{"id":55947,"date":"2019-09-27T11:38:00","date_gmt":"2019-09-27T10:38:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/?p=55947"},"modified":"2019-09-27T11:38:00","modified_gmt":"2019-09-27T10:38:00","slug":"kenneth-mercken-director-of-the-racer-tells-all-about-his-hard-hitting-new-film","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/2019\/09\/kenneth-mercken-director-of-the-racer-tells-all-about-his-hard-hitting-new-film\/","title":{"rendered":"Kenneth Mercken &#8211; Director of &#8216;The Racer&#8217; &#8211; Tells All About His Hard-Hitting New Film!"},"content":{"rendered":"<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Kenneth Mercken \u2013 former cyclist turned director \u2013 debuted his brand-new film &#8216;The Racer&#8217; at the Raindance Film Festival. The film was inspired by the directors cycling story. We recently got in touch with Kenneth to talk about his hard-hitting new film. This is what he had to say:<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Hi Kenneth! So, you have a new film out called &#8216;The Racer&#8217; which is making its UK debut at the Raindance Film Festival. Why don\u2019t you start off by telling me a bit about what the film is about? <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<!-- Random Ad stuff --><br \/>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display: block;\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\" data-ad-format=\"auto\" data-ad-slot=\"3107208401\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-2076862002005673\"><\/ins><\/p>\n<p><script>\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n<\/script><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Okay. The film is about a boy called Felix, and he has a dream of becoming a pro-cyclist. But the dream was actually installed by his father who had the same dream but never really went to the top, and he wants his son to pursue his dream for him. And they\u2019re kind of both put on the line.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>So, the film follows a character called Felix and you\u2019re essentially telling your story through this character. What made you want to direct a film inspired by your own experiences?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">I made a short film called &#8216;The Letter&#8217; and it\u2019s about the same thing. That was actually a story about a Russian boy who comes to Belgium to become a pro-cyclist and meets the dark side of the sport. During the shoots, the script was very explicit. And one of the Russian actors asked me \u201cwhere\u2019s the finished film?\u201d And I wanted to show this in the way I lived the sport and the way I saw it. I think I kind of hid behind him \u2013 hid behind the character in this short film. So that was the moment I realised I had to tell my own story and be open about everything. <strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Directing this film, I can imagine gave you a lot of time to reminisce and reflect on your life. If you could go back to any point in your life, what would you change? <\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">I\u2019m not sure. There are times where I think I would do it all again. Looking back now I know that\u2019s a foolish idea. If you\u2019re inside it, if you\u2019re in it, you\u2019re kind of in this tunnel vision. Being on a bike for 4-5 hours a day, it gets very addictive. This is something that I tried to show in the film but it\u2019s not something you can describe. It\u2019s alluring and very addictive and difficult to get out of. So, you can lose perspective on what you are doing.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>I suppose if you change anything you wouldn\u2019t have the opportunity to make this film now.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Yeah, I guess also, I wouldn\u2019t have started making films if I hadn\u2019t had that experience so I am grateful.<strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Not only does the film cater to athletes who can relate, but also to people who aren\u2019t necessarily into sports. My favourite scene has to be when Felix returns home for his uncle\u2019s funeral. I thought that it was really powerful and we got to see just how strained the relationship between Felix and his dad really is. And I loved the personal touch at the end. What was your favourite scene in the film? A scene you were either really proud of or you just enjoyed directing.