Hope in Action

A good source of inspiration for me is Fareed Zakaria who recently brought Sanna Marin to my attention.  Once the youngest female elected to a national leadership.  She had many accomplishments to her credit and was impressive in her speaking.

Sanna grew up in a town near Tampere and her father left.  Her mother adopted a same sex relationship and that seemed normal to Sanna.  Education was equal for all students giving her a step up.

As a young adult she moved in with her boyfriend Markus.  A bit later they had a child, Emma.  To even up child caring they had the patrimony payments equal.  Part of this time she was commuting from Helsinki, about two hours from Tampere where Markus held the fort.

She had joined the Social Democrat Party locally and gradually proved herself.  Working on committees she learned policies and connections.  When one election ended her party had done well and she was given the position of Prime Minister at the age of 34. 

Her first crisis was the Covid pandemic. The initial problem was there was very little information.  A key ingredient was trust of the people in the government.  There was some opposition to some measures, but generally the population followed the government guidance.  Under a European Union there was a protocol to equalize distribution.  Health care workers received the first vaccination during December of 2020 and she got hers on June 11, 2021.  

Another major crisis was when Russia invaded Ukraine.  Finland shares the longest border with Russia in Europe and she felt that despite a long contentious relationship they needed to join NATO.  This meant convincing the other 4 coalition parties plus some of the others outside the coalition.  They also wanted to join with Sweden who had an awkward problem with Turkey.  Some Kurdish fighters were in Sweden and Turkey wanted them back.   Finland was able to join a year ahead of Sweden.  Finland gave arms assistance to Ukraine and Sanna visited Volodymyr Zelenskyy. 

Scandals seem to come with the position.  She is realistic pointing out "Politics is so much more than the issues."  There are scandals that are an abuse of power and then there are personal assaults.  Perhaps the best known one was of her dancing to a Finnish pop song and mugging.  This led while finally living that one down to another that occurred during a visit to a friends' house where two women were photographed against the words Finland.  She never apologized for the dancing video, but did take a drug test.  Newspapers found scandals good for sales and helped keep them going as long as they could.

The recent election showed a different configuration which would have left Sanna relatively powerless.  At this time her marriage ended.  She found herself tired from work and was not able to talk about a lot of it to her husband.  She noted that the two of them had watched the Danish series "Borgen" where the marriage of the female Prime Minister also broke.  The two had laughed at it on viewing it, but she came to understand the pressures were real.   see http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/07/borgen.html

At this time Tony Blair offered her a position with an international organization.  After getting permission to withdraw from the Finnish Parliament she accepted.  Among other task she helped Ukraine and Moldova in their relations with the European Union.  

She writes quite a bit about the proportional representation system, a favourite topic of mine.  Her party is one of 5 parties in a coalition out of 9 total parties.  Her party the SDP got only about 20% of the voters, but the group negotiated and declared her the Prime Minister.  The parties did not all agree on every issue, and compromising was used.  Although things were slower, it was obvious a key mechanic was co-operation.  In systems where two parties dominate there is very little co-operation.  Incidentally Finland out performs most of the world in such areas as longevity and mostly sits at the top for happiness surveys.

As she moves on she feels the world has been going in the wrong direction.  Right wing leaders are wanting to carve up the world while the time for joint action is at hand.  Climate change, the AI revolution, equality all demand more attention.  

One observation she made was that after the Soviet Union breakup the European governments switched budget money from military to other concerns such as health and education.  Too bad not all the world adopted this principle.

She closes with an anecdote which I will attempt to paraphrase.  A Finnish custom is to go to a sauna and there many decisions can be thought out.  Sanna was comfortable with this which is traditionally gender segregated. A male journalist complained that he couldn't get close to the Prime Minister as female journalists could.  A female journalist pointed out that was how they were treated over time when males were in control.  

"Hope In Action" is a book good to expand your awareness of Finland and the life of a female politician.

Jacket photo by Meeri Koutaniemi

Vishwanath and Sons

After digesting "Viswanath and Sons" (2026) I realized it is more than worthy of writing about.  For my experience it is very unique and the presentation was well done.  A second impressive Tamil film in less than a month.

We are introduced to Sanjay Vishwanath, an Olympic shooting medal winner and learn he is also very rich.  But his mother Nirmila wants him to get married and start a family.  He is already nearly 40.  We learn later why he doesn't want to marry and also that he doesn't live as a celibate.  He loves his mother, but what to do?

His solution is to use a surrogate.  He relies on some sort of agency to find someone willing and money is no problem.  A young baby, named Abhay is produced some months later, making him and his mother happy.  But it soon turns out that a bone marrow match is required and they have to contact the mother that Sanjay was deliberately ignorant about.   Maddy is 20 years old and had calculated how much money she needed to complete medical school.  She agrees to providing a bone marrow match after some comical discussions that shed a little light on motivations.

He really is a nice guy and she falls for him declaring she wants to be with him.  He is not budging and has gotten used to his freedom and is horrified at marriage, especially to someone 20 years younger.  He does say he now feels responsible for her and is willing to support her in different ways.  She has charmed his mother.  After awhile she feels she should sue him for neglectful child rearing as an excuse to have more contact.  In effect his mother happily takes care of Abhay with the aid of lots of servants, but Sanjay has been neglectful, never changing diapers for example.

