Jeenias Podcast

In this episode, the two try to disentangle Christopher Nolan's complex sci-fi-action-movie "Tenet". The plot is hard to comprehend, involving diverse themes like entropy, inversion, and overlapping timelines. Characters meet themselves from the past and even fight with their own selves. Locations are changed frequently. The main character, portrayed by John David Washington, is not a classic hero. Jeanine and Tobias compare Tenet to other movies from the same director, they liked to watch. Interestingly the movie theater was almost empty. Many other blockbusters have been postponed due to the pandemic. We would like to know if you still go to the movies once in a while. If so, what have been your best movie experiences lately?    

Tobias and Jeanine discuss their strategies on how they cope with the pandemic. Jeanine stays mostly at home, avoiding social encounters and getting more and more experienced with her streams on Twitch. She enjoys spending time with her friend circle on Discord or plays video games. Tobias, on the other hand, still seeks to go out, doing his outdoor workout with a bunch of hobby-athletes. He misses the social aspects of his former lifestyle. The two talk on their contrasting strategies. How do you deal with stress during Corona? 

Jeanine and Tobias have recently watched the movie "Undine", a very ambitious artistic movie with lots of hints on the German Romantic movement. The fairytale-like flic puts a water nymph into our modern society. A curse forbids Undine's boyfriend to leave her, otherwise, he would be killed. The story unfolds with dramatic underwater imagery.  Both found this movie to be inspiring but also identified some plotholes and implausibilities. 

Afterwards, the two share their observations on the current Corona situation in Western Germany.

On the day of the recording, Tobias celebrated his birthday!  After initial greetings, the two talk a live stream they did together as part of Duolingo's #DuoTogether campaign.  They baked a cake, played games and had some casual conversations with the online language learning community.

Eventually, Tobias and Jeanine discuss what they've been learning regarding the Black Lives Matter movement in the US, for example, how they might affect the upcoming US elections. Tobias has still some hopes regarding how strong American democracy has proven to be. He is currently reading "The Narrow Corridor" by Acemoglu / Robinson, which explains how different states choose different paths towards democracy or despotism.

What are some important facts or stories that you've learned from the recent events?

Jeanine and Tobias talk about the current Corona situation. Jeanine lacks some motivation. She wants to become better at many things and has accordingly set high expectations for herself.  Tobias feels rather motivated, reading books, doing outdoor workouts and watching streams. Staying motivated they refer to studies and discuss different methods people used in the past and present to boost their energy. In the end, the two discuss the three seasons of the Circle, comparing them and their most memorable characters. Jeanine liked the American version, for its lack of drama and conspiring. Tobias favoured the French version, especially due to the emerging of the trio that marched from the first season straight to the finale.

(Recorded: March 24, 2020) Jeanine and Tobias talk about the latest developments regarding the spread of the Coronavirus. Nobody saw this sudden outbreak coming, they even joked about the virus during the last episode. The two then discuss certain measures like lockdowns and how they continue their daily lives under growing isolation. Jeanine hasn't noticed much change in the way she socializes, as she had already been socializing with her friends online. Tobias on the other hand misses the social contact, doing sports with other people, going to the movies or cinema. Then they discuss the Circle Brazil, a great parody on the chances/threats of a purely lead online life.

(Recorded: March 9, 2020) Jeanine and Tobias start off talking about the latest developments after the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) hit Germany.  Jeanine thinks that the media might play a role in spreading mass hysteria. She is especially afraid she might infect other people. Tobias witnessed empty food shelves and hoarding mentality for the first time. He thinks that viruses might become more prominent due to globalization. Both talk about the effects of hoarding and discuss the phenomenon of the so-called German Angst, somehow anchored in German history. The two even observed the impact on their own behaviour, like frequent cleaning of their hands or raised awareness of their own gestures. Share your opinion: How does COVID-19 change your life and behaviour? How do handle the anxiety that comes with it?

Tobias and Jeanine talk about the show Sex education. They reminisce about their own how high school experiences especially concerning sex education, both having visited catholic schools. The show sheds new light on typical tropes, like cliques and the longing for popularity. Jeanine draws parallels to movies, like High School Musical, and shows, like Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide. The two also discuss how the show uses the asthetics of the 80s, while taking place in the modern world. If you have kids or plan on having them: How would you educate your children about sensitive topics?

Jeanine talks about one of her passions, dancing hip hop. After months of intense training she experienced an overwhelming performance in front of a big audience. She talks about how dancing became a part of her life and how she handles stage fright. But what is more important - skills or talent? Does the 10k hour rule also apply to dancing skills? What does it demand to master a craft? In the second part Jeanine opens up about another hobby she's picked up: tarot reading. She describes tarot as a way to interpret peoples lives by giving advice and looking closer at your own interests, motivations and desires. Also, isn't it a great tool to kickstart a conversation with strangers?

War Movies - What is it good for? Jeanine and Tobias just watched Sam Mendes' movie 1917 on World War I. They explain the main plot, character choices and historical background. Jeanine discuses the movie's seemingly single-shot style, and also compares the 1917 to other movies like Dunkirk. Tobias mentions some historical aspects of the time period. He admired the beauty of some of the scenes like chopped, blossoming orchard trees or the strange beauty of the burning chapel and compares "1917" to "Deer Hunter", which concentrates more on psychological effects of warfare. What kind of movies do you watch? Have you had enough of war movies? Both talk about the genre of war movies and the upcoming Oscars.