10 Movies & Shows on Human Becoming

A gift for the holiday season

Hello friends,

We have a couple of new subscribers so, before anything, I want to acknowledge and welcome you. I hope you feel at home here.

Speaking about home, I’ll be traveling to Portugal soon to spend the holiday season with my extended family. I find this annual window of time to be particularly conducive to cozy sessions of delighting in audiovisual art.

Below, I've listed a few movie and show recommendations that, in some way or another, explore the theme of human becoming. Feel free to share your own suggestions in the comments section.

In the next couple of days, I’ll be sharing with you our podcast episode with Ashanti Kunene. Ashanti is a social justice activist, a poet, and an artist I had the fortune to run into at the Boom Festival this year.

She’s a very powerful voice of our generation. I can’t wait to share more about her with you. Carlos, our sound magician, and I, are polishing the last details of the interview with much love. Here’s Ashanti’s TedTalk in case you want to dive right in.

In the meantime, I hope you find some time these days to rest and recharge with your loved ones.

Warmly,
Carlota

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Waking Life

• Movie

Directed by Richard Linklater, ‘Waking Life’ explores the journey of a young man engaging in existential discussions with various idiosyncratic characters. Realizing multiple times that his perceived reality is a dream, he remains unable to wake up. The film delves into themes ranging from philosophy to metaphysics, the meaning of life to free will.

I’ve shared in the past that ‘Waking Life’ has greatly inspired this project. In fact, the movie moved me to such an extent that I even contemplated a career in screenwriting: one summer break, I printed out the movie’s script and studied it diligently. While I quickly realized my calling didn’t lie there, I learned a bunch about existential philosophy.

One of my favorite parts of the movie is the scene with Caveh Zahedi, who came to the podcast a couple of months ago to share some of his thoughts about art, filmmaking, and radical honesty.

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20th Century Women

• Movie

Unabashedly feminist, ‘20th Century Women’ tells the story of a teenage boy, his jazz-lover mother, and two other women, among them a free-spirited punk artist portrayed by Greta Gerwig, who help raise him.

It's your typical coming-of-age film—a go-to when you want to warm your heart and indulge in a bit of existential nostalgia. I particularly loved how the different generations are represented through distinct music genres.

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She’s Gotta Have it

• Show

Based on the film by Spike Lee, 'She’s Gotta Have It' walks us through the living questions of Nola Darling - an artist on a self-discovery journey who juggles romantic relationships with three men, and occasionally, a woman."

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Whiplash

• Movie

Whenever I feel like my grit cup is empty, I resort to yet another session of 'Whiplash.' The film unravels the life of a young drummer with dreams of greatness and a morally questionable instructor who keeps pushing him toward realizing his potential. What is the price to pay for excellence? What does it take to be extraordinary? These are the main questions the film poses.

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Call Me By Your Name

• Movie

Not sure this one needs an introduction by now. ‘Call Me By Your Name’ is a tale of young love that unfolds the romance between 17-year-old Eliot and his father's charismatic research assistant Oliver in the stunning countryside of Italy.

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Master of None

• Movie

Funny and unapologetically progressive, ‘Master of None’ takes us into the life of Dev, a 30-year-old actor, and his best friends, including Denise, a 37-year-old lesbian novelist, as they navigate the challenges of adult life.

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Captain Fantastic

• Movie

‘Captain Fantastic’ tells the story of a family that has retreated from society into the wilderness without technology and, forced by circumstances, struggles to reintegrate into the world. If you've ever wondered what life would look like if you went off the grid and raised your kids your way, you might want to check this one out.

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Pose

• Show

I watched this one a while ago. I decided to include it since it definitely opened my eyes to the challenges faced by many in the queer community who struggle to find belonging in an often oppressive society.

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Easy

• Show

One of my personal favorites, ‘Easy’ accompanies the lives of different people in Chicago: a couple adapting to an open marriage, a renowned comic book writer dealing with woke culture, a well-off feminist writer and prostitute, two brothers who founded a brewery, and many more.

If you're a fan of the mumblecore sub-genre—characterized by highly improvised, realistic dialogues that navigate the awkwardness and messiness of human relationships—this one is for you.

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A Minha Casinha

• Movie

Last but not least, a suggestion for the Portuguese community. ‘A Minha Casinha’ (or ‘Autumn’ for the international version) tells the bittersweet story of a small town family adjusting to their new life after their son leaves to attend university overseas.

Watching this movie in the theater was rather surreal. Directed by a friend, António Sequeira, whose artistic path I’ve been gladly following, it truly excites me when someone has the courage to pursue what they love and the determination to make it happen.

Currently playing in theaters across Portugal.