My biggest takeaway is this: We need more movies like The Florida Project. In our increasingly hostile and divided world, movies like this put a human face on The Other. This may be the best way possible to engender empathy among people who might otherwise disparage and castigate those different than they. All humans are born worthy of respect. What Sean Baker has done with this film is tell a hauntingly beautiful, yet heartbreaking story of a mother and a daughter living on the fringes of society. And in the saga of this specific family shined a light on the lives of millions of people living on the edge of poverty. It’s not preachy. It’s not propaganda. It’s a simple story. One that is evocative and compelling because of its heartfelt humanity.

This and Short Term 12 should be required viewing for everyone.