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A Bigger World

A Bigger World

2019

Director

Fabienne Berthaud

Runtime

99 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

Synopsis

In an attempt to move on from the death of Paul, the love of her life, Korine leaves Paris to undertake a project in Mongolia. But after meeting the shaman, Oyun, her trip takes a different direction. Korine has a rare gift that Oyun intends to unveil. She agrees to initiate herself in the practice of Shamanism, leading her to discover an ancient and forgotten culture, but most importantly herself.

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Diversity & Representation

Overall Score

7.0/10

Good


Category Breakdown

LGBTQ+ Representation

Fair

The story is driven by the protagonist's grief over the death of her partner, Paul. While this highlights deep emotional bonds, the film lacks explicit depictions of non-heteronormative identities.

Gender Representation

Good

The film centers on female agency and spiritual autonomy. By positioning a female shaman as the primary guide, the narrative subverts traditional male-mentor tropes and disrupts standard gender hierarchies.

Racial & Ethnic Diversity

Good

The film provides an immersive look at Mongolian culture rather than a tourist's perspective. It grants significant agency to local characters, presenting non-Anglo-Saxon spiritual authority as central to the plot.

Religious & Cultural Diversity

Excellent

The narrative deconstructs Western secularism by prioritizing indigenous Shamanism. It challenges Western materialist lifestyles by embracing ancient, communal, and spiritual frameworks over modern individualist structures.

Disability Representation

Minimal

There is no evidence of physical or neurodivergent disability representation within the film's narrative.

Strengths

  • Strong subversion of traditional gender hierarchies through female spiritual leadership.
  • Immersive and respectful portrayal of Mongolian indigenous culture and Shamanism.
  • Effective deconstruction of Western individualist and secularist perspectives.

Areas for Improvement

  • Lack of explicit representation regarding non-heteronormative identities.
  • Absence of visible representation for physical or neurodivergent disabilities.

AI Analysis

A Bigger World succeeds as a sophisticated exploration of cultural displacement. It effectively disrupts Western-centric storytelling by placing indigenous knowledge and female spiritual leadership at the heart of the protagonist's transformation. The film moves beyond simple travelogue tropes, instead using the collision of Western psychological frameworks and Mongolian spiritual traditions to drive character growth. This creates a meaningful dialogue between different worldviews. While the film excels in cultural and gendered agency, it remains focused on a specific spiritual journey that does not explicitly address broader identity politics or disability.

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