This segment goes out to those who want to learn more about owning their identity, but aren’t that much of a reader. Representing the school’s Media Studies, here are some of our top picks for films centred around ‘Owning Your Identity'.

The Edge of Seventeen

This film follows the main character, Nadine, as she struggles with her identity. It’s quirky, it’s sad and more importantly; it’s real. She is at the phase where many of my fellow seniors find themselves - perpetually stuck in the ‘in-between’. In-between childhood and adulthood, high school and university, imagination and impending reality. Eventually, she finds a way to navigate all of this and be herself.

Age Rating: 15+ due to coarse language, underage drinking and general impulsive / alarming behaviour.

Billy Elliot

Billy Elliot is a young boy living in a small, British mining community who dreams outside of the typical realms of masculinity. Instead of attending the boxing lessons his father has signed him up for, he learns ballet. Quickly, he becomes aware of his talent and the stigma around him, eventually auditioning for the Royal Ballet School of London. Throughout the film, Billy struggles with openly owning his identity and not allowing others to repress it. Truly a beautiful message.

Age Rating: 13+ due to coarse language. They’re British, it’s a lot of language.

Clueless

Looking past the film’s catchy dialogue and jaw-dropping costuming, Clueless offers a surprisingly insightful meaning. It openly discusses the effects of pushing your own identity onto others and re-evaluating yourself - for better or for worse.

Age Rating: 13+

The Breakfast Club

A classic film about five teens, all from different high school cliques, finding a sense of familiarity with each other. Slowly they see past each other’s surface levels and into their true identities, and discover they’re really not that different. If you don’t want to watch it because of the meaning, watch it anyway as it is a timeless cinematic classic and you can then appreciate the homages to it seen in many of today’s films.

Age Ranking: R due to innuendos, mature themes and mentions of violence.

The Hate U Give

The Hate U Give is a beautiful film that encapsulates the Black Lives Matter Movements’ very real and desperate quest for justice. In a world filled with fake allies, corrupt cops and a general sense of apathetic idleness, Starr Carter fights for her identity as a black woman to be understood, along with justice for her community.

Age Ranking: 14+ due to violence

Lion

Want to watch a film about identity and finding yourself? Well, Lion is just that, with a surprisingly literal take. The adopted main character, Saroo, attempts to find his birth mother and in doing so re-walks his traumatic childhood and identity in general. One of my personal favourite films and I believe that it can be yours too. Some friendly warnings - it's relatively long and WILL make you cry.

Age Ranking: 13+ due to a general sense of violence, and sensuality.

Lady Bird

Lady Bird, in her senior year of high school, attempts to fulfil all of the classic ‘tropes’ she has been hoping to experience. Unlike the other films suggested, Lady Bird never allows for her colourful identity to be shaken. While she experiences boy troubles, friend troubles, financial difficulties and a troubled relationship with her mother dead poets society\- she only becomes more and more herself.

Age Rating: R due to coarse language, nudity and underage drinking.

Dead Poets Society

Want to watch a film that will give you a good cry? I suggest Dead Poets Society. If I had to boil the film down to one word: bittersweet. It’s about a group of boys, who have grown up in an elitist, structured environment, liberating themselves. From there they push for the right to their own identity and irregular passions for literature and theatre.

Age Rating: 13+ due to triggering violence

Boy

Boy offers an especially interesting take on Identity as it is from a New Zealand perspective. It’s all about shattering this idea of hero-worship and emotional maturity. Boy, our main character, struggles with finding his identity after battling with appearance vs reality.

Age Rating: 15+ due to cursing, drug use and slapstick violence.

Spirited Away

This film follows a 10-year-old girl who must pay off her parent's gluttonous dept in the spirit world. Though the world is ruled by an autocratic witch, Hiragi is able to hold on to her identity and help others remember their own. It represents identity in a very literal sense. If this does not intrigue you, it is also crazy cinematic with beautifully animated landscapes and charming characters.

Age Rating: 10+ it’s a kids' movie!