Seventh Row is a nonprofit Canadian film criticism publication and publishing house. We're dedicated to helping you expand your horizons by curating the best socially progressive films from around the world and helping you think deeply about them. This newsletter is run by Seventh Row (http://seventh-row.com) but features exclusive content not found on the website.
What if your favourite movie is one you think isn't even for you?
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Hello Reader, Have you ever seen a movie that hit you so hard, so personally, that you felt like, "Someone reached into my brain and made a movie about my life"? That's how I feel about the film Oslo, August 31st, the film Seventh Row named the best film of the 2010s. It wasn't just a movie I loved, but one that would have substantial ripple effects on my life as a cinephile and critic. But I almost didn't see it. In fact, it sounded exactly like the kind of movie I was trying to avoid! Yet, I took a risk and saw it. And reaped the rewards for years to come. Since then, I've wondered: What allowed me to take a risk and see this movie? What can you do to make sure you don't miss your version of Oslo, August 31st? In the episode, I talk about how I came close to never seeing Oslo, August 31st and what it taught me about what you can do so that you don't miss your version of Oslo, August 31st. Happy watching/listening! Alex P.S. If you want to discover 12 great films per year that you might have otherwise missed in cinemas, the brand new Reel Ruminators: Explorer is for you! Doors are now open until Tuesday.
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Seventh Row
Seventh Row is a nonprofit Canadian film criticism publication and publishing house. We're dedicated to helping you expand your horizons by curating the best socially progressive films from around the world and helping you think deeply about them. This newsletter is run by Seventh Row (http://seventh-row.com) but features exclusive content not found on the website.
I have a theory that when you see a film that changes you — that makes you feel seen in a whole new way or reorganizes how you think — you remember where you were when it happened. You remember the cinema you saw it in (or the couch you were sitting on). You remember who you were with. When a film feels like a discovery, you remember the exact conditions that made it possible for you to even see that movie. Maybe most crucially, you remember where you were in life at that moment that made you...
On Tuesday, I’m offering The Short Take — a free, one-time-only live workshop I’ve run once before — but I’m not sure I’ll ever run it again. We’ll be watching a 22-minute fiction-documentary hybrid short from 2017— the year Britain marked the 50th anniversary of decriminalizing homosexuality. The BFI commissioned this film, along with several others, to look back on that history. The film is thought-provoking and layered — and invites you to really look at how queer history is told, and who...
I recently discovered a tiny pasta shop a few blocks from my apartment (aptly named Tiny Market), where every weekend, they offer a different fresh pasta for takeout. They sell out fast. And if you snooze, they may never bring that particular recipe back. So time and again, I've found myself trying out pastas that I never would have ordered at a restaurant. I'm still thinking about a pasta I took a chance on a month ago, and loved enough to go back for twice in three days. Now, they sell...