In her latest film, Materialists, writer-director Celine Song continues the delicate exploration of human connection that first captivated audiences in Past Lives. In a recent Creative Screenwriting interview, Song: https://www.creativescreenwriting.com/an-in-depth-interview-with-celine-song-on-her-film-materialists-exploring-materialism-and-the-commodification-of-love/
reflects on the tension between love and materialism, asking whether intimacy can survive in a world increasingly defined by transactions and ownership.
At the heart of Materialists lies a provocative question: what happens when love itself becomes commodified? Song dissects the cultural forces that shape our relationships, status, wealth, and the allure of material gain—while insisting that love remains a radical act of freedom. Her characters wrestle with the pull of desire and ambition, yet the film insists that true connection resists being bought or sold.
Song’s words resonate deeply:
“Love is the one place where you actually can be freed from everything else that is trying to take over and trying to own you. It’s the one place where you actually can be... you can accept the divine into your heart.”
This quote crystallizes her vision. Love, in Song’s framing, is not simply romance; it is a sanctuary, a rebellion against commodification, and a spiritual opening. It’s a reminder that even in a culture obsessed with material gain, love remains the last frontier of authenticity.
For filmmakers and storytellers, Song’s perspective is a challenge and an invitation. How do we portray love without reducing it to cliché or transaction? How do we honor its capacity to liberate us from systems that seek to own and define us? Materialists offer one answer: by embracing complexity, contradiction, and the divine vulnerability at the core of human connection.
Stage 32 thrives on conversations that push us to rethink storytelling. Song’s work is a call to filmmakers everywhere: tell stories that resist commodification and that honor love as both fragile and transcendent. In doing so, we not only craft cinema that resonates—we create art that reminds audiences of their capacity for freedom.
You're welcome, J'Nae. Here's the link for Week 3's blog (www.stage32.com/blog/november-write-club-week-3-how-to-make-a-strong-fir...). There's three prizes you could win this week!...
Expand commentYou're welcome, J'Nae. Here's the link for Week 3's blog (www.stage32.com/blog/november-write-club-week-3-how-to-make-a-strong-fir...). There's three prizes you could win this week!
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Hi, J'Nae! I'm so sorry for your loss. I lost my aunt to leukemia in 2013. I love writing poetry, too. Are there any specific genres of poetry that you write?
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My condolences, Haley Mary.
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Thanks, Maurice. She passed the week before Christmas, so that time of year is always tough.
You're welcome, Haley Mary. I hope it's not as tough this year.