Episode 484
with Cristina Costantini & Kareem Tabsch, and Anaïs Mitchell
Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello get into the spooky season and share some memorable Halloween costumes; filmmakers Cristina Costantini & Kareem Tabsch reveal the man behind the cape in their Netflix documentary Mucho Mucho Amor about famed Puerto Rican astrologer Walter Mercado; and singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell takes us to the underworld of Greek mythology to discuss her Tony Award-winning folk opera Hadestown, before performing one of its hit tracks "Wedding Song."
Cristina Constantini
Filmmaker
Cristina Costantini has an eye for captivating stories. Before becoming a documentary filmmaker, Costantini worked as an investigative journalist, covering a wide array of hot-button issues. Her investigative work won her a GLAAD Media Award, two Emmy nominations, and an Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award. Her first feature film, Science Fair, won the Sundance Festival Favorite Award as well as the SXSW Audience Award, a Critics Choice Award for Best First Time Director, and an Emmy. Her latest documentary Mucho Mucho Amor premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and on Netflix in 2020. The film was nominated for a Critics Choice Award and won the Best Latinx Film award from The National Association of Latin Independent Producers. She is also a partner at Muck Media, a Los Angeles-based production company, and lives in California with her husband, Alfie, and their pug, Harriet. Insta • Twitter
Kareem Tabsch
Filmmaker
Kareem Tabsch has a soft spot for the oft-ignored parts of society—that which is not always conventionally beautiful, widely accepted or deemed normal. As a documentary filmmaker, Kareem's works have been official selections of Sundance, SXSW, True/False, Full Frame, HotDocs, Slamdance, AFI Docs, DocNYC, Rooftop Films, and LA Film Fest. His work has garnered the attention of The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, NPR, Comedy Central, and Vice, among others. In 2019 he was named a '40 under 40' Documentary filmmaker by DocNYC, America's largest documentary film festival and in 2015 he was the recipient of the Knight Arts Champion award presented by the Knight Foundation. In 2020, Tabsch's film Mucho Mucho Amor was named one of the 20 essential Latinx Films by The New York Times. Tabsch is also the co-founder of O Cinema, Miami's premier art house cinema and staple of the city's film community. Website • Twitter
Anaïs Mitchell
Singer/ Songwriter
Anaïs Mitchell captures the world around her with the same intimacy as the one within. Dubbed by NPR as “one of the greatest songwriters of her generation”, the Vermont and Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter comes from the world of narrative folk song, poetry, and balladry. Mitchell has headlined shows worldwide and supported tours for Bon Iver, Ani Difranco, Patty Griffin, Josh Ritter, and Punch Brothers. She was the winner of a Folk Alliance 2018 Spirit of Folk Award, and her music has been featured in the year-end best lists of numerous publications, including NPR, Wall Street Journal, MOJO, Uncut, and The Guardian. Among her recorded works are six full-length albums, including the original 2010 studio album of Hadestown, a folk opera based on the Greek myth of Orpheus. A decade-long project, Hadestown received eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Score for Mitchell, after it debuted as a musical in 2019. After an 18-month hiatus, Hadestown made its long-awaited return to the stage in 2021. Listen • Website