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Well since you mentioned the scene at the funeral, I really enjoyed directing it! I had this whole speech written out, and that was just something that existed on paper and Niels the actor, he\u2019s not an actor he was a cyclist and that\u2019s not his strongest point. I also wanted a closed character like this. But then when he started to do the speech, I saw it didn\u2019t work. We had been shooting in a cemetery so I said to the crew; \u201cokay give me 10 minutes,\u201d and we actually re-wrote the speech on the graves! And it was interesting because he said to me that he feels so embarrassed doing this in front of all these people! Then I convinced by saying that is the point. If you welcome it and embrace it and you feel embarrassed, that\u2019s how the character should feel. That will make the scene work because you\u2019re afraid of failing. I tell him it\u2019s okay to be embarrassed because that\u2019s what made the scene work and it really convinced him. So yeah, I enjoyed that.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>It sees some incredibly talented actors. You have Niels Willaerts, playing Felix who, until you just said he wasn\u2019t an actor I had no idea! He works alongside Koen De Graeve who plays his dad. What was it like working with these actors?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">To work with Niels, it was tough because you are limited as to what you can do. I wrote the script with a lot more dialogues but I had to make it work for him. The dialogue was maybe too outspoken, I don\u2019t know. He wasn\u2019t able to reproduce them. So, I had to find a way of how he would say it in his own language. He\u2019s very introverted and I\u2019m happy with that because it made me change the script and the scenes in order for it to work for him. That also made me find the character the way I wanted. I wanted to have someone very introvert. I guess I was like that before going to film school as well. I wanted the viewer to see what was happening inside and understand the choice that he is making, and that you feel with him, and that the conflict is mainly internal. But I also had to find something in his life or find something very close to him for it to work in the scenes. That was actually really interesting and exciting.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>It talks about a lot of serious issues that athletes have to endure. We see drug use and the pressure that you\u2019re up against when you\u2019re training and competing in races. Nothing is sugar-coated. <\/strong><strong>What advice would you give to a young athlete who might be experiencing the same struggles?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Well, I guess, to be surrounded by good people, and people who make good choices and create a healthy environment. I didn\u2019t always look for the most healthy teams because my surroundings, and the people like my father, just wanted me to perform. I think the sport has changed now, there\u2019s more room for that. But the pressure these kids are under, it\u2019s not just about the top athletes, it\u2019s also these young kids that are just starting out. The pressure they\u2019re facing is enormous. And for me, that was also something very confronting to work with Niels because it kind of happened back in the film. We had to make him lose weight, and I was also facing responsibilities. We made him drop like 8 or 9 kilos, and to a certain point, he started to skip his breakfast. He was on a very very low-calorie diet. At a certain point, we were filming a very long day with a lot of extras \u2013 like a bike race \u2013 and they called me and he just fainted! He confessed to me that he skipped his breakfast. It was very confronting for me because I saw that he was becoming almost anorexic. He was going through the same sequence as I did, I felt it. For me, I was just re-living all these moments again.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>After you quit your athletic career you went on to pursue a career in directing. A career change is never an easy decision. <\/strong><strong>You\u2019ve already given your advice to someone who wants to be an athlete but what advice would you give to someone who wanted to pursue a career in the film industry?