self-doubt and perseverance

His films like *Black Swan* and *The Wrestler* obsessively explore protagonists consumed by self-doubt yet driven by compulsive perseverance toward self-destruction and transcendence.

His humanistic narratives in *Like Father, Like Son* and *Shoplifters* gently examine characters questioning their worth and purpose while persistently striving to fulfill familial and moral duties.

Her films *The Rider* and *Nomadland* capture individuals struggling with identity and capability yet refusing to surrender their dignity and autonomy in the face of displacement and loss.