Reel Mental Podcast: The Room Next Door

Dear readers (and listeners)

Pedro Almodóvar’s latest, The Room Next Door (2024), was one of his more divisive films. That’s reflected in my conversation about the film with Dr. Marcia Sirota, host of the Real Mental Podcast. 

Dr. Sirota is an impressive person. She’s a board-certified psychiatrist based in Toronto, with over a quarter-century of experience. According to her website, she specializes in “wellness, healing trauma, unblocking creativity, and supporting people to become kindness warriors.” She founded the Ruthless Compassion Institute and has authored five books, including Be Kind, Not Nice: How to Stop People-Pleasing, Build Your Confidence and Discover Your Authentic Self. She also hosts two podcasts: the Ruthless Compassion podcast about mental health, and the Reel Mental podcast, where she weaves together her two passions of movies and mental health.

She recently invited me to discuss Almodóvar’s new film, which I loved and she did not. It made for a fascinating conversation. Listen here or watch below. Also, be sure to subscribe to her podcast; it’s an intelligent and insightful change of pace, as movie podcasts go.

(Please Note: This episode mentions suicide. If you or anyone you know are struggling with thoughts of suicide please reach out to the Suicide Crisis Helpline at 9-8-8, available in Canada or the USA.)

Check out my other podcast conversations on the Guest Appearances page.

Brian