Film & Mind: Kinds of Kindness
**PACIFIC TIME** : June 12, 2026, 8:00 - 9:30 PM
*** Registration will close at 4:30 PM the day of the event. No registrations are possible after this time, no exceptions. *** See our Policy page for more info.
PLEASE MAKE NOTE OF THIS IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
- You will receive confirmation and details by email. Contact Byrd at byrdb@n-c-p.org if you have questions.
- The program presentation runs from 8 PM to 9:30 PM
- This program is being presented Online Only.
- A signature is required (in the meeting Chat) for CE/CME Credit.
- 1.5 CE/CME credits are offered for this program.
Kinds of Kindness (2024) is a black comedy-drama showcasing three perilous journeys of people contending with issues of relational subjugation. Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and inspired by the cruel and sadistic murderous tyrant Roman Emperor Caligula, this film is rich with symbolism and evocative images around master-slave dynamics.
Emma Stone, William Defoe and Jesse Plemmons repeatedly make up the principal cast in this three-part anthology: A man contending with a mighty struggle to make everyday choices and what sacrifices he must make to stay connected to others; an unpredictable policeman who questions the authenticity of his rescued missing-at-sea wife is; and the very personal quest of a woman estranged from her family and embroiled in a religious cult.
Where to watch
Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Fandango at Home and others
Schedule:
*** All times listed are Pacific Time (PT) ***
Discussion (on Zoom): 8:00 PM - 9:30 PM - We will hear from our discussants and explore the film together.
We will not watch the film together prior to the discussion. Participants should watch the film beforehand or begin screening on their own before 6:15 pm PT.
Learning Objectives:
As a result of attending this session, participants should be able to:
- Discuss shame and self-alienation as it presents itself in different contexts and relationship configurations.
- Describe aspects of the “traumatizing narcissist” (Shaw) and the relational system of subjugation
REFERENCES
Cox, D., & Levine, M. P. (2019). Psychoanalysis and Film. In R. Gipps, & M. Lacewing (Eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy and Psychoanalysis (pp. 513-530). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780198789703.013.31
Masih, S. (2020). Madness and Otherness. The Psychoanalytic Review, 107(2), 175–195.
Shaw, D. (2014) Traumatic Narcissism: Relational Systems of Subjugation. Routledge
Shaw, D. (2023) Shame and Self Alienation: A Trauma-Informed Psychoanalytic Perspective. Psychoanalytic Inquiry Vol 44: 254-265
Program Coordinators:
Thomas Brod, MD, Apurva Shah, MD and Mary Starks, MA, LPCC
Discussants:
Mary Starks MA, LPCC is a psychoanalytic therapist in private practice in Santa Monica working from a Winnicottian and Kohution lens. With Apurva Shah and Tom Brod, she is a co-coordinator of the Film and Mind series at NCP, and the Founder of Fourth Wall Consulting, working with directors and producers to promote psychologically safe sets.
Apurva Shah, MD, is a child and adolescent psychiatrist working for Kaiser Permanente in Palmdale. An Associate member of the New Center for Psychoanalysis, he is a co-coordinator of the Film and Mind Series. He is also the Founding Director and Faculty at the Antarnad Foundation, a not-for-profit psychoanalytic psychotherapy training program, in Ahmedabad, India. He is a member of the California Forum of the Lacanian Field and the California Circle. His primary interest, and the focus of most of his publications, is the interface of psychoanalysis and culture.
IMPORTANT:
- This is online only. It will be held via Zoom.
- Pre-registration is required.
- Target audience: Mental health professionals and open to the public interested in psychoanalytic perspectives. Open to members and the community.
- Level: Every level.
- 1.5 CE/CME credits offered.
- Signature is required for Continuing Education Credit. Zoom attendees must "sign" in and out at the beginning and end of the discussion in the Zoom Meeting Chat to receive credit.
- You will receive a confirmation and event-details message by email after registering. Contact Byrd at byrdb@n-c-p.org if you have questions.
FEES:
$25 with CE Credit
$15 without Credit
Free for NCP Psychoanalysts-in-Training and Students
"How do I get my CE/CME Credit?"
- Pre-Register below
- If you are registering for the first time you will receive a welcome email. You must follow the directions in this email to complete your registration in order to access your certificates.
- "Sign" in and "sign" out during the event (by typing your full name into the chat). This is how we record your attendance at the event.
- Wait 10 business days.
- Download your Certificate on the NCP website.
CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDIT
PHYSICIANS: This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of American Psychoanalytic Association and the New Center for Psychoanalysis. The American Psychoanalytic Association is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
The American Psychoanalytic Association designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
The APsA CE Committee has reviewed the materials for accredited continuing education and has determined that this activity is not related to the product line of ineligible companies and therefore, the activity meets the exception outlined in Standard 3: ACCME's identification, mitigation and disclosure of relevant financial relationship. This activity does not have any known commercial support.
PSYCHOLOGISTS: The New Center for Psychoanalysis is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The New Center for Psychoanalysis maintains responsibility for this program and its content. Psychologists must report CE credits directly to MCEP using the attendance certificate to verify attendance. Please note that a psychologist must attend the CE program in its entirety in order to receive credit.
SOCIAL WORKERS, MARRIAGE and FAMILY THERAPISTS (LCSW, LMFT, ASW, IMF, LEP, LPCC, PCCI): The New Center for Psychoanalysis offers continuing education via the organizations listed above whose requirements meet the course content requirements set by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences (see 16 CCR section 1887.4.0 for General CE Course Content Requirements). Acceptance of the CE credits for this activity is at the discretion of the licensing board.