The Vault
Past Screenings & Discussions
Archived
Where The Crawdads Sing
JUN 20, 2026
4:00 PM
Kayla Huemer"Nature’s Law vs. Human Justice"
Isolation vs. Human ConnectionSurvival and NecessityThe Healing Power of NaturePrejudice and Social ClassThe Morality of the Wild
Archived
Moonlight
JUN 13, 2026
3:00 PM
Kayla Huemer"The Armor of Masculinity"
Identity and Self-DiscoveryTrauma and IsolationThe Search for Chosen FamilyIntimacy and ForgivenessBlack Masculinity and Homosexuality
Archived
A Bronx Tale
JUN 6, 2026
3:00 PM
Kayla Huemer"The Tragedy of "Wasted Talent""
Conflicting Father Figures & Role ModelsLove vs. FearThe Pain of Wasted TalentRacial Tension & TribalismDefining Your Own Identity
Archived
GodFather
MAY 30, 2026
7:42 AM
Kayla Huemer"Family & Power"
Family vs. CriminalityPower and MoralityRespect vs. LegitimacyMotifs and SymbolismThe American Dream
Archived
Ex Machina
APR 26, 2023
4:00 PM
Adam"What consciousness is, why it matters, and whether AI can have a form of consciousness"
Defining HumanityData and SurveillancePlaying GodPower DynamicsHuman FlawsObjectificationAutonomy
Archived
Amélie
APR 12, 2023
4:00 PM
Juliana Almeida"The film's atypical success, French romanticism and love languages, and the power of its soundtrack and cinematography"
Isolation and LonelinessJoy in the OrdinaryAltruism and ConnectionNostalgia and Fantasy
Archived
Everything Everywhere All at Once
MAR 20, 2023
4:00 PM
Muki"Breaking the cycle of intergenerational trauma, and representation in media"
Nihilism vs. AbsurdismFamily and Generational TraumaThe Immigrant ExperienceFinding Meaning in the Small Things
Archived
Badlands
MAR 6, 2023
4:00 PM
Ludovica (Ludo)" The road movie genre, the inevitability and randomness of life (free will), the director's relationship to nature, and the film's photography"
Romanticization vs. RealityThe Banality of ViolenceExistential Alienation and "MeannessYouth, Authority, and Rebellion
Archived
Grave of Fireflies
FEB 22, 2023
4:00 PM
Amud"An introduction to anime and manga, exploring media beyond the English canon, and the film's anti-aggression narrative"
The Devastating Cost of War on CiviliansThe Fragility of InnocencePride Versus SurvivalApathy and the Breakdown of CommunityThe Symbolism of Fireflies:
Archived
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
FEB 8, 2023
4:00 PM
Alex D"The film's soundtrack and how its composer went on to influence hip-hop"
Memory and IdentityThe Illusion of a Clean SlateThe Imperfect Nature of LoveAccepting Fate and RepetitionThe Necessity of Pain
Archived
Nairobi Half Life
JAN 25, 2023
4:00 PM
Jasmine Baier" Identity and inequality: how inequality is perpetuated in society, with reflections from friends who grew up in Nairobi"
Crime and SurvivalThe Duality of LifeSystemic CorruptionIdentity and AmbitionClass Disparity
Archived
The Whale Rider
JAN 11, 2023
4:00 PM
Caitlin" Cultural and historical context of the Maori community of Whangara, the speaker's hometown"
Humans and Nature Maori Identity Gender and Power Familial Love
Archived
Jurassic Park
NOV 28, 2022
6:00 PM
Kristina Pape"The film's risk mitigation strategies gone wrong, its feminist themes, and 10 fun facts about its dinosaurs"
Intellectual parity"Woman inherits the earth"Action and pragmatismEngineered containmentSubverting control