Questions & Narratives

Special guest Tiffany Parker joins Livia and Zainab in a conversation about the future's role in preparing us for it, the way technology integrates with the present and what we can learn from being in the moment.

Livia & Zainab share their immediate reflections after seeing Mike Mills's latest film, C'mon C'mon, which features Academy Award Winner Joaquin Phoenix and the very talented child actor, Woody Norman. Hear what we had to say about this moving film about a radio journalist who has to take care of his energetic nephew for the first time.

A vast network of microorganisms exists seemingly invisible to humans, yet it influences and shapes our existence. How deep do these networks run and how much do we really know about their role in our lives? Livia and Zainab reflect on the influence of these microscopic living organisms and how they affect our free will.

Are we citizens of the universe or are we citizens of society? In this short reflection, Livia & Zainab explore the purpose of humanity.

Where do dreams come from and what are they trying to tell us? In this short reflection, Livia & Zainab pull from their personal experiences to reflect on the origin and purpose of dreams.

Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché is Pamela B. Green's energetic film about pioneer filmmaker Alice Guy-Blaché. It is both a tribute and a detective story, tracing the circumstances by which this extraordinary artist faded from memory and the path toward her reclamation.Some interesting facts about Be NaturalThis documentary film premiered in 2018 at the Cannes Film Festival.It was co-written and directed by Pamela B. Green.It was narrated by filmmaker and actress Jodie Foster.Some things that surprised Livia & Zainab about Be NaturalLivia: The idea that someone's life, legacy and work can be completely forgotten by her peers and students. And even though Alice struggled at the end of her life to re-write her own story, she was still relatively ignored. Zainab:  The revelation that Alice was the first filmmaker in the world and that also happens to be a woman, in addition to the breath of her legacy and contributions to the film industry.Follow along as Livia & Zainab review Be Natural and discuss how social constructs influence our sense of self and identity. They also rate the film by critically reviewing four key elements of filmmaking: Storytelling, Cinematography, Character Development and Overall Message. Music CreditTheme Song: The Way by  KAR33MMusic: Purple Planet Music 

Daughters of the Dust, set in 1902, is a languid look at the Gullah culture of the sea islands off the coast of South Carolina and Georgia where African folk-ways were maintained well into the 20th Century and was one of the last bastions of these mores in America. Some interesting facts about Daughters of the DustThis independent film, premiered in 1991 and was written, produced and directed by Julie Dash.In 2004, it was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant".In 2016, it was restored and re-released by Cohen Media Group.Some things that surprised Livia & Zainab about Daughters of the DustLivia: The film was elegant, beautiful and non-confrontational with a poetic narrative, while depicting a significant and shattering time in the history of the Gullah community.Zainab:  The film seemed to portray an authentic depiction of the Gullah community while using a poetic narrative with themes of hyperfeminism. It was very evident that the director was  thoughtful, intimate and intentional with the story every step of the way.Follow along as Livia & Zainab review Daughters of the Dust and discuss how history and culture influence our sense of self and identity. They also rate the film by critically reviewing four key elements of filmmaking: Storytelling, Cinematography, Character Development and Overall Message. Music CreditTheme Song: The Way by  KAR33MMusic: Purple Planet Music

Honeyland follows the story of the last female bee-hunter in Europe, who must save the bees and return the natural balance, when a family of nomadic beekeepers invade her land and threaten her livelihood.Some interesting facts about HoneylandThis Macedonian documentary premiered in 2019 at the Sundance Film Festival.It was directed by Tamara Kotevska and Ljubomir Stefanov.Filming for the documentary lasted three years with 400 hours  of footage captured.Some things that surprised Livia & Zainab about HoneylandLivia: The universal connection to the protagonist, who lived quite simply but possessed a richness to life that was aspirational. Traditionally someone in her position would be seen as living in poverty but her life appeared to be richer than those living in all the riches.Zainab:  The deep connection to the protagonist because of her compassion for her environment even when  others around her seemed to threaten its natural balance. The film presented the notion of the cycle of compassion and how our ability to be compassionate expands the more we express it.Follow along as Livia & Zainab review Honeyland and discuss how nature and our environment influence our sense of self and identity. They also rate the film by critically reviewing four key elements of filmmaking: Storytelling, Cinematography, Character Development and Overall Message. Music CreditTheme Song: The Way by  KAR33MMusic: Purple Planet Music

