How Art Inspires Learning & Where Does Poop Go?
Apparently, I didn’t learn anything in history class. Or maybe I just wasn’t paying attention. My curiosity was rarely sparked when information was being communicated at me. But if you tell me a story, then I’m in.
Film and television have always adapted events from history into compelling narratives with memorable characters. While these pieces of art are seldomly 100% accurate, they at least present history(ish) into entertainment we can grasp more easily than an AP History lecture.
This year, my television viewing has consisted mainly of these fictional representations of the past. In turn, they have piqued my interest in history and how we can best prepare for the future if we learn the right lessons.
Here’s my current list of shows that have got me Googling to learn more about the places, times and people depicted in serialized form:
Hiroyuki Sanada won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for playing Yoshii Toranaga in FX's Shōgun.
Pachinko (2022 - ) on AppleTV+: Based off the novel of the same name by Min Jin Lee, Pachinko follows four generations of a Korean family, starting from 1915 to 1989. In addition to spanning multiple generations, the narrative bouncing back and forth between them, the show is also in three languages simultaneously; Korean, Japanese and English. With the colorization of subtitles in those specific languages, you can visibly see how Korean and Japanese mix together to showcase how the languages are used among different characters. Having very little knowledge of Asian history, I only vaguely knew of Japan invading Korea at some point in time. Pachinko tells a powerful story highlighting the hardships many Koreans faced under Japanese occupation, and their struggle to assimilate into Japanese society after emigrating from their homeland to the powerful island nation. It is a beautiful and heartbreaking series that looks absolutely gorgeous with stellar performances from the entire cast.
Vikings (2013-2020) on History Channel: I probably have a little viking blood in me, but I do not know nearly enough about the Viking Age that ran from 800-1050 CE. I mean, I even had to look that up. I knew they sailed clear across the Atlantic, raiding, colonizing or exploring portions of the UK, Iceland, Greenland and even the North American mainland. With Vikings, I’m learning about their culture, their traditions and their politics featuring the main character of Ragnar Loðbrok. Ragnar was a real person, but the events of his life are largely debated among scholars. But it’s those kinds of things that make for great stories, right? Vikings is currently streaming on Netflix.
Dark Winds (2022 - ) on AMC: What got me curious about Dark Winds was the actor Zahn McClarnon, pictured above on the right. I’ve loved him in everything he’s been in; Westworld, Longmire, Reservation Dogs - the list goes on. He’s a great actor with a ton of range, and with me being a sucker for detective and crime procedurals, the combination was difficult to resist. Dark Winds is a thriller that sprinkles in elements of the psychological and the supernatural surrounding a Navajo Police force in the American Southwest. Based on the Leaphorn & Chee novel series by Tony Hillerman, one absolutely brutal and devastating fact I learned watching this show was that a horrible 1970 US law led to the mass sterilization of Native American women. An important reminder for us to learn as much about the past so we are not doomed to repeat it.
Shōgun (2024 - ) on FX: One of the hottest shows on right now, having just won 18 Primetime Emmys including Outstanding Drama Series, Shōgun is gripping, complex and stunning to watch. Taking place in the year 1600, the show - based off James Clavell’s 1975 novel of the same name - focuses on the shogunate period in Japanese history; a time when military leaders, or shoguns, became de-facto dictators because of their vast amount of control. Our introduction to this world is through the fictional English sailor James Blackthorne, so while Shōgun is both a political and war drama, it is also a fish-out-of-water tale about redefining one’s self. And it stars Anna Sawai (another Emmy winner) who also happens to be in Pachinko!
Ever Wonder Where Your Poop Goes?
Okay, maybe you don’t. But(t) I got a chance to find out last week filming with STEMedia for their streaming show Building Stuff with NOVA in partnership with PBS.
Dr. Nehemiah Mabry took a tour of a Water Resource Reclamation Facility with N.C. State biotechnologist Dr. Francis Lajara de los Reyes in order to find out how human bio-waste gets cleaned out of water to make it safe enough to reintroduce back into the natural water supply. There was cleaning, scrubbing, UV-light treatment and much more featured on this tour, including how dirty water is tested for potential biohazards. Here are a few stills from what I captured, and don’t worry, I cleaned these images too.
You can check out the full episode of Building Stuff with NOVA here.
Shot on my Lumix S5 with an S Series PRO 16-35mm F4.
What I Watched This Week
After Yang (2021): Continuing our Nut House theme of “Sci-fi September” for Movie Mondays, we watched a subdued but impactful meditation on mortality, humanity and memory. Sweet and melancholy, After Yang tells the story of a family struggling with grief after their beloved synthetic gets damaged. It’s absolutely beautiful and the score really brings everything together. After Yang is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.
From left to right, Colin Farrell (Jake), Jodie Turner-Smith (Kyra), Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja (Mika), Justin H. Min (Yang)
Parallel Mothers (2021): Rounding out Night School Bar’s course, “Mothering Pedro Almodóvar,” we watched his latest feature film starring Penélope Cruz and Milena Smit. Our discussion after the screening was lively and informative as Parallel Mothers dealt a lot with Spanish history unknown to myself (see! more learning about history!). There’s also a fair amount of family drama that, in my opinion, struggles to balance with the rest of the film. But for a movie written in three months and shot in six weeks during the Covid-19 outbreak, I was still impressed! The movie is currently available to rent online.
Milena Smit (left) and Penélope Cruz (right) sit in tension during a turning point in the film.
Inside Out 2 (2024): My therapist said I should see this movie. She was right. In a sequel I didn’t know I needed, Inside Out 2 introduces new emotions for the original film’s protagonist, Riley, as puberty hits. Those emotions? Anxiety, envy, embarrassment and ennui. Inside Out 2 is a film about sense-of-self and all the many, contradictory things that go into that. The key is to embrace all the emotions and thoughts you have in balance so as to not become overwhelmed. And even if that ominous feeling takes hold, ask for help from the ones you love and trust. I weeped a bit. This movie is currently streaming on Disney+ as well as still showing in some theaters.
What happens when Joy meets Anxiety? Buckle up.
The Substance (2024): This year’s contender for best horror film is buzzing all around social media right now. And the hype is valid. Winning the award for Best Screenplay at this past year’s Cannes Film Festival, where The Substance received a 13-minute standing ovation, this film is a brilliant, body-horror satire featuring unbelievable performances, fantastically grotesque special effects, captivating cinematography and nausea-induced sound design (that’s actually a compliment). Plainly, it’s gross, but, like, in the best way possible? Avoid it at all costs if you’re squeamish, but if not, head to a theater near you! After its theatrical run, The Substance will be exclusively streaming on Mubi.
Demi Moore plays an aging starlet whose current career as a fitness video instructor is under threat.
Wolfs (2024): George Clooney and Brad Pitt are a team again in this Apple original dark comedy. Each playing two clean-up men forcibly assigned to work together to “take care” of a dead body in a district attorney’s hotel room, it’s got some great chase scenes, clever and funny dialog and solid momentum. Wolfs definitely calls back to the pair’s earlier Ocean’s films. The movie is currently streaming on AppleTV+.
They still got it.
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Watch some stuff and learn something!
