Tracing the thread…
His films obsessively chronicle protagonists driven to prove their value through grueling self-destruction and perfectionism, from ballet to bodybuilding.
Abbas Kiarostami IranHe explores how ordinary people navigate systems demanding they prove their worth through subtle acts of dignity, conscience, and redemption.
Chloé Zhao China/USAHer films examine individuals struggling to maintain dignity and prove their significance in economies and societies that have deemed them disposable.