Related Recs

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The zone of interest (2023)

I can’t stop thinking about the scene where she’s showing her mother the garden, and the ominous presence of closed curtains the whole way through. The sound design was perfect, listen closely and you’ll hear gunfire and screams throughout.

@mouse

Feb 21, 2024

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society of the snow (2023)

Unequivocally the most harrowing film I have ever seen and I cannot get it out of my head…. Deeply disturbing , anxiety inducing, compelling, stomach churning. Shot and written with effective precision, without overkill or gratuitous exploitation. Movies about the human will to survive are hard to do without being either corny or played out and this does follow a similar narrative arc but I really appreciated how it was told. I recommend watching the little docu about the making of the film. I love production. Unbelievable true story and really compelling film

@caroline

Jan 28, 2024

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Movie Review: The Zone of interest

The countless atrocities committed by the Nazis have been well-documented in the media, but I can’t recall having ever seen a movie that opted to focus on the cold banality of the lives of the Germans who were actively engaged in or complicit with such incredible cruelty. Filmmaker Jonathan Glazer (Under the Skin), inspired by Martin Amis’ novel, has decided to tap into this underexplored area, and the chilling result will haunt viewers for days. Focusing on Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Höss (Christian Freidel) and his wife Hedwig (Sandra Hüller, both perfectly cast), who are raising their family in a well-appointed home directly adjacent to the camp, we watch them go about their relatively mundane existences. They live better than many of their fellow Germans and have local girls working as servants to help keep up the house, but otherwise much of their time is spent tending to trivial day-to-day tasks, aside from the odd bit of Nazi business that Rudolf attends to from his home office. Nothing here is truly normal however, a point made very clear shortly into the film when the camera changes its view of the family’s yard to expose the guard tower just on the other side of the brick wall that abuts the property. Given the proximity to the notorious camp, its noises permeate every aspect of the family’s lives. The low hum of the furnaces is ever-present, punctuated by screams and gunshots. Frequently trains can be heard bringing more prisoners, puffs of steam appearing over the tree line. Somehow, the Höss’ and their children go about their day as if they don’t even notice it. To celebrate one of the children’s birthdays, Hedwig’s mother comes to stay. Initially impressed by the large, well-maintained home and garden, she casually wonders aloud if a Jewish neighbor might be imprisoned next door, complaining that she lost her chance to claim her curtains. As the pair sit on the patio and sounds from the camp impose themselves, she turns to glance at the wall, at least a little discomfited. At night, the sounds of suffering disturb her sleep and she looks out the window, only to see ash and bright flames erupting from a smokestack. She leaves the following morning. While the atrocities next door are felt throughout almost the entire movie, we never see them. Everything is instead conveyed through Johnnie Burn’s meticulous sound design and the effect is powerful, especially in contrast to the mundanity of everything shown. Cinematographer Łukasz Żal’s striking staging avoids overly prettifying the home while still maintaining a painterly artfulness, often using static, embedded cameras to give the proceedings the sort of voyeuristic feel of reality shows like Big Brother. A movie may not be the best place to figure out exactly how people can react so blithely to such large-scale inhumanity, so Glazer doesn’t really try to do so. It is enough however to be reminded that the behavior is not only something that we as a species are capable of, but that it is necessary for such evil to be enacted. Hopefully the reminder will help to prevent it from happening again. ★★★★★ RATED PG-13 FOR THEMATIC MATERIAL, SOME SUGGESTIVE MATERIAL, AND SMOKING.

@seanf

Feb 21, 2024

Top Recs from @chilly_olive_heron

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Subtle intimacies

— untangling a necklace with a needle for someone (my dad used to do this for me when I was younger, felt like such a delicate ritual) — sitting on a couch with someone (aka your current crush) and both caressing a cat that’s between you and the other person …a silent „we’re both here, coexisting, vibing„ moment — braiding someone’s hair (the gentle tug, the trust, the rhythm) — tuning a violin or a guitar (recently watched my friend do this and she was so intimate with her instrument, fine-tuning every string, taking her time… it was kinda mesmerizing) — asking someone about their perfume (I noticed you, I want to remember how you smell) — people in busy public places that close their eyes and hold still for a moment just to soak in some precious sunrays Loved this question!

@chilly_olive_heron

Jan 19, 2025

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Weltschmerz

In German, Weltschmerz-literally “world-pain”-is that melancholic realization that the world, with all its flaws, suffering, and brokenness, falls painfully short of how we feel it should be. It’s not just personal sadness, it’s more like an intellectual reckoning with the gap between reality and its potential beauty. Right now, the world’s on fire (literally and figuratively), and Weltschmerz captures the vibe perfectly. Think of it as a big, collective sigh-beautifully sad, hopelessly existential, but also oddly comforting, like listening to a Lana Del Rey song. Or the 2012 tumblr era. When I was a teenager, I’d feel down out of nowhere-like a weird, weighty sadness without a clear cause. My mom would look at me and say, “Ahhh, Weltschmerz,” like it explained everything. And honestly? It kind of did. It wasn’t about a bad grade or drama with friends. It was just there, this intangible ache tied to something bigger, like feeling the weight of the world without knowing why. the twist is: Weltschmerz, rooted in Romanticism, isn’t entirely hopeless. Yeah, it aches, but it’s the kind of ache that inspires. Great art, big ideas, it all comes from that mix of sadness and longing for something better. So yeah, Weltschmerz might be beautifully tragic, but it’s also a quiet relief, like sighing out everything heavy and feeling a little more connected, a little more human!

@chilly_olive_heron

Jan 12, 2025

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Being a “good enough mother”

This might sound a bit theoretical, but I just love the whole concept of the “good enough mother”. It’s a psychological concept from Donald Winnicott that was very influential in psychoanalytic theory. In a nutshell, it says you don’t need to be a perfect parent - just "good enough." Early on, you give your baby a lot of attention and meet their every need, but as they grow, you slowly step back a little. This gentle shift helps them deal with small frustrations, gain independence, and learn resilience. It’s about showing them they're loved while also preparing them for life’s ups and downs. No perfection required. In fact, being "good enough" actually is a necessary step in the child’s development.

@chilly_olive_heron

Nov 18, 2024