The Culturist Film Club - Online: The Assistant (May 7)
For the month of May, the film club will focus on films related to multifaceted themes of work and labour.
Kitty Green’s The Assistant premiered last August at the Telluride Film Festival. I watched it in February at Berlinale and was one of my favourite films from the festival and of the year so far.
A thriller, and to an extent, a horror film of the #MeToo era, about abuse of power in the work place.
How to watch: Available on iTunes Middle East (48hrs rent costs AED 19.99) and on iTunes and other streaming platforms in other countries.
Online film club discussion date: Thursday, May 7 at 9.00pm (UAE / GST)
Register: Send an email with the subject line RSVP THE ASSISTANT to hind.mezaina@gmail.com by May 7, 2.00pm (UAE / GST).
Discussion format: Group session on Zoom. I will send a link after receiving your registration.
The Assistant
Director: Kitty Green
USA, 2019, English, 87 min
A young woman with a bright future ahead (Emmy Award-winner Julia Garner) is the assistant to a powerful mogul. Over the course of a day, she is belittled by her male peers, roped into her boss’ marriage, forced to babysit his children, finds a mysterious earring in his office, and must accompany the latest hire, a pretty young waitress, to a luxurious hotel. She just wants to do her job, but at what cost?
The story behind the stories.
About The Culturist Film Club:
The Culturist Film Club is something I started on April 19, an online activity where participants have a few days to watch a film I suggest, and then we meet online to discuss on a specific date.
My film programming for Louvre Abu Dhabi is currently on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic, and I so I thought I’d give this a try. There are countless film viewing parties online right now, and I wanted to do something different by suggesting a film you can watch at your own pace and time, and then have a few of us get together online to talk about it.