We Are Who We Are

Only one episode in and I know We Are Who We Are will be a classic for years to come. With stunning cinematography and a score from Dev Haynes (or Blood Orange as many may know him), so far Jack Dylan Grazer shines as Fraser in an ethereally beautiful, Italian-set, indie slow burn. Classy, stunning and poinant. Coming-of-age has never been so raw and sultry.

I watched the first episode and it made me cry. I love it. I learned something from it; about young people that are arriving to the world. And what I learned about them is making me hopeful. It also made me aware of my own age in a different more positive way. In a good way. I feel that I am not only starting to understand and love youth of today, but I am also starting to understand my own perspective, relation to them. I am old enough that they are not reminding me of my own young age so I am free from nostalgia. That feels good. I don't desire to be like them. I can not be. They are radically different and that difference is something unique that I can grasp and admire without feeling regret about it. I was never like them so I am free from bitterness and resentment about lost opportunity. That's truly liberating. I am starting to understand that youth never repeat itself. The way I was young 40 years ago has nothing to do with a way they are young today. And yet, as I am starting to grasp this difference across the generations I am also starting to understand value of where I am standing right now in my own life. Because although my youth is in the past, I am still alive. And as much as they are unique and precious in their age of becoming, I am also unique and precious in mine. No need for comparison, regret and for nostalgia. It is exactly in this unreconcilable difference between us where we can meet and learn from each other. Help one another. After all Luca Guadagino is around my age, and the way he can look at youth of today is exactly speaking about all this. I am grateful for his gaze. It help me see the truth of generations myself. It help me learn to live my life just a bit better. Maybe that's the beginning of some kind of wisdom that belong to my age. I hope it is.

And concerning supposed inaccuracy in the representation of the American army base. This is, luckily, not a documentary TV show about a life in US military base. And beside that, even if it would be, those who claim that they know it better, are misunderstanding the nature of artistic insight into the truth of a place. One can spend all of one's life in such an establishment and yet still not really know it. Accuracy of description is not guaranteeing depth of an insight. On the contrary, such an accuracy usually lead to some form of unwilling reiteration of common wisdom - pure propaganda. Because everything that is grasped on the surface is always already constructed by prefabricated social conventions. To go under it, means to brake rules of representation. That's how art is made.

Most tourists only see the Grand Canal, so great to see other parts of that Northern Laguna, passed so quickly from Venice airport to the Old City. Fraser, the adolescent is definitely a complete paradox of a young man, but it's great to see such complex character-molding, with so candid treatment of alternate sexuality and the way the community embraces it - or otherwise. The rest of the Screen-Making community could learn a thing or two from this candid filmography, literally by letting scenes "roll", showing things as they are, as opposed to what the directors want them to be. The guys in this are certainly coquettish, but that's because normal guys, in real life DO act in this manner. Objectified? - huh! Now just don't go and spoil things, HBO - since my "7" , like many others' praise here is provisional.

In true Luca fashion, the directing is amazing and the scenery is stunning.

The first episode follows Fraser (played by Jack Dylan Grazier) and his family moving into a US military base in Italy.

Fraser is a quirky, troubled teen who we get to learn a bit about. His interactions and journeys around the base and outside of it make him a loveable and curious character.

The soundtrack, like in Luca's Call Me By Your Name, is extremely brilliant.

While the episode doesn't seem to have any particular direction, once I finished it, I wanted to watch more. Can't wait for the rest of the series.

Seems to be a lot of negative feedback due to the fact this isn't "what it's like to be on a foreign military base" from those who have experience first hand, which I guess we have to respect, however, it's just a tv show and not a one sided documentary, so why base judgement on that? Interesting story for the modern age, felt like a typical Guadagnino to me so enjoyed it quite a lot. From my perspective, people should chill out and not expect a real life 100% factual account of what life is actually like in such an environment, but that's just me. Thanks!