Episode 46: Christian Petzold Interview + Bruce Bennett on Budd Boetticher

The Last Thing I Saw

Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw, with your host, Nicolas Rapold. First I chat with Christian Petzold, the delightful director of Transit, Phoenix, Barbara, and now Undine, which comes out June 4. Undine is about a Berlin historian(Paula Beer) who may be a figure from ancient myth. She gives regular lectures in tours of the municipal museum, and eventually she connects with an industrial diver (Franz Rogowski). This being a Petzold movie, there are layers of history and myth that haunt the main plot. I reached Petzold at his office in Berlin over Zoom, with the occasional help of a translator. Then I chat with writer and critic Bruce Bennett about the director Budd Boetticher and his tightly wound westerns. Bruce also shares insights about story mechanics from his current job: writing for a true crime TV show. Our conversation went long and was so much fun that I’m publishing it in two parts. You can support this podcast and read show notes with links at: rapold.substack.com Opening music: “Monserrate” by The Minarets Photo by Steve Snodgrass