Matilda Pierre, a 26-year-old Guyanese actress, chooses to tell her story and publicly embrace her sexual orientation in a society where homosexuality remains largely taboo. Attracted to women, men, and transgender people, she must deal with insults, threats, and the weight of others’ judgment. Through her testimony, Matilda reveals the reality experienced by many young LGBTQIA+ people in French Guiana. The documentary also gives voice to other young people, such as Marcus, a bisexual Amerindian who hides his orientation for fear of rejection from his family. Between silence, fear, and social pressure, many live their identities in the shadows.
Twisting what seems to be obvious setups and frameworks is what sets the story structure of Squid Game apart. I appreciate that this narrative is complex but not complicated; an easy enough plot to wrap your head around while still treating the audience like an equal participant in this social commentary
If you’re also a major fan of the familiar strangers story between two people of different generations, here are 5 underrated films you probably haven’t heard of, but might thoroughly enjoy.
While not everyone may relate to the circumstances Danielle finds herself in in 'Shiva Baby', some are sure to understand her struggles as she is scrutinized for being a woman, a college student, an LGBT person, and a sugar baby.
'Rag Tag' encompasses the diversity within the African Diaspora by showing London Nigerian men learning to regulate their emotions while navigating love and societal pressures.
For anyone who is not a cis white woman, a justice-fueled murderous rampage is not framed as liberation. Instead, they contribute to harsh stereotypes that vilify minority women with dangerous consequences.
Netflix’s Shadow and Bone has a complicated relationship with race. It has a diverse cast, but not without its problems. Based on Leigh Bardugo’s two book series, the show features characters from the Shadow and Bone trilogy, which is very straight and white, and the Six of Crows duology, which is much more diverse. When bringing together a cast and writing about these characters, the team behind the show expanded upon some of the representation missing from the first trilogy, then seemed to take away representation from the duology. Shadow and Bone seems to play a bit of a push and pull game when it comes to portraying diversity onscreen.