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">I guess that for me personally, the way I worked in sports was that \u201cokay you give it all you got,\u201d and if there\u2019s a bike race, you train for 6-8 weeks, and the you either win it or you don\u2019t. Film making doesn\u2019t work like that. I had no idea what I was getting in to and you need patience, you need time to find your voice. You need to study, you have to have a technique. So, I guess my advice would be to be patient. Also, to take the risks and try to make mistakes. Allow yourself to make mistakes in order to find your voice and the things that you would want to make.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><strong>I have one last question for you before I let you go. I can imagine that you have quite a busy day ahead of you. I just wanted to know there are any future plans that you can tell us about? <\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Yeah, I\u2019m writing my second feature film now. I\u2019m very happy it\u2019s not my own story. Now I can start to truly write fiction. I have a Ukrainian actor in this film, who also used to be a semi-professional cyclist like me. After his cycling career, he started to struggle. And it\u2019s kind of this Eastern guy who\u2019s looking to the west and has a dream of going to the west. So, it\u2019s all about that.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>That sounds really good! Will we be able to see that anytime soon?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Well I\u2019m still in the writing process so it won\u2019t be for a while!<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">We\u2019ll be sure to look out for more of Kenneth\u2019s work! For now, his film &#8216;The Runner&#8217; was debuted at London\u2019s Raindance Film Festival, the official release will be out sometime in November, so be sure to keep an eye out! You can watch the official trailer here:<\/p>\n<div class=\"epyt-video-wrapper\">\n<div  style=\"display: block; margin: 0px auto;\"  id=\"_ytid_47240\"  width=\"640\" height=\"360\"  data-origwidth=\"640\" data-origheight=\"360\"  data-relstop=\"1\" data-facadesrc=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/bvuN-Zu0iWo?enablejsapi=1&#038;origin=https:\/\/essentiallypop.com&#038;autoplay=0&#038;cc_load_policy=0&#038;cc_lang_pref=&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;loop=0&#038;rel=0&#038;fs=1&#038;playsinline=0&#038;autohide=2&#038;theme=dark&#038;color=red&#038;controls=1&#038;disablekb=0&#038;\" class=\"__youtube_prefs__ epyt-facade epyt-is-override  no-lazyload\" data-epautoplay=\"1\" ><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" data-spai-excluded=\"true\" class=\"epyt-facade-poster skip-lazy\" loading=\"lazy\"  alt=\"Coureur - Trailer | IFFR 2019\"  src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/bvuN-Zu0iWo\/maxresdefault.jpg?w=640&#038;ssl=1\"  \/><button class=\"epyt-facade-play\" aria-label=\"Play\"><svg data-no-lazy=\"1\" height=\"100%\" version=\"1.1\" viewBox=\"0 0 68 48\" width=\"100%\"><path class=\"ytp-large-play-button-bg\" d=\"M66.52,7.74c-0.78-2.93-2.49-5.41-5.42-6.19C55.79,.13,34,0,34,0S12.21,.13,6.9,1.55 C3.97,2.33,2.27,4.81,1.48,7.74C0.06,13.05,0,24,0,24s0.06,10.95,1.48,16.26c0.78,2.93,2.49,5.41,5.42,6.19 C12.21,47.87,34,48,34,48s21.79-0.13,27.1-1.55c2.93-0.78,4.64-3.26,5.42-6.19C67.94,34.95,68,24,68,24S67.94,13.05,66.52,7.74z\" fill=\"#f00\"><\/path><path d=\"M 45,24 27,14 27,34\" fill=\"#fff\"><\/path><\/svg><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Kenneth Mercken \u2013 former cyclist turned director \u2013 debuted his brand-new film &#8216;The Racer&#8217; at the Raindance Film Festival. The film was inspired by the directors cycling story. We recently got in touch with Kenneth to talk about his hard-hitting new film.<\/p>\n<div class='heateor_sss_sharing_container heateor_sss_vertical_sharing heateor_sss_bottom_sharing' style='width:39px;left: -10px;top: 100px;-webkit-box-shadow:none;box-shadow:none;' data-heateor-sss-href='https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55947'><div class=\"heateor_sss_sharing_ul\"><a aria-label=\"Facebook\" class=\"heateor_sss_facebook\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fessentiallypop.com%2Fepop%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F55947\" title=\"Facebook\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"font-size:32px!important;box-shadow:none;display:inline-block;vertical-align:middle\"><span class=\"heateor_sss_svg\" style=\"background-color:#0765FE;width:35px;height:35px;margin:0;display:inline-block;opacity:1;float:left;font-size:32px;box-shadow:none;display:inline-block;font-size:16px;padding:0 