Spotlight
Wondering which films to watch? Spotlight presents thematically grouped, must see films, hand-picked by Fandor's curators.
Boy
Dogtooth
I Killed My Mother
35 Shots of Rum
Home
The Neon Bible
Sister
Natural Selection
Falling Angels
Sidewalk Stories
The Quantified Self
Gold
Archipelago
52 Tuesdays
Momma's Man
Off-White Lies
The Arbor
The Woodmans
Two-Bit Waltz
Family Portrait
"A film set becomes its own family anyway, and all family dynamics come out during a shoot. The trick is hiring people who know how to handle that. " – Noah Baumbach
Family dynamics are unique. With fall and winter holidays approaching, we’re showcasing some of our more bizarre family portraits. Whether you relate to a regimented schedule (DOGTOOTH, THE QUANTIFIED SELF), a much looser approach (52 TUESDAYS, I USED TO BE DARKER), came from a one parent home (35 SHOTS OF RUM, I KILLED MY MOTHER), or you had to fend for yourself (BOY, SISTER) these films show no family is perfect. Now grab your ugly holiday sweater and say cheese.
Family dynamics are unique. With fall and winter holidays approaching, we’re showcasing some of our more bizarre family portraits. Whether you relate to a regimented schedule (DOGTOOTH, THE QUANTIFIED SELF), a much looser approach (52 TUESDAYS, I USED TO BE DARKER), came from a one parent home (35 SHOTS OF RUM, I KILLED MY MOTHER), or you had to fend for yourself (BOY, SISTER) these films show no family is perfect. Now grab your ugly holiday sweater and say cheese.
Selected Films
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I Killed My Mother
Focusing on the relationship between Hubert Minel (Xavier Dolan), a 16-year-old Quebecois living in suburban Montreal, and his single mother Chantale (Anne Dorval), I KILLED MY MOTHER beautifully captures the anxieties of a mother-son relationship. While he gauges her with...Watch Movie
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Dogtooth
Graceful, enigmatic and often frightening, DOGTOOTH is an ingenious dark comedy that won the Prix Un Certain Regard at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, propelling Yorgos Lanthimos to the forefront of contemporary cinema's most ambitious young filmmakers. In an effort to protect their three children...Watch Movie
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Boy
During summer break in 1984, eleven-year-old Michael Jackson fanatic "Boy" (James Rolleston) has the adventure of his life. With his mother dead and father AWOL, Boy becomes the head of a household full of kids when his Nana leaves town for a funeral. It starts as just another few weeks of...Watch Movie
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35 Shots of Rum
Widely hailed as one of the best films of 2009, the latest from the renowned director of BEAU TRAVAIL, Claire Denis’ sublime 35 SHOTS OF RUM is the moving story of a father and daughter whose close-knit, tender relationship is disrupted by a handsome young suitor. Sumptuously filmed and featuring...Watch Movie
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Home
Switzerland's official entry for "Best Foreign Language Film" at the 82nd Academy Awards®, HOME is a mesmerizing fable of modern family life starring internationally renowned actress Isabelle Huppert. Huppert plays Marthe, a happy-go-lucky mother whose family enjoys an idyllic existence in their...Watch Movie
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52 Tuesdays
A sixteen year old's reluctant path to independence is accelerated when her mother reveals plans for gender transition and their time together becomes limited to Tuesday afternoons. Filmed over the course of a year, once-a-week every week (only on Tuesdays), these unique filmmaking rules bring a...Watch Movie
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The Quantified Self
The story of a family fixated on perfection is depicted in THE QUANTIFIED SELF. Their pursuit of perfection rests on collecting data about themselves; data that can be tracked and ultimately improved. All their efforts to be the best family possible mean that they use...Watch Movie
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Natural Selection
Winner of the Grand Jury and Audience Awards at SXSW and nominated for two Independent Spirit Awards, including Best Actress for Rachael Harris, NATURAL SELECTION is a wonderfully irreverent comedy about a devoted Texas housewife whose carefully ordered world is turned upside...Watch Movie
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Gold
Returning to his hometown after twelve years, Ray attempts to rekindle relations with his daughter and high-school sweetheart. His ex, Alice, has moved in with the over-zealous fitness trainer, Frank, who happens to be Ray's old P.E. coach. Ray's daughter, Abbie has become Frank's grand...Watch Movie
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Two-Bit Waltz
In the wonderfully dysfunctional tradition of The Royal Tenenbaums, teenage years are always messy... but for Maude, things couldn't seem more tragic. Within one week just prior to her 18th birthday, she is suspended from school, stranded by her best friend, dumped by the boy she "loves," and...Watch Movie
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The Woodmans
The tragic story of Francesca Woodman, a young photographer renowned for her extraordinary self-portraits, is also the story of her brilliantly artistic family. With THE WOODMANS, director C. Scott Willis shows how the struggle for fame in the high-stakes world of art resulted in tragedy and then...Watch Movie
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The Arbor
Instead of making a conventional documentary or adapting Andrea Dunbar's play "The Arbor" for the screen, director Clio Barnard has crafted a truly unique work that transcends genre and defies categorization. Following two years conducting audio interviews with Dunbar's family, friends and...Watch Movie
