Directing Nicole Kidman, The Exorcist prequel and a look at the career of Sean Penn
Birth
The British director of Sexy Beast Jonathan Glazer talks to Francine Stock about his controversial new film Birth. In the film, which stars Nicole Kidman, a ten-year old boy claims to be the reincarnation of a woman's dead husband.
Exorcist: The Beginning
The past three decades have produced two sequels to William Friedkin's 1973 film The Exorcist and now a prequel, or rather two. Critic Nigel Floyd reveals the story behind Exorcist: The Beginning, which has been made twice over with largely the same cast but two different directors.
Sean Penn
The Film Programme asks biographer Richard T Kelly and film producer Lizzie Francke what makes Oscar-winning actor Sean Penn, star of Dead Man Walking, Mystic River and 21 Grams so compelling on screen.
Richard T Kelly's authorised biography Sean Penn is available now. ISBN: 0571215483.
Korean Cinema
Film critic Tim Robey discusses Kim Ki-duk's film Spring Summer, Autumn, Winter... and Spring which is available now on DVD. The story is about a Buddhist monk and his apprentice who live in the centre of a lake. The boy learns, grows, leaves, commits a murder and then returns to the monk for atonement.
For contrast Old Boy, a Korean action film by Park Chan-wook is currently playing in cinemas.