4px;vertical-align:middle;background-repeat:repeat;overflow:hidden;padding:0;cursor:pointer;box-sizing:content-box\"><svg style=\"display:block;\" focusable=\"false\" aria-hidden=\"true\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" viewBox=\"0 0 32 32\"><path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M28 16c0-6.627-5.373-12-12-12S4 9.373 4 16c0 5.628 3.875 10.35 9.101 11.647v-7.98h-2.474V16H13.1v-1.58c0-4.085 1.849-5.978 5.859-5.978.76 0 2.072.15 2.608.298v3.325c-.283-.03-.775-.045-1.386-.045-1.967 0-2.728.745-2.728 2.683V16h3.92l-.673 3.667h-3.247v8.245C23.395 27.195 28 22.135 28 16Z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/a><a aria-label=\"Twitter\" class=\"heateor_sss_button_twitter\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?via=essentiallypop&text=%20-%20Pop%20essentials%20and%20a%20little%20bit%20more&url=https%3A%2F%2Fessentiallypop.com%2Fepop%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F55947\" title=\"Twitter\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"font-size:32px!important;box-shadow:none;display:inline-block;vertical-align:middle\"><span class=\"heateor_sss_svg heateor_sss_s__default heateor_sss_s_twitter\" style=\"background-color:#55acee;width:35px;height:35px;margin:0;display:inline-block;opacity:1;float:left;font-size:32px;box-shadow:none;display:inline-block;font-size:16px;padding:0 4px;vertical-align:middle;background-repeat:repeat;overflow:hidden;padding:0;cursor:pointer;box-sizing:content-box\"><svg style=\"display:block;\" focusable=\"false\" aria-hidden=\"true\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" viewBox=\"-4 -4 39 39\"><path d=\"M28 8.557a9.913 9.913 0 0 1-2.828.775 4.93 4.93 0 0 0 2.166-2.725 9.738 9.738 0 0 1-3.13 1.194 4.92 4.92 0 0 0-3.593-1.55 4.924 4.924 0 0 0-4.794 6.049c-4.09-.21-7.72-2.17-10.15-5.15a4.942 4.942 0 0 0-.665 2.477c0 1.71.87 3.214 2.19 4.1a4.968 4.968 0 0 1-2.23-.616v.06c0 2.39 1.7 4.38 3.952 4.83-.414.115-.85.174-1.297.174-.318 0-.626-.03-.928-.086a4.935 4.935 0 0 0 4.6 3.42 9.893 9.893 0 0 1-6.114 2.107c-.398 0-.79-.023-1.175-.068a13.953 13.953 0 0 0 7.55 2.213c9.056 0 14.01-7.507 14.01-14.013 0-.213-.005-.426-.015-.637.96-.695 1.795-1.56 2.455-2.55z\" fill=\"#fff\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/a><a aria-label=\"Tumblr\" class=\"heateor_sss_button_tumblr\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tumblr.com\/widgets\/share\/tool?posttype=link&canonicalUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fessentiallypop.com%2Fepop%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F55947&title=%20-%20Pop%20essentials%20and%20a%20little%20bit%20more&caption=\" title=\"Tumblr\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"font-size:32px!important;box-shadow:none;display:inline-block;vertical-align:middle\"><span class=\"heateor_sss_svg aheateor_sss_s__default heateor_sss_s_tumblr\" style=\"background-color:#29435d;width:35px;height:35px;margin:0;display:inline-block;opacity:1;float:left;font-size:32px;box-shadow:none;display:inline-block;font-size:16px;padding:0 4px;vertical-align:middle;background-repeat:repeat;overflow:hidden;padding:0;cursor:pointer;box-sizing:content-box\"><svg style=\"display:block;\" focusable=\"false\" aria-hidden=\"true\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" viewBox=\"-2 -2 36 36\"><path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M20.775 21.962c-.37.177-1.08.33-1.61.345-1.598.043-1.907-1.122-1.92-1.968v-6.217h4.007V11.1H17.26V6.02h-2.925s-.132.044-.144.15c-.17 1.556-.895 4.287-3.923 5.378v2.578h2.02v6.522c0 2.232 1.647 5.404 5.994 5.33 1.467-.025 3.096-.64 3.456-1.17l-.96-2.846z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/a><a aria-label=\"Linkedin\" class=\"heateor_sss_button_linkedin\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/sharing\/share-offsite\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fessentiallypop.com%2Fepop%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F55947\" title=\"Linkedin\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"font-size:32px!important;box-shadow:none;display:inline-block;vertical-align:middle\"><span class=\"heateor_sss_svg heateor_sss_s__default heateor_sss_s_linkedin\" style=\"background-color:#0077b5;width:35px;height:35px;margin:0;display:inline-block;opacity:1;float:left;font-size:32px;box-shadow:none;display:inline-block;font-size:16px;padding:0 