Somewhere we learn why he doesn't want to marry and it is that his father had left his mother.  Skipping ahead (a necessary spoiler) we learn his father had married again and had a daughter.  Nirmila had a peculiar relationship with her ex and his new bride.  The father had been allowed to visit his son and taught Sanjay how to shoot good enough to compete at high levels.  The new bride very occasionally visited and her daughter was about to get married.   Maddy got involved encouraging the marriage to go ahead and patch up family quarrels.

There is still lots of effort by Maddy who is helping Nirmala raise Abhay who knows who is his mother.  Sanjay is very fixed on not getting married, especially to someone as young as Maddy.  Neither Maddy or Nirmala are concerned about the age gap.  Abhay loves both his parents and grandmother.  While this is going on, Maddy finishes medical school financed by Sanjay.

This was a very engaging film owing to the cast and crew.  The two leading roles were very well done.

Venky Atluri was the director and writer.  He has 9 writing credits, 6 for directing and 1 for acting including "Vaath" (2023) and "Lucky Baskhar" (2024).

G.V. Prakash Kumur was the composer.  He has 126 composing credits, 63 for the music department and 37 for acting including "Aadukalam" (2011), "Gangs of Wasseypur" (2012),  "Soorari Pottru" (2020), "Vaath" (2023),   "Lucky Baskhar" (2024), "Amaran" (2024), "Idly Kadai" (2025) and "Kara" (2026).  See  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2024/12/amaran.html

Nimish Ravi was the cinematographer.  He has 21 cinematography credits and 1 for the camera & electrical department" including  "Kurup" (2021) and "Lucky Baskhar" (2024).

Navin Nooli was the editor.  Navin has 77 editor credits, 3 for additional crew and 2 for the editorial department including "Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo" (2020), "Shyam Singha Roy" (2021), "Jersey" (2022), "18 Pages"{ (2023), "Butta Booma" (2023),  "Vaath" (2023) and "Lucky Baskhar" (2024). 

Suriya played Sanjay Vishwanath.  He has a Bachelor of Commerce degree.  He rejected his first film offer as he did not want to be an actor.  He had 7 unsuccessful roles before winning an award that turned his career around.  He picked up a charity established by his father and supported children who had dropped out of school and directed them to training schools or other education.  He also set up a charity for Tamils in Sri Lanka.  He has 60 acting credits, 21 as producer and 4 for the music department including "24" (2016) "The Ghazi Attack" (2017), "Soorari Pottru" (2020) and one of my very favorite films "Jai Bhim" (2021). plus "Meiyazhagen" (2024).  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2021/11/jai-bhim.html   His wife Joythika has been prominent in films.

Mamitha Baiju played Maddy, the surrogate.  She started with modeling and then into the Malayalam film industry before expanding to Tamil films.  She has 29 acting credits including "Kara" (2026).

Radhika Sarathkumar played Sanjay's mother Nirmila Devi.  She has 246 acting credits, 24 for producing and 2 for additional crew including "Jeans" (1998) and "Pyaar Prem Kalanam" (2026). 

Ravenna Tandon played Anjala Devi.  She has 103 acting credits and 5 for producing.

Rajiv Menen played Vijay Vishwanath, Sanjay's father.  He studied cinematography in the United States under Garrett Brown, the inventor of the steadicam.  From there he became a cinematographer and directed tv. commercials including at least one with music by A.R. Rahman.  He has 9 acting credits, 9 cinematography credits and 7 for directing including "Bombay" (1995) and "Guru" (2007).

"Vishwanath and Sons" is available subtitled on Netflix.  Lots of laughs with some romance, action and music.

As usual I have bolded the first mention of films I have seen.  They are not necessarily a recommendation, but generally these are among my favourites.  If you follow the links you should be better able to determine if a particular film is worth following up.

Finally a Chance to improve life for Americans

The world has been helpless while Donald Trump has tried to steer America and the rest of the world in a very dangerous path. The mid-term election is only about 40 days away and in fact mail ballots have just about started.  I cannot vote, but will be very affected by the outcome as will everyone else, meaning YOU.

Polls seem to indicate a big switch to Democrats.  There are a lot of tricks that Republicans will try and there will likely be legal challenges.  Do not take victory and the tying up of Trump for granted.  Every vote can make a difference.  Trump is correct when he says he is on the ballot.  The best result will be if voters reduce his power to the point he cannot defy the law.  He will push everywhere he can. 

Trump with a prepared text at the United Nations threatened to annihilate Iran and also to pressure Cuba to change its government.  Is that what Americans want representing them in this very tense world?  This is what is at stake.

In the short time left it seems likely that inflation will be on everyone's mind.  Iran will likely be resisting with significant impact.  Deporting "illegals" likely will be harsher and unjust.  The Trump administration believing their voters really like this effort, will try to cram as much in while they still can.

Trump is stubborn and unable to admit any mistakes or any sign of weakness.  Blaming others for his problems will become more laughable.  He seems increasingly mentally unwell and very unreasonable.  He is less calculating than in the past with his actions hurting his party and even himself.  If he is left with any power it could be disastrous for Americans and beyond.

The time from election to inauguration of the newly elected holds danger, often called the lame duck session.   Republicans will attempt to lock in their policies and prevent investigations with their legal team preparing for possible impeachment.  Democrats need to be careful.  Prioritizing will be difficult.  Impeachment can be very time consuming, distracting and wasteful.  They should assert Congressional powers regarding tariffs, war, health, etc,  

There are many reasonable people contesting the election and I would like to single out Abdul El-Sayed.  He reminds me of Pete Buttigieg as he is very logical.  His problem is that racists are out and he has been declared an enemy by AIPAC.  American have too often given into prejudicial ignorance when more than ever they need a clear head.

