POPCORN THERAPY: CHICKEN WITH PLUMS

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This month, Host Gene Kansas and Sidewalk Radio, leave the streets and hit the seats to delve into the world of cinema with a NEW SPECIAL SEGMENT called POPCORN THERAPY that brings together exceptional people with expert psychologists to explore the characters of a film and their stories. It’s a movie review, but since they’re not film critics, Gene and his guests will be exploring these characters and the movie through their own life experiences. Today’s film, “Chicken with Plums”.

“Chicken with Plums” is a French film, made in Germany, set in 1958 Tehran. It’s beautiful, sad, funny, lonely, real. It’s about life, death, and love. If you like art, special effects, music, foreign cinema, and fantasy, then we think you’ll enjoy it.

Sony Pictures Classics’ “Chicken with Plums”, is a 2011 French drama, directed by Marjane Satrapi (who’s great, great grandfather was the last Emperor of Persia) and Vincent Parronaud, the dynamic artists and filmmakers who took home the Jury Prize at Cannes in 2007 with their internationally acclaimed Persepolis.  Satrapi and Parronaud magically orchestrate a story of broken love as told through the swan song of Nasser Ali Kahn, one of the world’s best violin players.  The film starts with Nasser Ali’s wife smashing his prize violin, making it impossible for him to ever play – or love – again, or so we think.  In absolute despair, Nasser Ali recedes to his room to die.  He does so 8 days later, and through his death we learn about life.

For this session of POPCORN THERAPY, we have two very special guests in the studio.  Violinist David Coucheron is the Concertmaster violin player with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and Jared DeFife, PhD, is a clinical psychologist, former Harvard Medical School fellow, and a faculty professor at Emory University where he acts as Associate Director of the Laboratory of Personality and Psychopathology.

It seemed only fitting to have Mr. Coucheron, who plays a 1725 Stradivarius and is one of the world’s top violinists, join us to share his thoughts about the film through a musician’s eyes and ears. And, Mr. DeFife, no stranger to psychoanalysis, is also a logical guest to help dissect the hopeless Nasser Ali and his family.  So where does “Chicken with Plums” come in?  Listen and see.

LISTEN TO POPCORN THERAPY NOW.

“Chicken with Plums”, making its US debut, is open now in select cities, and premieres locally in Atlanta at Sidewalk Radio favorite, Tara Cinema, on October 5th.  Run Time: 91 minutes.  Rated: PG-13.  Enjoy the show! 

Don’t live in Atlanta? Find a theater near you.

Special thanks to Jennifer Ament, Producer of POPCORN THERAPY.  Hear more of her work at Soundcloud.

This session of POPCORN THERAPY brought to you by The Icebox. Cool Stuff.