4px;vertical-align:middle;background-repeat:repeat;overflow:hidden;padding:0;cursor:pointer;box-sizing:content-box\"><svg style=\"display:block;\" focusable=\"false\" aria-hidden=\"true\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" viewBox=\"0 0 32 32\"><path d=\"M6.227 12.61h4.19v13.48h-4.19V12.61zm2.095-6.7a2.43 2.43 0 0 1 0 4.86c-1.344 0-2.428-1.09-2.428-2.43s1.084-2.43 2.428-2.43m4.72 6.7h4.02v1.84h.058c.56-1.058 1.927-2.176 3.965-2.176 4.238 0 5.02 2.792 5.02 6.42v7.395h-4.183v-6.56c0-1.564-.03-3.574-2.178-3.574-2.18 0-2.514 1.7-2.514 3.46v6.668h-4.187V12.61z\" fill=\"#fff\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/a><a aria-label=\"Reddit\" class=\"heateor_sss_button_reddit\" href=\"https:\/\/reddit.com\/submit?url=https%3A%2F%2Fessentiallypop.com%2Fepop%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F55947&title=%20-%20Pop%20essentials%20and%20a%20little%20bit%20more\" title=\"Reddit\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"font-size:32px!important;box-shadow:none;display:inline-block;vertical-align:middle\"><span class=\"heateor_sss_svg heateor_sss_s__default heateor_sss_s_reddit\" style=\"background-color:#ff5700;width:35px;height:35px;margin:0;display:inline-block;opacity:1;float:left;font-size:32px;box-shadow:none;display:inline-block;font-size:16px;padding:0 4px;vertical-align:middle;background-repeat:repeat;overflow:hidden;padding:0;cursor:pointer;box-sizing:content-box\"><svg style=\"display:block;\" focusable=\"false\" aria-hidden=\"true\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" viewBox=\"-3.5 -3.5 39 39\"><path d=\"M28.543 15.774a2.953 2.953 0 0 0-2.951-2.949 2.882 2.882 0 0 0-1.9.713 14.075 14.075 0 0 0-6.85-2.044l1.38-4.349 3.768.884a2.452 2.452 0 1 0 .24-1.176l-4.274-1a.6.6 0 0 0-.709.4l-1.659 5.224a14.314 14.314 0 0 0-7.316 2.029 2.908 2.908 0 0 0-1.872-.681 2.942 2.942 0 0 0-1.618 5.4 5.109 5.109 0 0 0-.062.765c0 4.158 5.037 7.541 11.229 7.541s11.22-3.383 11.22-7.541a5.2 5.2 0 0 0-.053-.706 2.963 2.963 0 0 0 1.427-2.51zm-18.008 1.88a1.753 1.753 0 0 1 1.73-1.74 1.73 1.73 0 0 1 1.709 1.74 1.709 1.709 0 0 1-1.709 1.711 1.733 1.733 0 0 1-1.73-1.711zm9.565 4.968a5.573 5.573 0 0 1-4.081 1.272h-.032a5.576 5.576 0 0 1-4.087-1.272.6.6 0 0 1 .844-.854 4.5 4.5 0 0 0 3.238.927h.032a4.5 4.5 0 0 0 3.237-.927.6.6 0 1 1 .844.854zm-.331-3.256a1.726 1.726 0 1 1 1.709-1.712 1.717 1.717 0 0 1-1.712 1.712z\" fill=\"#fff\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/a><a aria-label=\"Whatsapp\" class=\"heateor_sss_whatsapp\" href=\"https:\/\/api.whatsapp.com\/send?text=%20-%20Pop%20essentials%20and%20a%20little%20bit%20more%20https%3A%2F%2Fessentiallypop.com%2Fepop%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F55947\" title=\"Whatsapp\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"font-size:32px!important;box-shadow:none;display:inline-block;vertical-align:middle\"><span class=\"heateor_sss_svg\" style=\"background-color:#55eb4c;width:35px;height:35px;margin:0;display:inline-block;opacity:1;float:left;font-size:32px;box-shadow:none;display:inline-block;font-size:16px;padding:0 4px;vertical-align:middle;background-repeat:repeat;overflow:hidden;padding:0;cursor:pointer;box-sizing:content-box\"><svg style=\"display:block;\" focusable=\"false\" aria-hidden=\"true\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" viewBox=\"-6 -5 40 40\"><path class=\"heateor_sss_svg_stroke heateor_sss_no_fill\" stroke=\"#fff\" stroke-width=\"2\" fill=\"none\" d=\"M 11.579798566743314 24.396926207859085 A 10 10 0 1 0 6.808479557110079 20.73576436351046\"><\/path><path d=\"M 7 19 l -1 6 l 6 -1\" class=\"heateor_sss_no_fill heateor_sss_svg_stroke\" stroke=\"#fff\" stroke-width=\"2\" fill=\"none\"><\/path><path d=\"M 10 10 q -1 8 8 11 c 5 -1 0 -6 -1 -3 q -4 -3 -5 -5 c 4 -2 -1 -5 -1 -4\" fill=\"#fff\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/a><a aria-label=\"Email\" class=\"heateor_sss_email\" href=\"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55947\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault();window.open('mailto:?subject=' + decodeURIComponent('%20-%20Pop%20essentials%20and%20a%20little%20bit%20more').replace('&', '%26') + '&body=https%3A%2F%2Fessentiallypop.com%2Fepop%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F55947', '_blank')\" title=\"Email\" rel=\"noopener\" style=\"font-size:32px!important;box-shadow:none;display:inline-block;vertical-align:middle\"><span