Sophia Takal – Flip Screen

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Mike (Mark Duplass) and Hannah (Greta Gerwig) as they're next to each other. Captured from the waist up, Mike is wearing casual clothing, including a dark marine t-shirt, while Hannah is wearing a green triangle bikini halterneck top. Mike is lightly leaning towards Hannah, while Hannah's hands are resting casually on her stomach. They're both looking deeply into each other's eyes. Hannah is wearing a pair of coloured (pink and black with white straps) swimming goggles over her eyes and nose, and Mike is wearing a similar pair (in light neon green with transparent straps) on top of his forehead.

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To celebrate Joe Swanberg’s 40th birthday, we look back at his career to discuss the fearless and original ways he explores intimacy, communication, and the general strengths and weaknesses of human behaviour.

Image is from the film 'Always Shine' (2016). The film still shows Anna, now performing as Beth, in the middle of the frame. She’s looking right into the camera with her head tilted to one side, almost like she knows viewers are watching her performance. She’s biting on her thumb, reminiscent of an innocent child as she’s trying to mimic the body language of Beth. She looks nervous and timid. Anna is wearing Beth’s button-up romper suit with a flower pattern, with a light brown belt in the waist. In the background is a long desk visible – filled with miscellaneous objects including a globe and a cowboy hat all in a row – along with a big window showing the green nature of Big Sur.

Five Years Later: Sophia Takal’s ‘Always Shine’ (2016) and the Horror of Being Trapped in Performance

While film history contains many portrayals of backstabbing women on the verge of a breakdown, Always Shine offers the idea that the terrifying thing isn’t women themselves but rather the limiting roles society provides for them (along with the disastrous results they lead to).