#Idea 79 - How Movies Fail at Portraying Grief

"Filmmaking, like any other art, is a very profound means of human communication; beyond the professional pleasure of succeeding or the pain of failing, you do want your film to be seen, to communicate itself to other people." - Kenneth Lonergan

Today we watched Showing Realistic Grief - Manchester by the Sea and studied how writer-director Kenneth Lonergan uses cinematography and narration to portray what grief really looks like, without romanticising it for the sake of cinematic appeal.

When most movies choose to portray moments in intimate drama and close-ups of characters breaking down, Lonergan obscures dialogue with music, creates distance using slow motion, and disrupts a little escapade with humour.

One of the most astounding and brilliantly pulled elements of this film is the awkwardness - the awkwardness that emanates when someone tries to communicate grief beyond their capacity. It truly captures in essence how immensely difficult it is for people to connect on the unspeakable sufferings and silent battles they fight in the course of their lives.

Written by: Arya Kastwar

Curated by: Shweta Singh