class=\"heateor_sss_svg\" style=\"background-color:#649a3f;width:35px;height:35px;margin:0;display:inline-block;opacity:1;float:left;font-size:32px;box-shadow:none;display:inline-block;font-size:16px;padding:0 4px;vertical-align:middle;background-repeat:repeat;overflow:hidden;padding:0;cursor:pointer;box-sizing:content-box\"><svg style=\"display:block;\" focusable=\"false\" aria-hidden=\"true\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" viewBox=\"-.75 -.5 36 36\"><path d=\"M 5.5 11 h 23 v 1 l -11 6 l -11 -6 v -1 m 0 2 l 11 6 l 11 -6 v 11 h -22 v -11\" stroke-width=\"1\" fill=\"#fff\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/a><a aria-label=\"Bluesky\" class=\"heateor_sss_button_bluesky\" href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/intent\/compose?text=%20-%20Pop%20essentials%20and%20a%20little%20bit%20more%20https%3A%2F%2Fessentiallypop.com%2Fepop%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F55947\" title=\"Bluesky\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"font-size:32px!important;box-shadow:none;display:inline-block;vertical-align:middle\"><span class=\"heateor_sss_svg heateor_sss_s__default heateor_sss_s_bluesky\" style=\"background-color:#0085ff;width:35px;height:35px;margin:0;display:inline-block;opacity:1;float:left;font-size:32px;box-shadow:none;display:inline-block;font-size:16px;padding:0 4px;vertical-align:middle;background-repeat:repeat;overflow:hidden;padding:0;cursor:pointer;box-sizing:content-box\"><svg width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" style=\"display:block;\" focusable=\"false\" aria-hidden=\"true\" viewBox=\"-3 -3 38 38\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M16 14.903c-.996-1.928-3.709-5.521-6.231-7.293C7.353 5.912 6.43 6.206 5.827 6.478 5.127 6.793 5 7.861 5 8.49s.346 5.155.572 5.91c.747 2.496 3.404 3.34 5.851 3.07.125-.02.252-.036.38-.052-.126.02-.253.037-.38.051-3.586.529-6.771 1.83-2.594 6.457 4.595 4.735 6.297-1.015 7.171-3.93.874 2.915 1.88 8.458 7.089 3.93 3.911-3.93 1.074-5.928-2.512-6.457a8.122 8.122 0 0 1-.38-.051c.128.016.255.033.38.051 2.447.271 5.104-.573 5.85-3.069.227-.755.573-5.281.573-5.91 0-.629-.127-1.697-.827-2.012-.604-.271-1.526-.566-3.942 1.132-2.522 1.772-5.235 5.365-6.231 7.293Z\" fill=\"#fff\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/a><a aria-label=\"Threads\" class=\"heateor_sss_button_threads\" href=\"https:\/\/www.threads.net\/intent\/post?text=%20-%20Pop%20essentials%20and%20a%20little%20bit%20more%20https%3A%2F%2Fessentiallypop.com%2Fepop%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F55947\" title=\"Threads\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"font-size:32px!important;box-shadow:none;display:inline-block;vertical-align:middle\"><span class=\"heateor_sss_svg heateor_sss_s__default heateor_sss_s_threads\" style=\"background-color:#000;width:35px;height:35px;margin:0;display:inline-block;opacity:1;float:left;font-size:32px;box-shadow:none;display:inline-block;font-size:16px;padding:0 4px;vertical-align:middle;background-repeat:repeat;overflow:hidden;padding:0;cursor:pointer;box-sizing:content-box\"><svg width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" style=\"display:block;\" focusable=\"false\" aria-hidden=\"true\" viewBox=\"-100 -100 648 712\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M331.5 235.7c2.2 .9 4.2 1.9 6.3 2.8c29.2 14.1 50.6 35.2 61.8 61.4c15.7 36.5 17.2 95.8-30.3 143.2c-36.2 36.2-80.3 52.5-142.6 53h-.3c-70.2-.5-124.1-24.1-160.4-70.2c-32.3-41-48.9-98.1-49.5-169.6V256v-.2C17 184.3 33.6 127.2 65.9 86.2C102.2 40.1 156.2 16.5 226.4 16h.3c70.3 .5 124.9 24 162.3 69.9c18.4 22.7 32 50 40.6 81.7l-40.4 10.8c-7.1-25.8-17.8-47.8-32.2-65.4c-29.2-35.8-73-54.2-130.5-54.6c-57 .5-100.1 18.8-128.2 54.4C72.1 146.1 58.5 194.3 58 256c.5 61.7 14.1 109.9 40.3 143.3c28 35.6 71.2 53.9 128.2 54.4c51.4-.4 85.4-12.6 113.7-40.9c32.3-32.2 31.7-71.8 21.4-95.9c-6.1-14.2-17.1-26-31.9-34.9c-3.7 26.9-11.8 48.3-24.7 64.8c-17.1 21.8-41.4 33.6-72.7 35.3c-23.6 1.3-46.3-4.4-63.9-16c-20.8-13.8-33-34.8-34.3-59.3c-2.5-48.3 35.7-83 95.2-86.4c21.1-1.2 40.9-.3 59.2 2.8c-2.4-14.8-7.3-26.6-14.6-35.2c-10-11.7-25.6-17.7-46.2-17.8H227c-16.6 0-39 4.6-53.3 26.3l-34.4-23.6c19.2-29.1 50.3-45.1 87.8-45.1h.8c62.6 .4 99.9 39.5 103.7 107.7l-.2 .2zm-156 68.8c1.3 25.1 28.4 36.8 54.6 35.3c25.6-1.4 54.6-11.4 59.5-73.2c-13.2-2.9-27.8-4.4-43.4-4.4c-4.8 0-9.6 .1-14.4 .4c-42.9 2.4-57.2 23.2-56.2 41.8l-.1 .1z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/a><a class=\"heateor_sss_more\" aria-label=\"More\" title=\"More\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" style=\"font-size: 