Albert Einstein gave his support to the Hebrew University, but became concerned over Jewish attitudes regarding Arabs.   As far back as 1929 he voiced such opinions as "Should we be unable to find a way to honest co-operation and honest pacts with the Arabs then we have learned absolutely nothing during over 2,000 years of suffering."  Are Americans finally getting a truer picture or is the water being muddied. 

The Republicans have a sorry record but always rely on prejudice.  Lately one target has been trans sexuals.  Recently learned of a new insight into transexuals.  I had been told that for many, the desire to be different is very strong.   I recall working with a family through their newspaper carrier son and successful canvasser.  He acted very feminine, but had a sister who acted masculine.  Such youngsters tend to be made fun of, but want to be their natural selves.  Parents don't want a sex change, but fear for the sanity of their children with some even being suicidal.

Progressives are on a delicate balance with most distrusting Trump, but realize voters fear change.  America is so diverse and although there are some intermingling with better understanding, there is also fear and hate generated by a minority.

The environment is on the ballot.  It was pointed out that states have significant control over environmental issues.  It seems likely hatred of Trump will result in federal switch to Democrat policies that are more environmental friendly.  Inevitably some will vote Democrat at the Federal level (for senators and house reps), but go back to their natural political voting at the state level.  For the environment generally, Democrats are better, but should there be exceptions-the environment should be the factor.

The Trump team has all been chosen for loyalty, not expertise.  Many of his key supporters lie to suck up to him.  They have suffered at the whims of a very vain, provocative man and in turn so has the rest of the world.

There will be countless people concerned about the result, but only a few have the tool to make a real difference.

see http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2025/03/why-isnt-trump-in-prison.html

The Amazing Generation

As a baby boomer I am trying to adjust to a new generation--the ones who came up around the 2,000's.  The contrast of our youths is startling which means their future is going in a different direction.  Wealth has been distributed differently, but almost as important is the impact of the smart phone and the development of social media.

"The Amazing Generation" by Jonathan Haidt and Catherine Price is targeted for teenagers, young adults and their parents with the focus on smart phones.  Lots of illustrations, pop-ups and comic stories.

As a retired senior I recognize I have also been sucked in, although, my smart phone is used only for very occasional phone calls and taking photos.  My laptop is used mainly as a tool, but I am easily taken down other paths.

Designers for the most part do not let their own children get too involved with smart phones and computers.  At the same time they are developing addictive features and how to mine the information they gather from the participation of many adolescents and the rest of us.

The authors point out that baby boomers spent their childhood unsupervised when not in school.  That is how I remember it.  Starting around the 1980's parents did get nervous perhaps and started getting their children in structured activities such as music, dancing and sports.  Television had become more common, but no streaming.  Phones were plugged in and if you wanted more privacy there were pay phones.  One writer in person pointed out his privacy was limited by the chord length of his parent's phone.  Computers were becoming more common and evolving towards use in business and personal.  Wi-fi and websites developed along with digital cameras.  

The big change came on January 9, 2007 when Steve Jobs announced the Iphone.  From there, apps developed.  Smart phones became common and were quickly picked up by youngsters.  Phones were now mobile.  Designers quickly spotted opportunities.  Advertisers soon discovered that valuable information could be easily gathered and used for targeting.  

Smart phones were entertaining and had advantages for getting information and communicating.  Too much time on smart phones led to mental health issues especially among adolescents when their brains are making major changes.  Depression was one result for some.  Others were made to feel anxious.

We have all encountered groups of people staring at their phones rather than talking to one another.  Too many will interrupt a conversation in order to check their phone, an action called phubbing.   Some bullied others because it is so much easier than in person.  Perhaps the most serious problem is the waste of time.  Phones detract from studying, working and even relating to people on hand.  In the primitive era, people had to be alert to distractions as they could be fatal.  Today we need to learn to concentrate.  We are prone to multi-tasking (guilty), but that slows one down. 

Many are wondrous of the "free" service, but they should realize the service is not the product, they are.  Every minute they are on the phone, someone is scooping up more information.

How can you fight, and fill your life with real friendships, freedom and fun.  It might be hard to pull yourself away from the grip of your phone, but as Tyler Smallwood points out "if you can do one hard thing you can do another."   A few suggestions:

                    -count breaths

                    -5-4-3-2-1   think of 5 things you can see, then 4 things you can feel, then listen for 3

                     seconds, then identify 2 smells, then focus on one taste

                     -carry something to write on

                     -read

                     -look for new things to do

There are many other suggestions.  You are re-wiring your brain and it is important to be moving.

There have been legal actions such as META being successfully sued.  There are government actions such as in Australia where they have legislated restrictions for students.  Many other actions are being organized, but while they may improve things you have to think about children and parents.

Jonathan Haidt has had an impact on me over the years.  Glad he recognizes that children need protection.  Below are three posts I have found very helpful.

http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2013/02/the-righteous-mind.html

http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2017/10/are-you-interested-in-happiness.html

http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2025/06/the-anxious-generation.html

The jacket art has been done by Cynthia Yuan Cheng and shed also provided illustrations within the book.

Reply 1988

"Reply 1988 " (2015) was referenced when I was researching another film.  It was described as one of the best ever television series.  At one time it carried a 9.5 IMDB rating, but 8 or so years later has settled down to 9.0.  Wondering why?  It has been suggested that it carried a lot of emotions of a wide variety.  There is a lot of interconnection and support between five families.  

