The 2019 Dionysus Awards

Sunday, February 17, 2019

What Is It

What movies of the past year challenged our assumptions and made us think about things in new ways? Josh and Ken talk to philosophers, film critics, and listeners as they present their sixth (mostly) annual Dionysus Awards for the most thoughtful films of the past year, including:

  • Least Superficial Superhero Movie
  • Best Thought Experiment in the Possibility of Racial Justice
  • Most Profound Existentialist Cowboy Movie

Transcript

Comments (1)


MER's picture

MER

Monday, February 18, 2019 -- 10:17 AM

I appreciated the discussion

I appreciated the discussion of several important movies from the past year. I disagree, however, with the somewhat disparaging comment about the ending of "Black Panther" -- paraphrasing, that setting up a community center was underwhelming. Respectfully, you might want to check your privilege as university-connected individuals. Community centers in poverty-worn neighborhoods provide multiple services, including after-school programs for youth and adult-education programs that bring some of the richness that visiting scholars and artists bring to college campuses. Kamala Harris cited her childhood visits to Rainbow Sign, a community center in Berkeley in the 1970s, as highly formative; Rainbow Sign hosted James Baldwin, Maya Angelou, and Nina Simone, among others. Like maintaining or rebuilding infrastructure, creating community centers doesn't sound sexy or earth-shaking, but the safety and advantages they bring have far-reaching impacts. Perhaps you would consider a show exploring the topic of the basic underpinnings of a good life: clean water, safe home, and a sense of connection to the larger community -- and how our society might achieve that for people living in neighborhoods experiencing entrenched poverty.