32px!important;border:0;box-shadow:none;display:inline-block!important;font-size:16px;padding:0 4px;vertical-align: middle;display:inline;\" href=\"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55947\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault()\"><span class=\"heateor_sss_svg\" style=\"background-color:#ee8e2d;width:35px;height:35px;margin:0;display:inline-block!important;opacity:1;float:left;font-size:32px!important;box-shadow:none;display:inline-block;font-size:16px;padding:0 4px;vertical-align:middle;display:inline;background-repeat:repeat;overflow:hidden;padding:0;cursor:pointer;box-sizing:content-box;\" onclick=\"heateorSssMoreSharingPopup(this, 'https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55947', '%20-%20Pop%20essentials%20and%20a%20little%20bit%20more', '' )\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" viewBox=\"-.3 0 32 32\" version=\"1.1\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" style=\"display:block;\" xml:space=\"preserve\"><g><path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M18 14V8h-4v6H8v4h6v6h4v-6h6v-4h-6z\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><\/path><\/g><\/svg><\/span><\/a><\/div><div class=\"heateorSssClear\"><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"author":67,"featured_media":55948,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[5200,5201,15853],"tags":[22861,22862,620,1754,21607,792,407,22857,22859,22860],"class_list":["post-55947","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-films","category-interviews-films","category-new-releases-films","tag-coureur","tag-cycling","tag-debut","tag-director","tag-emma-mages","tag-film","tag-interview","tag-kenneth-mercken","tag-raindance-film-festival","tag-the-racer"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Screen-Shot-2019-09-26-at-18.54.47.png?fit=623%2C776&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5yMhl-eyn","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":56044,"url":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/2019\/10\/first-look-at-new-trailer-for-hard-hitting-cycling-drama-the-racer-as-release-date-is-confirmed\/","url_meta":{"origin":55947,"position":0},"title":"First Look At New Trailer For Hard-Hitting Cycling Drama &#8216;The Racer&#8217; As Release Date Is Confirmed","author":"Essentially Pop","date":"01\/10\/2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Lightbulb Film Distribution are delighted to announce that Belgian cycling drama 'The Racer' will be available On Demand and download from November 4.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Films&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Films","link":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/category\/films\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/The-Racer.jpg?fit=400%2C600&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":71099,"url":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/2021\/09\/belfast-official-trailer-released\/","url_meta":{"origin":55947,"position":1},"title":"&#8216;BELFAST&#8217; &#8211; OFFICIAL TRAILER RELEASED","author":"Essentially Pop","date":"03\/09\/2021","format":false,"excerpt":"From lauded director Kenneth Branagh, and starring an acclaimed ensemble cast, Belfast is a personal and joyful story about the power of memory, set in late 1960s Northern Ireland.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Films&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Films","link":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/category\/films\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/belfast1.webp?fit=1200%2C600&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/belfast1.webp?fit=1200%2C600&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/belfast1.webp?fit=1200%2C600&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/belfast1.webp?fit=1200%2C600&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/belfast1.webp?fit=1200%2C600&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":74629,"url":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/2022\/03\/bookies-have-belfast-up-against-it-to-win-best-picture-despite-tiff-success\/","url_meta":{"origin":55947,"position":2},"title":"Bookies Have Belfast Up Against It To Win Best Picture Despite TIFF Success","author":"Essentially Pop","date":"25\/03\/2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Kenneth Branagh\u2019s Belfast is among the favourites for Best