My first impression after about 3 minutes was that I had made a big mistake.  The narrator Deok-Seon was screaming for no apparent reason.  Throughout the series she gets very emotional, especially with rejections.  Others, also over-react both when frustrated, but also when excited. It is not over-acting.  The parents are very involved supporting their children's friends.

The parents include a widow and a widower.  The parents have their own struggles with their children and among themselves.  The personalities are diverse, but they are very supportive of one another. 

It is set in Seoul, Korea in 1988 the year they held the Olympics.  Deok-Seon has been given the task of marching with a flag for Madagascar, but we learn at the last minute they withdrew in protest over North Korea not being included along with another 3 or 4 countries.  She ends up with Uganda near he end of the parade, but all the families watch on tv.

A Studious daughter, Bo Ra joined student protesters which left her father very upset.  They get reconciled.  Some students have trouble qualifying for university and wrestle with studying, friends and keeping cool.  Romances develop, but with usual teenager angst.

Taek is an international Go champion, but seems grounded when not competing.  All the families follow his successes.

At the end of many episodes there is a segment 10 to 20 years later with the mature versions of the characters telling you who did get together using different actors.   

The end segment is reminiscing about how they remember the joy of their friendships which can no longer be relived.  They, parents and children grouped together for wedding photo.

This series was a massive effort and succeeded because of their cast and crew.  Here are some of them:

Shin Won-ho was the award winning director.  He has 6 directing credits and 1 for acting.  

Lee Woo-jung was the writer.  She has 9 writing credits, 2 for directing and 1 for acting including "D.P." (2013).  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2023/04/dp-stands-for-deserter-pursuit.html

Oh Jae-ho was the cinematographer.  He has 8 cinematography credits and 1 for writing.

Lee Hyeri played the main female lead, Sung Deak-seon.  Better known as Hyeri when singing and was a key member of Girls Day.  She has 33 acting credits.

Park Bo-gum played Choi Taek, the Go champion.  He is a well known singer and one of the most respected brand endorsers in a wide variety of demographics.  Bo-gum has 21 acting credits and 1 for soundtrack including "A Hard Day" (2014), Itaewan Class" (2014) and "When Life Gives You Tangerines" (2025).  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2025/04/when-life-gives-you-tangerines.html  

Ahn Jae-hong played Kim Jong Bong.  He has 34 acting credits, 1 for directing and 1 for writing including "Rebound" (2023) and "Mask Girl" (2023).   See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2023/08/mask-girl.html

Ryu Jun-yeol played Kim Jung-hwan.  He has 25 credits for acting including "A Taxi" (2017).  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2026/09/a-taxi-driver-is-gem.html 

Go Kyung-pyo played Seong Seon-woo.   He has 32 acting credits including "Strongest Deliveryman" (2017), "D.P." (2021) and "Decision to Leave" (2022).    See   http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2023/02/decision-to-leave.html

Lee Dong-hwi played Ryu Dong-ryong.  He has 44 acting credits including "The Beauty Inside" (2015), "The Handmaiden" (2026), "Designated Survivor:  60 Days" (2019) and "Broker" (2022).   See   http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2023/07/broker-japanese-korean-collaboration.html

Ryu Hye-young played Seung Bo-ra the older sister.  She has 17 acting credits.

Kim Sung Kyun played Kim Sung Kyung.  He has 46 acting credits including "D.P." (2021) and "Divorce Attorney Shin" (2023).  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2023/04/divorce-attorney-shin.html

Choi Moo-sung played Choi Moon Seong, a widower and father to Taek.  He has 8 acting credits including "The Good Bad Mother" (2023).    See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2023/06/the-good-bad-mother.html

Ra Mi-ran played her namesake, Ra Mi-ran.  She has 76 acting credits including "Thirst" (2009), "Hope" (2013), "Black Dog" (2019-20) and "The Good Bad Mother" (2023).  See  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2016/11/hope-gut-wrenching-film-from-korea.html  and                     http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2023/01/black-dog.html

Kim Sun Young played Kim Seong-yeong, a widow.  She has 84 acting credits including "When the Camellia Blooms" (2019), "Crash Landing on You"(2019-20), "Broker" (2022), "Queenmaker" (2023), "The Trauma Code" (2025) and "Our Unwritten Seoul" (2025).   See   http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2020/02/crash-landing-on-you-very-addicting.html and http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2025/06/our-unwritten-seoul.html 

Sung Dong-il played  Seong Dong-il, one of the fathers.  He has 95 acting credits including ""200 Pound Beauty" (2006), "Miss Granny" (2014), ""The Chase" (2014) and "Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days" (2018).   See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2014/04/a-slice-of-korean-cinema.html  

At times some of the emotions might seem a bit much, but very likely most viewers will find themselves tearing up--perhaps when parents are feeling love for their child and also vice versa.  Available on Netflix with subtitles.

As usual I have bolded the first mention of films I have seen.  Some of them are among my favorite Korean films and a big part of my Korean obsession.  If you follow the links you should be able to determine if any film is worth following up.

Korean names recorded in western sources can be confusing.  Their names have different English spellings.  In many scripts that actors have their stage names adapted to their roles, sometimes duplicating.  

