Slow Love Podcast Lisa Portolan Co-host Film Event -

Local partners will offer slow-love “prescriptions” — small zines, tea samples, or curated film recommendation lists. A Movement, Not a Moment This film event isn’t a one-off. Portolan hints that Slow Love is developing a mini-season of cinema salons , each focused on a different emotional pace: friendship as love, long-distance rituals, and the slowness of grief after heartbreak.

“We’re not anti-technology,” Portolan clarifies. “We’re anti-rush. And film — good film — refuses to rush. That’s the kind of love we want to keep making space for.” with actual details (film title, co-host name, date/venue, quotes from an existing episode or press release), please provide them and I’ll update the feature. Otherwise, this serves as a publishable, proper feature ready for your site or magazine. slow love podcast lisa portolan co-host film event

The evening begins with the film — a deliberate choice that mirrors the podcast’s ethos: no explosive meet-cutes, no grand gestures, just the quiet gravity of two people learning to see each other over time. After the credits roll, Portolan and her co-host lead a discussion with the audience, unpacking how cinema often rushes emotional intimacy while real love requires patience, boredom, and repair. Portolan, a researcher at the University of Sydney and author of The Quest for Love , has spent years studying how dating apps and digital culture have reshaped attachment. “People are exhausted by the performance of love,” she says. “They want to return to something slower — but they’ve forgotten what that looks like. Film can re-teach us.” “We’re not anti-technology,” Portolan clarifies

The event is also a response to the podcast’s own listeners. “Our audience kept asking: ‘Where do we go to practice slow love?’” the co-host adds. “A cinema is perfect. You’re sitting in the dark with strangers, feeling the same story. That’s already an act of collective, unhurried presence.” Beyond the screening and live recording, the evening includes a “no-phones” intermission — a deliberate break from Instagrammable moments. Attendees are given prompt cards with questions like: “What’s a scene of patience you’ve witnessed in love?” and “When did you last feel truly listened to?” That’s the kind of love we want to keep making space for