Time & Location
Oct 25, 2026, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Bok Auditorium, 800 Mifflin St, Philadelphia, PA 19148, USA
About the Event
Magic Thinking is a multi-platform film installation steeped in the current moment when climate catastrophe, the COVID pandemic, and the rise of fundamentalism combine to contribute to an apocalyptic aura. With this aura, magical thinking can become a survival strategy, creating surprising bedfellows. In particular, the confluence of far-right extremism and the “wellness” world.
Magic Thinking follows the relationship between Doug (Becca Blackwell), a human optimizer, and Nancy (Laine Rettmer), a meditation class teacher, as they grasp for certainty in the face of unrest. Their spiritual journey is tainted by hyper-masculine self help gurus, burned-out ex-climate activists, psychedelic-pushing big tech entrepreneurs, and viciously Darwin-obsessed wellness influencers. As they search for “Truth” the limits of self-actualization become increasingly clear. (Laura Parnes, USA, 2026, 76 min.)
Followed by a conversation with filmmaker Laura Parnes
Laura Parnes’ critically acclaimed films and installations fuse comedy with pathos to probe social and political trauma. Informed…