Around the States in 50 Films: The Florida Project

Living in the shadow of the most magical place on earth

I’ve become so fascinated in American history and culture over the last few years, I actually looked into doing a Masters degree in American Studies before realising I have neither time nor money to pursue such an indulgence. Fortunately, books are a much cheaper way to learn, and one of the best I’ve read on the subject in recent years is The Unwinding: Thirty Years of American Decline by George Packer, which explores the widening gap between rich and poor in the US, written so compellingly that it almost feels like a novel instead of a non-fiction book. Around the same time I read it, I also became obsessed with the history of the Beach Boys, counterculture and Californian identity, and I am forever finding new rabbit holes to fall down, including my latest Substack piece on American Exceptionalism.

For better or worse, America only seems to be getting more and more fascinating, which is why I thought it would be fun to start a little film project exploring every state in the US through the art of cinema. For each state, I’m going to choose a film that tries to capture the essence of that place, although my views will, of course, be very much those of an outsider looking in. How are these places represented on film? And how is the diversity of its people, history and culture encapsulated in a single story?

To begin, I’ve chosen the ‘sunshine state’ of Florida and the 2017 drama The Florida Project directed by Sean Baker.