Alain de Botton
A journalist (Liane Balaban) meets “Man of Today” (Paul Ahmarani) who, while a responsible citizen, is disengaged from greater society. He believes once he’s dead nothing more matters. As an experiment to see if she can turn his pessimistic view around, the journalist sends him on a journey of enlightenment to prove that the future does matter. Travelling the globe, he finds himself in surprising encounters with great minds in the arts and sciences. Starting with an unexpected poetry reading and conversation with experimental poet Christian Bök, Man of Today engages with architect Shigeru Ban, activist Francis Dupuis-Déri, philosopher Alain de Botton, artist Marlene Dumas, novelist Rivka Galchen, leading scientists and a ghost. Will the journalist succeed in turning a cynic into an optimist? Will it matter? What can one person do?
My Last Five Girlfriends traces the romantic journey of thirtysomething bachelor Duncan. As the film opens, the despondent Duncan is apparently preparing to take his own life, but not before taking the time to send a message to the last five women he dated. Taking the form of a whirlwind tour through Duncan World, the film is a comedic exploration of his failed relationships.
Social status in a capitalistic society is a major factor in how people live their lives. This social status greatly revolves around a person’s financial status. This film examines how the quest to move up the social ladder has brought untold depression and anxieties about ones self.
Alain de Botton's psychobabble-free self-help course for the philosophically minded.