Picture at the upcoming Academy Awards after taking the People\u2019s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival. The latter is considered a strong indicator of inbound success at the Oscars but said film is up against some tough competition and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Films&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Films","link":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/category\/films\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/image-2.png?fit=975%2C406&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/image-2.png?fit=975%2C406&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/image-2.png?fit=975%2C406&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/image-2.png?fit=975%2C406&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":49120,"url":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/2019\/04\/knife-heart-starring-vanessa-paradis-in-cinemas-on-mubi-july-5\/","url_meta":{"origin":55947,"position":3},"title":"KNIFE + HEART \/ Starring Vanessa Paradis \/ In Cinemas &#038; On MUBI July 5","author":"Essentially Pop","date":"16\/04\/2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Curated global streaming service and theatrical film distributor MUBI are delighted to announce the UK release of Yann Gonzalez\u2019s deliriously kinky queer horror thriller 'KNIFE + HEART'. Following its premiere at BFI Flare Film Festival, the film will be released in UK cinemas and on MUBI on 5th July 2019.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Films&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Films","link":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/category\/films\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/image002-40.jpg?fit=511%2C339&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":20227,"url":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/2016\/05\/introducing-red-black-films\/","url_meta":{"origin":55947,"position":4},"title":"Introducing: Red &#038; Black Films","author":"Essentially Pop","date":"13\/05\/2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Red & Black Films is run by the multi-award team of Caradog James and John Giwa-Amu, writer\/director and producer respectively of 'The Machine', which sold out internationally in 2013.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Films&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Films","link":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/category\/films\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/redandblack_01.png?fit=640%2C357&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/redandblack_01.png?fit=640%2C357&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/redandblack_01.png?fit=640%2C357&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":82867,"url":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/2023\/07\/new-featurette-trinity-test-for-oppenheimer-in-cinemas-21-july\/","url_meta":{"origin":55947,"position":5},"title":"New Featurette, &#8216;Trinity Test&#8217; For &#8216;Oppenheimer&#8217; &#8211; In Cinemas 21 July","author":"Essentially Pop","date":"18\/07\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Written and directed by Christopher Nolan,\u00a0Oppenheimer\u00a0is an IMAX\u00ae-shot epic thriller that\u00a0thrusts audiences into the pulse-pounding paradox of the enigmatic man who must risk destroying the world in order to save it.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Films&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Films","link":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/category\/films\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/oppenheimer.png?fit=969%2C676&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/oppenheimer.png?fit=969%2C676&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/oppenheimer.png?fit=969%2C676&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/oppenheimer.png?fit=969%2C676&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55947","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/67"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55947"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55947\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/55948"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55947"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55947"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55947"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}