The Cure for Drowning

Canada Reads opens up opportunities for Canadian authors.  It pits five books that have survived strenuous qualifying.  Champions are selected and required to read all five books.  Over four days each book is attacked and defended.  This year "The Cure for Drowning" was the winner.  I would add, deservedly.

Its champion was Tegan Quin.  Tegan with her twin sister Sara is part of a popular musical duo Tegan and Sara.   Both are in same sex relations and have been open from the beginning of their musical career.  Tegan defended a book with non binary romance elements very ably.

The title may seem strange, but serves as a sort of tool.  At a very young age Kit fell through ice and drowned, but was scooped up by her brother Landon who walked a long distance in wintry conditions to their home.  The mother Caroline  somehow brought her back to life.  The incident leads to a Celtic fairy tale involving a spirit rescuing a person drowning.

The story takes place around World War II.  The romance is not conventional.  Kit, might be described as a tomboy much to the displeasure of her mother.  Her older brother is good looking and confident.  A younger brother Jep is loved by both siblings.  When Jep has an accident breaking his leg he is dragged to a new doctor in town.  Not incidental to the story the doctor has a German background and more critical to the story he has a daughter, Rebekah.  

Rebekah is 'courted" by both Landon and Kit.  Landon is a smooth talker and is really attracted to Rebekah, even approaching her father with talk of marriage.  In the meantime the two women find an attraction that includes some discrete intimate contact.  As these relations are developing the families are friendly, but as the war approaches it causes a breach for the youngsters.  Rebekah disappears back to Montreal and Kit ran away from home (hoping Rebekah would join her).

From there the four youngsters end up involved with the war.  Landon joins the navy and Jep joins the army.  Rebekah ends up in Halifax working on naval intelligence.  Kit has adopted the name of Christopher and joins the air force and is very involved in actual aerial battles.

Loghan admits there are some changes in details, but essentially the picture described is accurate regarding military procedures.  There are many twists over the years that make for engrossing reading.

There is sex, but most current fiction has at least some.  And although for many of us this is a little non traditional the sex is done relatively discretely.  Cultural factors will seem fairly normal, i.e. not too far out of range of our traditional experience.

We go from one event to another smoothly.  The telling is done alternately between the two key women.  This has been a reading difficult to put down--not only for the interesting plot, but for the telling.  

Loghan Paylor is described as a queer trans author.  They was raised in Ontario, but has since moved to the west coast after earning a Master's degree in creative writing.  They has written and published a few short stories and essays, but this is their first novel.  Loghan took six years getting the first words on paper to publication, moving three times in the effort.  Their dog was very helpful as a sounding board and escape from literary tensions.  They will be a judge in the CBC short story contest for 2027.

The other Canada Reads finalist was Searching for Terry Punchout" championed by Steve Glynn         http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2026/07/searching-for-terry-punchout-surprise.html

The cover design was by Jennifer Griffiths and with both (pictured above) help explain the Celtic fairy tale.

Us in the End--a realistic romance

"Us in the End" (2026), originally "Tayo sa Wakus" is a realistic romance.  People fall in love without really understanding one another.  Like most nations struggling to develop a film industry, the Philippines has relied on horror, comedy and romance movies to attract viable audiences.  This is one step to a more diverse offering.

Cisco works in an advertising agency and was just arguing for one of his ideas that was flatly received by his audience until Cheska, a newly hired employee enthused some support.  For the most of the rest of the script she supports him, even when it hurts.  

Cisco was smitten with her and offered to drive her to her parents even after she admits it is a three hour drive.  When they arrive in her hometown village it turns out her parents are loudly arguing and providing entertainment for the neighbours.  We  become aware that she comes from a poor background and is the sole breadwinner.  He on the other hand comes from a wealthy family and is used to getting his way.

Their boss, Mr. G. is enthused about their relationship, but understands who is the more talented.  Their romance is pretty intense and they move in together.  After one dispute he suggested that if ever they are thinking of splitting they go on a trip together and be very honest before making a decision.  She recognizes he has talent, but she actually is more talented and allows him to take credit for some of her ideas.  At one point Cisco wants to break from the company to start his own  and persuades his wealthy grandfather to invest, but the grandfather has been enticed by what he assumes is Cheska's involvement.  However she is the only breadwinner for her family and is not willing to take a chance on a new company.

That is much of the plot, but of course there are many details that you might look back on as portending their future, however the rest of the movie is not really predictable.

This film required a deft touch and mostly got it.  Here are some of the key cast and crew responsible.

Cathy Garcia-Sampana was the director.  She has 45 credits for directing, 24 as an assistant director and 11 for writing including "Four Sisters and a Wedding" (2013), "Hello, Love, Again" (2024) and "Meet Greet & Bye" (2025).  See   http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2025/08/from-philippines-to-calgary.html

Vanessa R. Valdez was the writer.   She has 91 credits for the script & continuity department, 31 for writing and 29 as a producer including "Four Sisters and a Wedding" (2013), "Starting Over Again" (2014), "You're My Boss" (2015), "Everything About Her" (2016), "Barcelona:  A Love Untold" (2016), "Rewind" (2023) and "Hello, Love, Again" (2024)  The next link covers 4 films mentioned in this post:   http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2019/10/four-filipino-movies.html

Kookie Labayen was the producer and has 9 writer credits, 13 for producing and 12 for additional crew including "Everything About Her" (2016), "Barcelona:  A Lover Untold" (2016),  "Love You To the Stars" (2017) and "Isa Pa with Feelings" (2019).  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2021/12/isa-pa-with-feelings-really-helps.html

Jessie Lasaten was the musical director.  He studied at the Berklee College of Music.  He began writing jingos for tv. commercials. then moved to films.  He has 196 composing credits and 48 for the music department including "Hello, Love, Again" (2024).

