Ep 96: Harry Potter Special at Cinemagic Belfast — Live on Halloween

This episode of Girls On Film is live from the Cinemagic International Film and Television Festival for Young People, on stage in Belfast in 2021. BBC Radio 6 Music film critic and Harry Potter super fan Rhianna Dhillon joins Anna on stage to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. The pair journey into the world of Hogwarts and explore the heroic and evil female characters in the franchise. From Hermione Granger, Ginny Weasley and Luna Lovegood to Bellatrix Lestrange and Dolores Umbridge, they discuss the significance of each from a feminist perspective, before exploring the films' racial representation. We hear from the brilliant Natalia Tena, who plays Harry Potter’s very own ‘Tonks’. Natalia shares her favourite memories of filming and being part of the franchise. Lastly, she offers some advice for young people with aspirations to be in the film industry. The magic does not end there as Anna and Rhianna reveal other spooky film favourites. The episode finishes with a Q&A featuring thoughtful Potter-related questions from the Cinemagic audience. Other film and TV mentioned: MAID, Wolfe, The Love Witch, Mary Poppins, Mary Poppins Returns, The Witches (1990), The Witches (2020), Passing, The Colour Room, Eternals. Become a patron of Girls on Film on Patreon here: www.patreon.com/girlsonfilmpodcast Follow us on socials: www.instagram.com/girlsonfilm_podcast/ www.facebook.com/girlsonfilmpodcast www.twitter.com/GirlsOnFilm_Pod www.twitter.com/annasmithjourno Watch Girls On Film on the BFI’s YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLX…L89QKZsN5Tgr3vn7z Girls On Film is an HLA production. Executive producer: Hedda Archbold. Audio Producer: Elliana Jay. Assistant Producer and Social Media Manager: Heather Dempsey. Interns: Rosa Herxheimer and Shanaiya Pithiya. Principal Partners: Vanessa Smith and Peter Brewer. Many thanks to Cinemagic for hosting us - find out more about the festival at https://cinemagic.org.uk/