kindred

‘Words of War’ courageously exposes a terrible truth

As much as one would like to believe that humanity is capable of great things, we’ve also seen many instances where the opposite, unfortunately, is true. And, to make matters worse, many of those unsettling developments remain out of view, hidden in the shadows – that is, until someone comes along to courageously expose them. Those revelations often come at tremendous personal cost, too, but, when the world becomes aware of such horrors, opportunities for change, justice and healing begin to emerge. Such are the hopes offered up the gripping new fact-based historical drama, “Words of War.”

Brent Marchant2025-09-27T18:55:38-05:00August 6th, 2025|Biography, Conscious Creation, Drama, Movie Reviews|

‘The Room Next Door’ probes the fundamental right to choose

Choice is arguably the most precious personal resource that we possess. It makes so much possible, and it provides us with so many opportunities to seek the fulfillment of what we hold most dear. Because of that, however, there may well be times when what we choose to embrace and invoke won’t be agreeable to others. But, then, the choices in question are ours and fundamentally not subject to the approval of others, save for cases where their well-being might be placed in jeopardy. That even includes choices involving the direction that our own personal fate ultimately takes, again, no matter what others may have to say about it. Such is the question that’s called for a terminally ill woman in making her decision on whether or not to willfully continue her existence.

Brent Marchant2025-05-23T20:56:15-05:00March 21st, 2025|Conscious Creation, Drama, Movie Reviews|

‘The Old Oak’ searches for common ground

Getting along with others sometimes isn’t easy, even under the best of circumstances. Differences – of almost any kind – can become obstacles that impede communications and understanding, potentially making relations between individuals and groups problematic or even impossible. But conditions need not remain that way if we make an effort to get past them, an undertaking that generally calls for finding common ground and seeking solidarity.

Brent Marchant2024-07-07T01:29:11-05:00June 12th, 2024|Conscious Creation, Drama, Foreign, Movie Reviews|

‘Concerned Citizen’ urges us to seriously consider our social values

Do we always believe what we think we believe? That’s a good question, especially when we consider all of the implications involved. It certainly affects who we are, how we see ourselves and how we live our lives. But the ramifications carry wider considerations, too, such as our social values and how authentically we live up to them.

Brent Marchant2023-11-05T05:04:52-05:00September 10th, 2023|Comedy, Conscious Creation, Drama, Foreign, LGBTQ+, Movie Reviews, Romance|

‘El Houb’ fights for recognition and acceptance

Imagine being forced to live your life completely on others’ terms, never doing what you want, no matter how strong your desire. Sounds pretty dismal, right? Yet, for those in certain communities, that kind of coercion can be an everyday circumstance. The isolation can be positively crushing, removed from what suits you and being forced to pursue your dreams in secret, if at all, for fear of the repercussions. And, in the meantime, you’re likely to find yourself behaving in uncomfortable, unnatural ways, tantamount to living a lie.

Brent Marchant2023-08-02T00:26:14-05:00June 21st, 2023|Conscious Creation, Drama, Foreign, LGBTQ+, Movie Reviews|

‘Broker’ asks, ‘What makes a family?’

When we think of the concept of “family,” we most often consider it as something made up of those with whom we’re developed our closest bonds. This has traditionally been built on a basis of biology, but, over time, we’ve seen that change. And, in some cases, it’s become something that may arise as a result of unexpected circumstances, sometimes exceedingly unfathomable ones.

Brent Marchant2023-02-15T10:42:11-05:00January 22nd, 2023|Comedy, Conscious Creation, Drama, Foreign, Movie Reviews|

‘Skál’ celebrates the virtues of personal freedom

Where would we be without personal freedom? The prospect is rather daunting, especially once we consider what we’d lose. Its absence can prove particularly detrimental during certain times in our lives, such as adolescence and young adulthood, when we’re just beginning to grasp the possibilities that the world can offer us.

Brent Marchant2022-02-25T00:39:31-05:00January 25th, 2022|Conscious Creation, Documentary, Foreign, Movie Reviews|

‘Swan Song’ spotlights the power of choice

All too often, we’re faced with difficult situations that pose us with perplexing choices. Evaluating the options can be dizzying, leaving us feeling as though we can’t decide. Because of this, we may often default to what appears to be the most expedient choice, a move that frequently gives us an easy out – “I didn’t have any choice in the matter” – in case things don’t unfold as planned. In the alternative, we may remain indecisive, leaving us with no viable solution to the issue at hand. But those fallbacks are innately insufficient,

Brent Marchant2022-01-25T14:21:44-05:00January 2nd, 2022|Conscious Creation, Drama, Movie Reviews, Sci-Fi|

‘Spencer’ examines the life of a woman in transition

Removing oneself from a difficult situation can be a challenging task. Numerous impediments can infringe on the process, not only making it difficult to execute, but even to launch. That prospect can be exacerbated even further for those in the public eye, their words and deeds scrutinized in virtually every detail.

Brent Marchant2022-01-02T05:31:35-05:00November 22nd, 2021|Biography, Conscious Creation, Drama, Movie Reviews|

‘The Loneliest Whale’ pleads the case for connection

Imagine having something to say, but no one is able to understand you. With no active dialogue or meaningful feedback involved, the “conversation” soon turns one-sided. And, if no responses are forthcoming any time soon, loneliness and sadness are bound to set in. The feeling of isolation this creates could easily become overwhelming. It’s a truly disheartening situation. But, in this case, this scenario isn’t describing something that one of us is experiencing; it’s an account of what might very well be happening to one of our fellows in the animal kingdom,

Brent Marchant2021-10-16T01:10:36-05:00September 14th, 2021|Conscious Creation, Documentary, Movie Reviews|