John Waters, 'Pope of Trash,' turns 80!

Multimedia artist and filmmaker John Waters reflects on his career as a "filth elder" and his lifelong commitment to championing outsiders and eccentricity. Born into a conventional Baltimore family, Waters recounts how his early obsessions with car accidents, juvenile delinquency, and rockabilly culture fueled his transgressive cinematic style, including breakthrough films like *Pink Flamingos* and *Hairspray*. He shares insights from his memoir *Mr. Know-It-All* and his cross-country hitchhiking experience detailed in *Carsick*, illustrating his desire to connect with people outside his social sphere. The program also features a review of Steven Soderbergh’s dark comedy *The Christophers*, which explores the intersection of art, economic struggle, and forgery through the tense, intellectual dynamic between a legendary painter played by Ian McKellen and his ambitious assistant portrayed by Michaela Cole.