Yves Janero was the cinematographer.  He has 14 cinematography credits, 17 for the camera & electrical department including "Hello, Love, Again" (2024) and "Unmarry" (2025).    See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2026/07/unmarry.html

Marya Ignacio was the editor.  She has 208 editing credits, 41 for the editorial department and 39 for the production finance & accounting department including "Four Sisters and a Wedding" (2013), "Starting Over Again" (2014), "You're My Boss" (2015),  "Barcelona:  A Love Untold" (2016), "Everything About  Her" (2016), "Love You to the Stars and Back" (2017), "Rewind" (2023), "Hello, Love, Again" (2014), "Meet, Greet & Bye" (2025). 

Belle Mariano played Cheska and was also an executive producer.  She was performing in television commercials at age 9 and graduated to singing.  She has 32 acting credits, 1 for producing and 5 for sound track including "Love You to the Stars and Back"(2017) and "Meet, Greet & Bye" (2025) .

Donny Pangilinan played Cisco and was also an executive producer.  He has been a model and a singer.  Donny has 21 acting credits, 2 for producing and 4 for Soundtrack.

Jeffrey Quizon played Mr. G.   He has won many awards, nationally and internationally including at Cannes.  He has also been a band leader.  Once a chain smoker he took part in a celebrity challenge and quit.  Jeffrey has 149 acting credits, 3 for writing and 6 for assistant directing including "Heneral Luna" (2015).

This is not a light romance, but a little grittier the way many romances actually work out.  "Us in the End" is available subtitled on Netflix.

As usual I bold the first mention of films I have seen.  They are not necessarily a recommendation, but mostly ones that I have enjoyed.  The links give more details to better reach a judgment.

G.D.N. tells of another Thomas Edison in colonial India

Gopalaswamy Doreiswamy Naidu is not well known, even in India, but he is a most remarkable man who has finally been depicted in a major film "G.D.N." (2026).

The film starts near the end of his life when tax authorities are trying confiscate his wealth and then we switch to a textbook committee meeting that was to discuss books for the next school year.  A strange woman enters and explains she wants to make sure they include a chapter on G.D. Naidu while a few protest that he a traitor, a  tax evader and not properly educated having dropped out of school after grade 3.  She gives each member a copy of some biographical information and the story moves on.

We are introduced to a young G.D. Naidu as he wants to buy a motorcycle to see how it works.  He is very curious person, studying lots of processes.  Another move is to work at a cotton mill owned by Robert Stanes and find a way to improve cotton processing that led him to start his own mill.  While there he learned to speak English.  Unfortunately he gambled on prices and lost when the market for cotton declined.

He goes back to Robert Stanes asking for a job and instead is given a bus.  After a few years he proved his management skills after devising more efficient routing he persuaded a number of bus drivers to join him, pooling their resources to share in profits.  At one point United Motor Services had 600 buses.  This is also where he partnered with Ramiah Pillai who stuck with him to the end.

His list of innovations is diverse.  In agriculture he made improvements with cotton, maize and papaya.  He found better ways to extract fruit juice.  He made voting machinery more safe and efficient.  Motors was one of his first interests and that is reflected in transportation.  One sideline was developing an electric shaving razor.  Education was boosted by encouraging wider spread schools.  He was a founder of a polytechnical institute and revised a curriculum to give engineering training in only two years.  Concerned over the plight of the poor he developed a way to construct a more affordable, safe house in one day.  A man who loved taking photos he developed accessories to make cameras more efficient.  

As he succeeds he is generous to his fellow Indians which of course upset some British.  They tried to cut him down using tax rules to force him into a corner.  One British colonist, Winston Smith did some dirty tricks to stop him, but was constantly outsmarted.  He then hooked up with a high level income tax collector, Ambalapara Kristnan who over years was always finding parts of Naidu's business to tax and try to confiscate his assets, but failed.

His employees, and customers could see through the attempt and helped him evade unfair taxes.  Other tricks learned was to have the stock given to a dog and another was to divorce his wife giving her the right to take 98% of his assets, so the government could not confiscate 80% of them and still live together.     

He travelled over Europe and elsewhere looking for suppliers and ideas.  He spent time in Britain, France, Belgium and Nazis Germany and eventually got a deal with Benz to manufacture automobiles in his part of India.  These efforts branded him a traitor.  

At the end we learn the textbook committee has been swung over and there is an ironic twist.

"G.D.N." makes a good case for great contributor to India.  A lot of people help present a superb case.  Here are a few.

A key person was Madhavan who played.the title character, but more than that  he co-wrote the script and was also a producer.  He had won a national public speaking award and is fluent in English, Hindi and Tamil.  He took part in a student exchange program to Stetler, Alberta, Canada,  He has appeared in such films as "Rang de Basanti" (2006), "Guru" (2007) and "3 Idiots" (2009) which were all exceptional.  Altogether he has 100 acting credits, 5 for writing and 1 for directing.  Another film was the American, "The Reluctant Fundamentalist" (2012).  My first awareness of him was with "Kannathil Mutthamthal" (A Peck on the Cheek) (2002), but I assumed it was a Bollywood film and much later learned it was a Tamil film, opening another door for me.  Other films include "Arbe Sivan" (2003), "Tanu Weds Manu" (2011), "Dhoka" (2022) and "The Railway Men" (2023). See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2023/11/the-railway-men.html   In "G.D.N." one scene had him throwing away a cigarette as requested by Ramiah Pillai.  It turns out that Madhavan in real life does not smoke although willing to act if the script calls for it.

