The Film Programme

With Antonia Quirke.

Todd Phillips explains how an impromptu pitch in the back of a limo led to the billion dollar blockbuster Joker. And he reveals how he dealt with the huge controversy about the film in the United States before the movie had even been released.

Cinematographer Roger Deakins takes us behind the scenes of 1917 and reveals how he made the war movie look like one continuous shot.

Neil Brand explains the reasons why Michael Nyman's score for Practical Magic was binned at the last minute and why the composer believes it's one of his best pieces of music for film.

Larushka Ivan-Zadeh, Tim Robey and Caitlin Benedict present a start-up guide to Ken Loach

With Antonia Quirke.

Desiree Akhavan discusses her new film about gay conversion therapy, The Miseducation Of Cameron Post, and her misgivings about lesbian drama Blue Is The Warmest Colour.

With Francine Stock

"I Am Spartacus" is one of the most famous lines in film history and Francine tells the turbulent backstory of that line and how it involved the so-called Hollywood witch-hunt, in which writers had to secretly change their names to get work.

She hears from actor Kerry Shale and historians Pamela Hutchinson and Colin Shindler.

With Antonia Quirke

Ben Whishaw reveals why he went up to complete strangers on Tottenham High Road for his latest film Surge, and why nobody seemed to recognise him.

After Love is the story of a Muslim convert who discovers that her husband was leading a double life. Writer/director Aleem Khan reveals how much of the story is autobiographical, and how much isn't.