What Did We Just Watch - Episode 1
Introduction + The Business of Making Movies

Content Considerations: 

This episode includes discussion of films and media narratives that touch on themes some listeners may find emotionally challenging depending on personal experiences and lived realities.

  • Topics discussed include:

    • Mental health and psychiatric systems

    • Trauma and adverse childhood experiences

    • Poverty and economic hardship

    • Family conflict and divorce

    • Foster care and child welfare systems

    • Social work and institutional involvement

    • Healthcare and reproductive health

    • Education systems and inequity

    • Race and racism

    • Representation and identity

    • Class and socioeconomic inequality

    • Gender roles and expectations

    • Power and institutional decision-making

    • Media influence and public perception

    • Adoption and conservatorship discussion

    • Cultural stereotypes and bias

    • Discussions of marginalization and exclusion

    • Brief discussion of film ratings, censorship, and access to media

  • This episode also references films that include themes of: (however, these topics are discussed analytically rather than depicted directly)

    • Violence

    • Addiction

    • Disability

    • Grief

    • Interpersonal conflict

  • Listeners are invited to engage with curiosity rather than certainty and to step away, pause, or revisit content in whatever way feels supportive and appropriate for you. 

Additional Resources:

  • Concepts to Explore:

    • Critical Media Literacy

    • Narrative Analysis

    • Critical Reflection

    • DEIPAR Framework

    • Representation in Film

    • Media and Social Work

  • Reflection Questions for movie watching:

    • Who gets centered?

    • Who changes?

    • Who gets forgiven?

    • What feels hopeful?

    • What feels uncomfortable?

    • What assumptions feel invisible?

  • Exercises:

    • Think about a beloved movie and ask: 

      • Who gets centered?

      • Who changes?

      • Who gets forgiven?

      • Who doesn’t?

      • Who gets to be complicated?

      • Who gets to be loved?

      • What feels hopeful?

      • What feels uncomfortable?

    • Watch a movie trailer and ask:

      • Who are they trying to appeal to? 

      • Who is centered in the trailer? 

  • Continue the Conversation:

    • Follow on social media

    • Watch clips on YouTube

    • Submit movie recommendations

    • Share your reflections