Substack: The Home for Great Writing, Podcasts, and Video

Raphaël, a cinema critic and curator, operates The Long Take, a Substack publication dedicated to the analysis and curation of global cinema. The project functions as a digital gallery, focusing on the intersection of film history, visual storytelling, and the preservation of cinematic art through long-form writing and multimedia content.

The publication utilizes the Substack platform to distribute a mix of essays, podcasts, and video content. According to the publication’s self-description, it serves as a curated space for those seeking deep-dives into film rather than surface-level reviews.

The Curatorial Approach of The Long Take

Raphaël frames the project as The gallery of cinema, suggesting a shift from traditional film journalism toward a curatorial model. This approach prioritizes the visual and structural elements of filmmaking, treating individual films and sequences as exhibits within a larger historical and artistic context.

The content strategy combines three primary mediums to analyze cinema: written essays for theoretical depth, podcasts for conversational exploration, and video for direct visual evidence of the techniques discussed.

Substack as a Medium for Film Criticism

By hosting The Long Take on Substack, the creator leverages a direct-to-audience subscription model. This allows for the production of niche, long-form content that may not fit the constraints of traditional entertainment news cycles or commercial film magazines.

The use of a newsletter format enables a serialized approach to cinema history, where specific directors, movements, or visual styles can be tracked over time through a consistent stream of updates.