THEME EXPLORATION

aspirations vs reality

35 films · 3 directors

Tracing the thread…

FILMS THAT EXPLORE THIS
The Matrix
The Matrix
1999 · Lana Wachowski & Lilly Wachowski
Avalon
Avalon
2001 · Mamoru Oshii
Immersion
Immersion
2023 · Takashi Shimizu
The Act of Killing
The Act of Killing
2012 · Joshua Oppenheimer
Primary Colors
Primary Colors
1998 · Mike Nichols
Close-Up
Close-Up
1990 · Abbas Kiarostami
El espiritu de la colmena
El espiritu de la colmena
1973 · Victor Erice
Time Out of Mind
Time Out of Mind
1947 · Robert Siodmak
Alice
Alice
1988 · Jan Švankmajer
Barbie
Barbie
2023 · Greta Gerwig
Distant
Distant
2002 · Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Altered States
Altered States
1980 · Ken Russell
Blue
Blue
2018 · Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Pan's Labyrinth
Pan's Labyrinth
2006 · Guillermo del Toro
The World
The World
2004 · Jia Zhangke & Wang Xiaoshuai
Guru
Guru
2026 · Yann Gozlan
Now You See Me: Now You Don't
Now You See Me: Now You Don't
2026 · Ruben Fleischer
Parallel Tales
Parallel Tales
2026 · Asghar Farhadi
Stray Kids: The dominATE Experience
Stray Kids: The dominATE Experience
2026 · Paul Dugdale
The Devil's Bride
The Devil's Bride
2026 · Azhar Kinoi Lubis
Blow-Up
Blow-Up
1966 · Michelangelo Antonioni
Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk
Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk
2016 · Ang Lee
Castaway
Castaway
1986 · Nicolas Roeg
Francisco Perales, Luis García Berlanga , Madrid, Cátedra
Francisco Perales, Luis García Berlanga , Madrid, Cátedra
1997 · Luis García Berlanga
Le voci di dentro
Le voci di dentro
2014 · Paolo Sorrentino
O Lucky Man!
O Lucky Man!
1973 · Lindsay Anderson
Riten
Riten
1969 · Ingmar Bergman
The Truman Show
The Truman Show
1998 · Peter Weir
53 Wars
53 Wars
2018 · Ewa Bukowska
Fucking Bornholm
Fucking Bornholm
2022 · Anna Kazejak
Pause
Pause
2018 · Tonia Mishiali
Red Rooms
Red Rooms
2023 · Pascal Plante
Valerie a týden divů|Valerie and Her Week of Wonders
Valerie a týden divů|Valerie and Her Week of Wonders
1970 · Jaromil Jireš
A Tank on My Bed
A Tank on My Bed
1975 · Yannis Dalianidis
Cloak & Dagger
Cloak & Dagger
1984 · Richard Franklin
DIRECTORS WHO EXPLORE THIS
Damien Chazelle United States

His films like *La La Land* and *Whiplash* directly explore the collision between artistic dreams and the brutal realities of achieving them.

 Hirokazu Koreeda Japan

His work consistently examines how ordinary people navigate the gap between their hopes and what life actually offers them, with profound humanity.

 Paolo Sorrentino Italy

His films like *The Great Beauty* and *Youth* dissect the disappointment and disillusionment that comes when reality fails to match youthful ambitions.