Hello Reader,

Today, I want to take you behind the scenes of Nurri’s journey with Reel Ruminators.​

Before we dive in, you should know that Nurri started exactly where you might be right now:

❌ Unexcited about mainstream cinema, which doesn’t reflect her eclectic tastes

❌ Frustrated that it’s impossible to attend every film festival to discover the best under-the-radar international films

❌ Overwhelmed by the sheer number of films out there, between classics and new releases, and unsure where to begin.

Here’s exactly how she transformed her situation:

Step 1: Narrowing each month’s movie discovery project to one festival film curated by someone she trusts — without the hassle of attending a festival

Like clockwork, at the beginning of each month, a new carefully curated movie to watch and explore arrives in Nurri’s inbox. And it's completely different from the last month's.

Sometimes, the movie is fresh off the festival circuit. Sometimes, it’s a buried treasure she nurtures and brings back to life with fellow members.

Step 2: Opening herself up to new types of movies she enjoys

Over eight months, Nurri has fallen in love with a wide range of films, including an Indigenous noir, a queer romance, a psychological thriller, and a creative nonfiction documentary.

She’s watched films from Australia, Argentina, Denmark, the U.K., Germany, Belgium, and beyond.

Not only had she not heard of many of these films, but if she had, she might have assumed they weren't for her...including films that became new favourites!

Step 3: Reflecting on the films she’s watched on her own

In the weeks leading up to the discussion, Nurri watches my spoiler-free introduction to each film. And she downloads the in-depth discussion questions, which help her to reflect on the director’s intentions, the film, and her own response to it.

Step 4: Nurturing the film with other film lovers

At the end of each month, she always joins the live discussion on Zoom where she gets to put her ideas in dialogue with other film lovers from around the world. Through this, she discovers new perspectives that help her enjoy the films even more and helps to bring an otherwise hidden gem back to life.

The end result?

☑️ Watched seven new-to-her films that lingered with her for days — including some new favourites

☑️ Opened herself up to a wide variety of films she enjoyed that she wouldn’t have known about or even chosen to watch on her own

☑️ Enjoyed the communal experience of discussing a film with other film lovers

☑️ A proven structure for discovering, watching, and reflecting on a broad range of films — with a group of other movie lovers — which she looks forward to each month.

In Nurri’s own words:

“I always look forward to finding out what film Alex will choose for us to discuss. Most of the films have been such a discovery for me and aren’t films I would have necessarily chosen to watch on my own.

I love that Alex curates such a wide range of films for us to watch and discuss. She has such an incredible appetite for watching so many different films and is very thoughtful about them.

It’s opened me up to new types of films that I really like. One of the films that really lingered with me a lot…I saw the trailer and thought, I would not have watched this if I were just alone…and what a loss that would have been!

With Reel Ruminators, we watch and discuss films that would otherwise be buried. We bring them back to life. I feel like we’re nurturing films together.

I like that Alex doesn’t tell us what to think about films but gives us questions to guide our thinking in a very respectful way. It gives us a lot of space to figure out how we feel about the film. This helps me get even more out of the film. I learn so much about myself, the story, and the director’s intentions. I always look forward to finding out what Alex’s questions will be because she reacts differently to every film.

With your friends, you might just talk about what’s personal to you about the film and whether you liked it. But in Reel Ruminators, we talk more purely about the film. It’s very reflective and enlightening to hear other people’s thoughts because they’re all watching the films thoughtfully and carefully.

Everyone has a different way of watching movies and of expressing their thoughts about the movie even if it’s expressing a similar feeling. Sometimes, other members have had a whole different perspective that I wouldn’t have thought about at all, and it’s fantastic.”

Now it's your turn.

Inside Reel Ruminators, you'll get:

☑️ A curated hidden gem of world cinema at the beginning of each month

☑️ A month-long enrichment experience to help you reflect on the film, at every step of your movie-watching journey — including questions to think about before and after you watch the film and recommended essays/interviews to read or watch on the film

☑️ A 90-minute live discussion on Zoom with film lovers across the world

☑️ A movie each month that’s completely different from the last month -- from a different country, in a different genre, and a different style

☑️ BONUS: Three audio commentaries by me on scenes from this month’s film!

Ready to write your cinematic adventure story?

​>> Join Reel Ruminators today <<​

Doors close tomorrow night at 11:59 p.m. ET.

To your future cinematic journey,

Alex