Recommended Viewing

We asked some of our recent SEED CLUB members if they could recommend something to watch that could help nurture new ideas and perspectives. Their selections reflect a range of themes – from the dark undercurrents of power dynamics and political mythology to the beauty of raw, messy human choices and the value of imperfection in creativity. The list is diverse, yet all of these picks share a common thread: the importance of embracing flaws, challenging traditional narratives and exploring what it means to truly create and connect.

Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell

Recommended by Matt Prebeg

I can’t get enough of Kurzgesagt on YouTube – they make “animated videos explaining things with optimistic nihilism.” Every video is so polished and entertaining. A lot of our narratives about technology, the internet and the modern human condition are overly negative and catastrophic. That’s not to say there aren’t things we can improve – but looking at our progress and our future optimistically is important. We’re planting seeds, and we have to hope they can grow :~)

Mussolini: Son of the Century

Recommended by Valentina Lunardi

A magnificently disturbing eight-part series that chronicles the birth of fascism in Italy and Benito Mussolini’s rise to power. The compelling portrayal by lead actor Luca Marinelli strips away the mythology of the “strong man” archetype, drawing eerie parallels with today’s bro culture. It’s mind-blowing how the show dismantles the legend of Mussolini, offering a raw look at the real man behind the bombastic speeches. Watching it feels like observing a historical train wreck – you can’t look away, and you can’t help but think, “Damn, we’re still falling for this stuff, aren’t we?”

Motel Destino

Recommended by Valentina Lunardi

A tropical noir set in a roadside love hotel, where two lost souls navigate a purgatory that takes physical shape in the form of the hotel itself. Filmed in the northeastern Brazilian state of Ceará, the story revolves around a love triangle that delves deep into power dynamics. What sets this apart is the female protagonist’s fight for independence from her controlling partner – not through some sappy journey of self-discovery, but by making raw, messy choices that feel truly human.

Eloge de la Rature

Recommended by Arnaud Faure

Eloge de la Rature is a French documentary exploring the concept of erasure and its cultural, psychological and creative value. Literature – or as they say in the documentary “Lis tes ratures”, meaning read your erasures – is inseparable from the process of making mistakes and exploring dead-ends. The film features archivists, authors and teachers discussing how these so-called mistakes are essential to learning, creating and sharing knowledge. For me, this documentary is especially relevant today because it raises the question of what will become of mistakes, drafts and erasures in an era dominated by AI-generated text and automated proofreading. By speeding through the creative process, are we bypassing its most fundamental aspect? Whether planned or unplanned, mistakes push us to examine what we do – and what others are doing – more closely. In a world of artificial perfection and bland excellence, these imperfections might just become the most striking and attention-grabbing elements.

ARIatHOME

Recommended by Elizaveta Federmesser

I recently discovered the livestreams from Ari at Home. Maybe I’m late to the party, but they instantly made me want to sing, dance and just enjoy life. Livestreams can often feel like extended podcasts, but not this one. Watching people try new things, fail and then try again – all while having a blast – was honestly reassuring. This is the perfect example of “cringe = sublime” content. At first, it might seem dorky or awkward, and you wonder if they’re going to embarrass themselves, but in the end, you realise you’re witnessing something that might just turn out to be pure genius. So, give cringe a chance – it’s sublime!

Feeding Starving Celebrities

Recommended by Gaby Carruthers

The best YouTube video I’ve watched recently was the Lil Yachty episode of Feeding Starving Celebrities with Quenlin Blackwell. It’s an interview show where the interviewer and celebrity cook together, subverting the traditional talk show format – similar to Chicken Shop Date and Hot Ones. We’ve been seeing this growing trend towards non-traditional media like YouTubers and Streamers, exemplified by the White House recently welcoming non-traditional media into the briefing room.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Recommended by Gemma Jones

I recently rewatched Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and the suspense and tension surrounding the unseen (or perhaps the unproduceable?) really stand out. To me, it’s a story about learning to love or tolerate the “other”. The aliens aren’t really friends or foes – they’re just... weird. And that’s what makes them cool.

The Last Dance

Recommended by Saraí Gutiérrez-Bailón

I am absolutely loving The Last Dance on Netflix. It’s a docuseries about the rise of the Chicago Bulls in the mid-to-late 1990s, when they won multiple championships back to back. What I love about it is that, instead of focusing on just one champion and their methods, it delves into the coach, the team members and the challenges they all face together. In a time when much of the media focuses on individualistic approaches to success, this series has helped me establish a more collectivist mindset, as the players constantly emphasise that they only win as a unit.

Scavengers Reign

Recommended by Pedro Parrachia

I highly recommend Scavengers Reign – I found it refreshingly alien in these trying times of stochastic parrots and endless revivals.

B DOT VS TH3 SAGA

Recommended by Jae Lubberink

My must watch tip is B Dot vs Th3 Saga by URL and Ruin Your Day. Although it’s a battle from the COVID era, it was only recently released on YouTube. I’m recommending this because I want to highlight an underappreciated art form at its highest caliber. I truly believe battle rap is one of the last remaining disciplines where you can witness modern mastery of lyricism. It’s also one of the few art forms that hasn’t been oversaturated with monotony or commercial exploitation. Writing and rapping at this level is pure fine art.