"Brennan and Paetz construct the film as an object of constant friction. We simultaneously follow the production of the fictional film and the inner turmoil of its author. What is at stake is not only the representation of abuse, but the way in which this representation is filtered, corrected, softened, and appropriated by a chain of male voices ā producers, financiers, consultants ā who insist on teaching the filmmaker how to make the pain āmarketableā or āappealing.ā For some, abuse needs to be shown explicitly to work. Violence then shifts: it is no longer just that of the initial event, but that of its translation into a system that claims aesthetic and moral authority.
And there is something profoundly insightful in the way the film reveals this process. The protagonist's emotions never fully belong to her; they pass through successive layers of male interpretation and control. The act of giving voice to a woman ends up, paradoxically, reproducing the silencing it intends to denounce. The viewer is never placed in a comfortable position, and the film offers no appeasing answers either. It prefers to dwell in ambiguity, allowing the guilt of the director, in the film being made, and ours, as complicit viewers, to accumulate without a catharsis to resolve its tensions." @wellvis@cinema7arte
In an unexpected series finale, UP IN SMOKE took home the APA for Drama & Fiction! š š„ A huge congrats to everybody that pulled together the shoestrings we had to make this on. No commissioners, no budget, all delusional ambition. #apas25
The journey UP IN SMOKE has been on (what we can and also CANNOT tell you about) has been nuts. Our very first fiction podcast received three nods at the inaugural British Audio Awards for Best Original Drama, Best Ensemble Performance and New Voice for our brilliant lead @meimeimac ! #thespeakies
We recorded UP IN SMOKE in our tiny office, reading against all the actors individually because we couldnāt afford to get everybody together at the same time.
To see our indie show nominated for a Rose dāOr in Audio - a globally recognised award - alongside such MASSIVE names is very special for us all.
#fictionpodcast #horrorpodcast #rosedor
Itās GOLD for UP IN SMOKE at @thelovieawards ! š š„
We also won the Peopleās Choice Award, voted by you - a massive thank you to everyone that threw one our way.
#fictionpodcast #horrorpodcast
UP IN SMOKE is a finalist in Scripted Fiction at The Lovie Awards 2025! š š„ Thereās another Peopleās Lovie Award - vote for us at the link in bio. #thelovieawards #fictionpodcast
Itās three nominations for UP IN SMOKE at the British Audio Awards! š Best New Performance for @meimeimac , Best Ensemble Performance for the 40 different voices in the show, and Best Audio Drama! š š„
š„ UP IN SMOKE has arrived on BBC Sounds š„ Penny4ās hit supernatural thriller starring Mei Mac and Adam Buxton has another new home. From today you can stream the series weekly on BBC Sounds.
#upinsmoke #fictionpodcast #meimac #adambuxton #supernatural #horrorpodcast #bbcsounds
