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It’s the Cinema Smorgasbord HOLIDAY SPECIAL and as usual we’re heading (virtually) to the Weihnachtsfilmfestival in Berlin, Germany to check out TWO films that played at their 2023 edition. We start with the sweet Korean fantasy comedy SWITCH from 2023, about a superstar actor who learns a few lessons in love and humility after having his life switched with that of his lowly assistant. Then we finish off with Cristian Mungiu’s devastating Romanian drama R.M.N., about the xenophobic fallout when some Sri Lankan workers are hired at a Transylvanian bread company. It’s a very special episode so why not send the kids to bed and listen?

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On this episode of FORGOTTEN GEMS? we’re looking at the winner of the 1978 Cannes Film Festival Jury Prize, Marco Ferreri’s BYE BYE MONKEY (aka CIAO MASCHIO) starring Gerard Depardieu! You might think a film about a grown (french) man adopting a baby chimp after finding it nestled in a giant animatronic King Kong would be loads of fun, but BOY is it not! It’s cynical, often irritating and very unpleasant, so let’s talk about it!