| Each week, we ask a member of the college grad student community to share 3 picks related to one of their passions. This week, Josh Knepp, a Student Affairs Administration MA student, shares 3 films that feature human connection as one of their themes: I’m always interested in how other people seek to make connections and with whom, or what, they decide to make those connections with. I think it’s fascinating to see how the idea of human connection is communicated in films. As such, here are three films that heavily feature human connection as one of their themes. 1. A Silent Voice directed by Naoka Yamada. TW: Suicide, bullying. This story about a high school student trying to connect with their former classmate who they bullied captures so many important lessons on how we connect. This movie is beautiful in a lot of ways, particularly in the way it captures how the lack of connection impacts people. 2. Blade Runner 2049 directed by Denis Villeneuve. For those who need more than just drama for their plots, Blade Runner 2049 provides a lot of perspective on what connection might look like in our future. The movie ponders a lot on who and what is capable of connection. While this is a sequel to the original Blade Runner from the 80s, you can watch this movie without having seen the original. 3. Lars and The Real Girl directed by Craig Gillespie. Ryan Gosling has what I consider to be his greatest performance in this film, and what a performance it is. This film captures what it means to connect but also what it means to be a part of a community. Quite a melancholic flick but I highly recommend giving it a watch. Missed the last CED in 3? Theresa Murphy, a HALE PhD student, shares 3 picks for Irish and Irish-American literature |