Jung and Film Online | May December

You are warmly invited to attend our next film evening on Friday 26 April: May December (run time: 1h 53m). May December (2023), directed by Todd Haynes, is loosely based on the tabloid much-publicized case of Mary Kay Letourneau, the Seattle-area teacher who, aged 34 in 1996, seduced her 12-year-old student, Vili Fualaau.

Gracie (portrayed chillingly in a magnificent performance by Julianne Moore) and Joe (played with subtle restraint by Charles Melton) appear to have a beautiful marriage and family that seems on the surface to be almost “picture perfect”. However, with the arrival of a respected Juilliard-educated actor Elizabeth Berry (portrayed passionately by Natalie Portman) who will play Gracie in a sensitive independent movie about Gracie’s life, cracks soon appear that develop into fissures and eruptions. The title of the film, May December, is a metaphor for the age-discordant relationship between Joe and Gracie.

What unfolds is a slow stripping away of deceptions, distortions, and pretences. The complexity of sexual attraction, love, and human relationships are explored. The flawed fragile core identities of all the characters are exposed. Boundaries become blurred and then blatantly transgressed. One reviewer noted that, “There’s a slippery quality to this creation, with its zaps of humour and gradual sadness, that defies easy classification.” (https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/dec/06/may-december-movie-natalie-portman-julianne-moore)

Online Participation Format
Presenters: John Gosling, Renee Ramsden and Grace Reid
Venue: Zoom Online Facility. We will be screening the film online on the evening.
Time: Friday evening, 26th of April at 18:00 for 18:30
Fee: 150 ZAR per film evening. Notes will be provided as usual. Booking essential.
Please note that bookings and payments are now via the website only.
The Zoom link will be distributed on the day of the event.

Zoom: You need to download Zoom prior to this meeting – you simply download the free Zoom App onto your computer or mobile device.

These evenings are open to all interested members of the public and clinicians. CPD points are no longer available for these events. We hope to see you on Zoom, and look forward to continuing our stimulating film discussions.

Please join our mailing list or email us on saaja@mweb.co.za for further details and updates.

Library: everyone is invited to visit our website, where you can access our library online. In addition, the library is now open Tuesdays 10:00-14:00 and Thursdays 14:00-19:00. For more information on this, contact Debra at SAAJA Library; saajalibrary@outlook.com We hope to see you on Zoom, and look forward to continuing our stimulating film discussions.

View the 2024 Jung & Film line-up here.