Grief is the Word

How can recorded footage help us negotiate our memories?Join Dominic Lam as he speaks with Dr Jimmy Hay about fatherhood and memory in Aftersun (2022), directed by Charlotte Wells, starring Paul Mescal and Frankie CorioThe film tells the story of Sophie, an 11-year-old girl who spends the summer on holiday with her dad, Callum, played by Paul Mescal. At the same time, adult Sophie replays the camcorder footage that she recorded during the holiday. A growing sense of unease builds as Sophie seems to be searching for something she may have missed when she was 11...Follow on Instagram here.Dr Jimmy Hay is an Associate Professor in Film and Television at the University of Bristol.Dominic Lam is a doctoral researcher in the Department of English at the University of Bristol.

Do the dead ever really leave us?Dominic speaks with Dr Andrew Blades about the role of haunting and sexuality in All of Us Strangers starring Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal. When Adam goes back to his old family home, he finds his parents still living there, as ghosts, having lost them in a car accident when he was aged 11. At the same time, he starts a relationship with Harry, which forces him to come to terms with both his grief and his sexuality, and the strange ways in which they intersect. Follow on Instagram here.Dr Andrew Blades is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of English at the University of Bristol. Dominic Lam is a doctoral researcher in the Department of English at the University of Bristol.

Do we ever truly return home? In this episode, Dominic speaks with Homeric expert Dr Frances Pickworth about the timeless story of Odysseus and his epic return journey to Ithaca. Along the way, they discuss Telemachus, Penelope and some of the fiercest challenges that Odysseus faces. In the second half, Frances gives her thoughts on Christopher Nolan's adaptation, that infamously creepy Circe scene, and the film's treatment of The Odyssey's women. Follow for updates here. Dr Frances Pickworth is a Lecturer in Digital Classics at the University of Bristol. Dominic Lam is a doctoral researcher in the Department of English at the University of Bristol.

How can creativity hold the ambiguity of grief? Join Dominic Lam as he speaks with Dr Lesel Dawson about Hamnet, the heartfelt novel by Maggie O'Farrell as well as the unforgettable film, directed by Chloe Zhao. Make sure you listen to the end for Lesel's epic take on that emotional ending! Hamnet tells the story of Agnes as she comes to terms with a devastating loss, and her husband, who goes on to write one of the greatest plays ever written...You can find Lesel's article on grief and creativity here.You can follow Grief is the Word here.Dr Lesel Dawson is an Associate Professor at the University of Bristol where she researches Renaissance drama and Shakespeare. Dominic Lam is a doctoral researcher at the University of Bristol where he researches grief and displacement.