse on a graveyard shift at an understaffed hospital. But as Swiss filmmaker Petra Volpe breaks down her research, interactions with healthcare workers, and concerns for an understaffed medical future, Late Shift becomes much more than just a riveting human drama. In this conversation, the director reveals how she set out to undo cliched nurse tropes in medical dramas, how they filmed it all in an abandoned Zurich hospital, and how Late Shift doubles as a “cry to arms” for better care for those who care for us.Interviewer: Shaurya ThapaFeature interview

Akinola Davies Jr. premiered his debut feature film My Father’s Shadow last year at Cannes, making it the first Nigerian film to be a part of the festival’s Official Selection. Since then, the moving father-son drama has gone on to earn rave reviews and even the possibility of a BAFTA win for Davies. But the overwhelming success is rooted in a personal story from 1993-era Nigeria, one penned by his own brother. Talking to Borrowing Tape, Davies breaks down his tender and intimate debut, capturing the city of Lagos on 16mm film, and representing Nigerian cinema on a global stage. Interviewer: Shaurya Thapa

In Chaperone, director Zoe Eisenmberg makes it quite easy for her audience to sympathize with her protagonist, Misha. Misha is a struggling 29-year-old who can’t seem to figure out where she fits. She lacks ambition in her professional and personal life and faces constant judgment and double standards from the people closest to her. However, just as we begin to put ourselves in her shoes, she makes a drastic choice. She meets a charismatic teenage boy and, rather than disclose her real age, allows him to believe she is his age, sparking a romance. At times funny, tragic, and uncomfortable, director Zoe Eisenberg’s debut film asks big questions of her characters and audiences. Eisenberg, the innovative writer-director behind this Hawaii-set drama, sat down with Borrowing Tape to discuss complex characters, May-December romances, and tragedy.Streaming on Prime Video. Available on VOD and digital. Interviewer: Sofia Sheehan