Amélie

Amélie is a film, described as a "fanciful comedy," about a young French woman who views the world with curiosity and playfulness. Amélie turns everyday moments into ones of mystery. Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet shot the film in over 80 Parisian locations and uses beautiful imagery and colors throughout.

The film shows how Amélie, throughout her life, handles ambiguity by creating her own world of wonder and stories. She does not reject ambiguity but instead uses it as fuel for a richer life. It's an inspiration and beautiful reframe of the role of ambiguity in our lives. In particular, the intro scenes about her childhood and the suspenseful scenes near the end where she is chasing a mystery man.

I've seen the film multiple times but have not used it in a classroom context yet. I believe it would be useful for learners as they prepare for synthesis work to think about what is the role of ambiguity and how can we use analogous inspiration to advance our design point of view.

Reflections include: how embracing ambiguity can serve as a source of direction and inspiration in design work, how every day life is full of signs and metaphors, how our own minds distort and interpret the world, and how relationships shape our life experiences