Krishnakumar Ramakumar was the director and co-writer.  He was the founder of Black Box Films in Chennai that mostly does advertisements.  He has 3 directing credits, 1 for writing and 31 for acting including "Madras Cafe" (2017).

Sathyjaraj played Ramiah Pillai, the loyal supporter.  He has 233 acting credits and 2 for producing including "Mersal" (2017), "Baahubala:  The Conclusion" (2017) and "Idly Kadri" (2025).

Priyamani played Chellamanal, the first wife who asked for a divorce so as not to drag him down.  She modelled which led to films.  She has acted in Hindi, Tami, Telegu, Malayalam and Kannada films.  Primayami has 85 acting credits including "Raavan" (2010), "Raavanan" (2010),  "Chennai Express" (2013), "The Family Man" (2019-2025), "Article 370" (2024) and "Maidaan" (2024).  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2023/03/the-family-man.html                     

Durshal Vijayan played Ranganyaki, Naidu's second wife who stuck with him through a wide variety of circumstances.  She studied fashion design which led to modelling and in turn tv. commercials and then films. In 2017 she won a contest for Face of Chennai and in the same year Miss South India, placing second.  She has 14 acting credits including "Natchaathiriam Nagangirahu" (2022).

Richard Bhakti Klein played Robert Stanes who gave Naidu critical support.  Lived in America and moved to Mumbai in 2005.  For a few years he was a professional singer/guitarist and has taught music and science.  He has 92 acting credits including "Dear Zindagi" (2016), "Gully Boy" (2019), "Love Aaj Kal" (2020), "RRR" (2022), "Dunki" (2023) and "Maidaan" (2024)  See   http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2024/06/maidaan.html

Jayaram played Ambalapara Krishnan, the brutal income tax collector you will come to hate.  He has 250 acting credits, 4 for the music department and 1 for additional crew including "Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo" (2020), "Poniyin Selvan, Part 1" (2022) and "Hi Nanna" (2023).    See   http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2024/01/hi-nanna.html   

"G.D.N." is available dubbed and subtitled on Netflix

As usual I have bolded the first mention of films I have seen.  They are not necessarily a recommendation, but generally these are among my favourites.  The cast and crew are well connected to outstanding films and if you follow the links you should be better able to determine if a particular film is worth following up.

Graveyard third season is riveting and socially aware

Turkey is a Muslim country and as such is assumed to be restrictive for women.  In many ways they are more westernized and women can be said to be relatively free, but as with so called more progressive countries they are struggling and deal with discrimination.  

A special task force is given a room in the basement of a police building in Istanbul which some call a graveyard.  The focus of the team is to investigate murders of women.

In the first two series they deal with a variety of murders against women.   See   http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2025/08/graveyard.html

Onem, after a break for personal reasons has returned and reassembled her crew.  A member of another group, Gokce learns of mysterious boxes given to women and feels they are a form of intimidation.  The boxes all have intimate knowledge and are numbered indicating they are the result of stalking.She is directed to the Special Task Force and eventually becomes involved in their investigation.  

In the meantime the Task Force gets involved with murders.  One is about a woman trying to hide her overweight body while doing cooking videos.  Her son was able to manipulate video tapes.  She becomes concerned about conveying a false message about body image.  

Before too long the boxes attract more attention.  Eventually the motivation becomes more evident as coming from some sort of incel group.   Incels are men who hate women, usually the result of rejection.  You know under layers of deception there is someone seeking revenge and making a statement about the role of women.  You have already seen grisly dead bodies, but the action and suspense go to a higher level as the team gets closer to cornering the culprit. 

Most of the film takes place in the modern city of Istanbul, but some of the investigation takes place in the town of Ephesus with buildings from Greek and Roman history.

The story is gripping and will draw you in.  Here are a few of cast and crew to credit.

Omer Baykel was the director.  He has 6 directing credits.

Abdullah Oguz was the previous director and producer.  He has 54 producing credits and 5 for writing including "Bliss" (2007).  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2011/05/turkish-delight-in-book-and-movie-form.html

Ozden Ucar was a key writer.  He has 5 writing credits and 1 for additional crew (river co-ordinating).

 

Cem Oget was the composer.  He has 47 composing credits, 22 for the music department and 1 for soundtrack. 

Ferhat Uzundag was the cinematographer.  He has 32 cinematography credits, 3 for the camera & electrical department and 2 for acting.

Sercan Guducu was the editor.  Sercan has 9 editor credits and 4 for the editorial department.

Bice Akalay played Onem, the head of the Special Task Force.  She was a finalist for the Miss Turkey contest.  She has modelled and became a sports anchor on tv.  She has 22 acting credits and 1 for soundtrack.

Olgun Toker played Serder Ata, a tough, sometimes brutal partner for Onem.  He has 71 acting credits.

Baron Guler played Berk, a forensic expert who tended to get sidetracked with tedious explanations.  He has 4 acting credits and 1 for acting.

Elif Cevinc played Sude, teenage daughter of Onem.  She has 10 acting crtedits.

Yesim Celebri played Gokce, the newest member of the Task Force.  She has 6 acting credits. 

