Sara Fishko

Many Russian films of the silent and early sound era have been classics of film history. But the films of Dziga Vertov have dropped in and out of public awareness.  An upcoming film festival promises to change all that.  Listen above to hear Sara Fishko's quick look...

A thriving downtown photography cooperative is celebrating its 40^th anniversary with an exhibition of photos by some of its founding members.  The group’s deep roots are still reflected in its pictures and its practices.  WNYC’s Sara Fishko has more...

In this archival edition of Fishko Files, WNYC’s Sara Fishko reflects on the mystique of cool jazz trumpeter/singer Chet Baker, and the facts and fantasies that have lifted jazz horn players to a special place in cultural mythology.

Premiering this weekend is a new TV adaptation of “Mildred Pierce,” one of James M. Cain’s Depression-era, tough-guy novels. As WNYC’s Sara Fishko tells us, those books provided 1940s Hollywood with plenty of material for its dark dramas. Here is the next Fishko Files...

There's always another new recording of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. As Sara Fishko tells us in this archival edition of Fishko Files, the piece seems to bring out the "personality" in a multitude of players.

As we follow the saga of a certain wild-partying entertainer, WNYC’s Sara Fishko considers the case of Anton Arensky. The somewhat disreputable Russian composer wrote music, lived hard – and died young.   Here is the next Fishko Files.

This week pianist Van Cliburn was one of ten artists to receive the National Medal of Arts from President Obama.  Here is an episode of Fishko Files originally produced to mark the 50^th anniversary of Cliburn’s historic victory in Moscow during the Cold War.

With Hollywood’s big night coming up this Sunday, a question: Who has the most Academy Award nominations and Statues of any woman in history? It’s Edith Head, once Costume Designer to the stars. WNYC’s Sara Fishko has more, in this edition of Fishko Files...

WNYC’s Sara Fishko with “Fishko Files”: Today it’s seven minutes on art that is long, and art that is short.

The Grammy Awards are this weekend. One of the many nominees is pianist Keith Jarrett, up for his improvised solo on the song “Body and Soul.”  It has WNYC’s Sara Fishko thinking about that song’s long history of musical inspiration...in this edition of Fishko Files.

Pianist and singer Hazel Scott is perhaps best remembered for her glamour.  Glamorous she was, but in this edition of Fishko Files (from January ’09), WNYC’s Sara Fishko explores a new book and an old CD that can help us go beneath the surface to Scott’s life and work.

As the awards season goes into full sparkle, WNYC’s Sara Fishko listens in on a group of non-glitzy winners of a few weeks ago.  Some chat among masters, in this edition of Fishko Files...

Conductor Arturo Toscanini (1867-1957) was iconic in his time.  In 2007, when he was being remembered 50 years after his death, WNYC’s Sara Fishko examined his life and legacy.

Originally aired on the occasion of the 2007 Academy Awards, this edition of the Fishko recognizes celebrated film composer Ennio Morricone, who received a special Oscar that year. Many of the composer's early scores for westerns used whistling to great effect. And as WNYC's Sara Fishko tells us, the world of 'instrumental whistling' has it's own story.

This episode of The Fishko Files originally aired just as Doug Aitken's "Sleepwalkers" opened at the Museum of Modern Art. The multi-screen, outdoor movie could be seen from various spots in midtown Manhattan -- and it had WNYC's Sara Fishko considering the role of 'accident' in our appreciation of artworks.

On the final day of 2010, we consider the art of actor Montgomery Clift.  Clift would have been 90 this year, and as WNYC’s Sara Fishko tells us, he was one of the founders of modern screen acting. Here is the next Fishko Files...

This fall has seen a new translation from Russian to English of Boris Pasternak’s “Doctor Zhivago.”   The art of translation has a lot to do with give and take --between two languages, and in this case, two translators.  Here is the next Fishko Files....