Arrival follows the journey of a linguist as she works with the United States military to communicate with alien lifeforms after twelve mysterious spacecraft appear around the world.Some interesting facts about ArrivalThis science fiction film premiered in 2016 at the Venice Film Festival.It was written by Eric Heisserer and directed by Dennis Villeneuve.It was based off Ted Chiang's short story, released in 1998, titled, 'Story of Your Life'. Some things that surprised Livia & Zainab about ArrivalLivia: The film conveyed a lot of philosophical and intellectual messages in a story format that has traditionally been used to  tell action stories. Zainab:  The notion that no matter how much we quest for the unknown, we should accept that we are truly not going to accomplish knowing everything.Follow along as Livia & Zainab review Arrival and discuss how language influences our perception of time, as well as the expression of our sense of self and identity. They also rate the film by critically reviewing four key elements of filmmaking: Storytelling, Cinematography, Character Development and Overall Message. Music CreditTheme Song: The Way by  KAR33MMusic: Purple Planet Music

The Great Beauty follows Jep Gambardella having seduced his way through the lavish nightlife of Rome for decades. After his 65th birthday and a shock from the past, Jep looks past the nightclubs and parties to find a timeless landscape of absurd, exquisite beauty.Some interesting facts about The Great BeautyThis Italian art drama premiered in 2013 at the Cannes Film Festival.It was co-written and directed by Paolo Sorrentino.It won 'Best Foreign Language Film' at the 86th Academy Awards, as well as the Golden Globe and the BAFTA in the same category.Some things that surprised Livia, Zainab & Allan about The Great BeautyLivia: The sheer hedonistic portrayal of humans. The film was indulgent, decadent and over the top yet it conveyed a spiritual and emotional message.Zainab: The collectivism mindset displayed by the characters in the film, in the way they would gather as a group of artists to critic each other's work and critically discuss events in the society.Allan:  The way conflicts were presented in the film, especially in the portrayal of a daughter who was a stripper at her father's club.Follow along as Livia, Zainab & Allan review The Great Beauty and discuss how our sense of self and identity is influenced by art in all of its various abstract and tangible forms. They also rate the film by critically reviewing four key elements of filmmaking: Storytelling, Cinematography, Character Development and Overall Message. Music CreditTheme Song: The Way by  KAR33MMusic: Purple Planet Music

Moonlight follows the life of a young African-American man as he grapples with his identity and sexuality while experiencing the everyday struggles of childhood, adolescence and burgeoning adulthood. Some interesting facts about MoonlightThis coming-of-age drama premiered in 2016 at Telluride Film Festival.It was written and directed by Barry Jenkins.It was based off Tarell Alvin McCraney's unpublished semi-autobiographical play, In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue.Some things that surprised Livia & Zainab about MoonlightLivia: There was a sense of delicacy to Moonlight that added to its poetic nature, which is unlikely in masculine coming-of-age storiesZainab:  It was visual poetry on screen and this made Moonlight a  beautiful movie to watch. The story really does get under your skin.Follow along as Livia & Zainab review Moonlight and discuss how the relationships in our lives influence our sense of self and identity. They also rate the film by critically reviewing four key elements of filmmaking: Storytelling, Cinematography, Character Development and Overall Message. Music CreditTheme Song: The Way by  KAR33MMusic: Purple Planet Music

Jojo Rabbit follows the journey of a young boy in Hitler's army as he finds out his mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their home. Some interesting facts about Jojo RabbitThis comedy-drama premiered in 2019 at the Toronto International Film Festival.It was written and directed by Taika Waititi.It was adapted from Christine Leunens' book, Caging Skies.Some things that surprised Livia & Zainab about Jojo RabbitLivia: The tone of the film was playful, surreal and rich with childlike imagination despite the bleak and painful story told.Zainab: The film used a whimsical tone to tell the story of a deeply traumatic event through the lens of a child.Follow along as Livia & Zainab review Jojo Rabbit and discuss some of the thoughts they had about whether our sense of self and identity can change when presented with situations that contradict our values. They also rate the film by critically reviewing four key elements of filmmaking: Storytelling, Cinematography, Character Development and Overall Message. Music CreditTheme Song: The Way by  KAR33MMusic: Purple Planet Music

In this introductory episode, we set the tone for our movie reviews and reflections about the human experience. Catch a new episode of Questions & Narratives every Wednesday, follow us on Instagram and subscribe to the mailing list for exclusive engaging content. Music Credit: 'The Way' by  KAR33M.