Onur Durmaz played Bora, the bad guy.  He attended to the Vienna Conservatory where he studied music and acting while learning German, English and Italian.  He has done tv. commercials and has 13 acting credits. 

"Graveyard" is available subtitled and dubbed on Netflix.  I hope they come up with another riveting series.

As usual I bold the first mention of films I have seen.

A Taxi Driver is a gem

We learn that in 1980 a military dictatorship violently tried to put down student protests in South Korea.  The poster for "A Taxi Driver" (2017) seems to indicate a comedy, but it is not.

A dictator had gained control of South Korea and at this time his main obstacle seemed to be student protests who were of course described as radical and Communist.  The media was tightly controlled and the outside world was given a false narrative.  A German journalist in Japan, Jurgen Hinzpeter, heard about the suppressed riots and decided to fly to Korea to get the story.  He realized there was no easy way to get to Gwangiu, site of the riots, so thought if he used  large money he could hire a taxi driver.  Kim Sa-bok, heavily in debt was quick to see an opportunity and skipped the line to get the job.  He didn't realize the danger, but soon learned and tried to back out.  Eventually he felt a grave injustice was being inflicted on Korea and rescued the reporter and his film.  The script is based on a true story about a reporter and a taxi driver keeping their real names for the story.

There is a lot of violence and action (especially with cars).  Killing is almost without thought, as a dictator is determined the true story doesn't reach the outside world.  Human relations are important as there is resistance from local taxi drivers being influenced by a student.  Kim Sa-Bok was a widower with an 11 year old daughter left on her own who was helped logically, but also surprisingly. 

My reason for seeking out this movie was the actor I consider a star and an indicator of a good film.  Song Kang-Ho is not glamorous, but I have stumbled on a number of his films and am amazed how a character actor can be a leading actor.  "A Taxi Driver" is a good example.  See below for more information on him.

A lot of effort was put into this award winning film and here are a few of the contributors.  

Hun Jang was the director.  He got his start working working with production departments.  He went on to have 5 directing credits, 1 for writing and 1 as an assistant director. 

Yu Na Eom was the writer.  Another film she worked on was to do with the Korean dictionary that helped maintain the Korean language.  She has 2 writing credits and 1 for directing.

Cho Young-wuk was the music composer.  He got his start as he once wrote about film music for a radio show.  He was asked to recommend someone to pick music for a movie and he took the job.  This award winning composer has 74 composing credits, 9 for the music department and 2 for producing including "Oldboy" (2003),  "Thirst" (2009), "Glove" (2011), "The Attorney" (2011), "Joint Security Area" (2010), "The Beauty Inside" (2011), "The Tiger" (2015), "The Handmaiden" (2016), "The Man Standing Next" (2022) and "Decision to Leave" (2022).   See   http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2023/02/decision-to-leave.html  and  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2023/07/broker-japanese-korean-collaboration.html

Nak seon Go was the cinematographer.  He has 15 cinematography credits and 1 for the camera & electrical department including "The Man Standing Next" (2020).

Kim Sang-beom was the editor.  He has 141 editing credits and 2 for producing including "Oldboy" (20023), "Sympathy for Lady Vengeance" (2005), "Thirst" (2009), "Hope" (2013), "The Attorney" (2013), "The Handmaiden" (2016), "Asura" (2025) and "Decision to Leave" (2022).   See  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2016/11/hope-gut-wrenching-film-from-korea.html

Song Kang-Ho played Kim Sa Bok, the taxi driver.  He is also one actor with his own post http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2020/12/song-kang-ho.html which gives a fuller picture of his stature.  He is a heavily awarded actor and is revered by many directors.  He started in theatre at one time offering to work cleaning services to maintain working for the theatre.  In 2020 the New York Times compiled a list of the top international actors and he was listed as number 6.  With a slight hiatus he has been active in commercials and was noted for increasing sales of a liquor in Japan. Some of his film credits include "Joint Security Area" (2000), "The Host" (2006), "Thirst" (2009), "The Attorney" (2013), "The Age of Shadows" (2016)  "Snowpiercer" (2013) "Parasite" (2019) and "Broker" (2022).  Americans can see him in 3 episodes of "Beef" (2026), a popular American tv. series.   See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2020/09/parasite-breaks-oscar-tradition.html

Thomas Kretschmann played Jurgen Hinzpeter, the reporter.  He has 144 acting credits (including German and American films) and 8 for voice dubbing including "Stalingrad" (1993), "The Pianist" (2002), "Downfall" (2004), "Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot" (2016) and "Gran Turismo" (2023).

Ryu Jun-Cheol played Gu Jae-sik, a student protester.  He has 25 acting credits.  At the moment I am just past half way watching him in the highest rated Korean series "Reply 1988" (2015-16) for which he is in all 20 episodes.

Lee Jeung-eun played a hostess for the taxi driver and reporter.  She started in theatre and now has 63 film acting credits including "Mother" (2009), "Okja" (2017), "Parasite" (2019), "Our Blues" (2022-23) and "Daily Dose of Sunshine" (2023).  See  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2023/11/daily-dose-of-sunshine.html

I was interested to see this film, but it did not seem to be available on any of the usual streaming services, but my library membership allowed me to watch it for free with subtitles.  Kanopy is available through libraries throughout Canada and the United States.

As usual I have bolded the first mention of films I have seen.  Some of them are among my favourite Korean films and a big part of my Korean obsession.  If you follow the links you should be able to determine if any film is worth following up.